Local visual artist Michael Dunn is a former ArtWORKS participating artist who has had his work displayed at Hector Airport.
Community and creativity.
They’re not entirely obvious words to describe an airport experience, but Fargo’s Hector Airport considers both of them long-term goals as it continues to expand services for area travelers.
With plans for a $124-million terminal expansion set to begin in May, airport Executive Director Shawn Dobberstein said architects, interior designers and community partners like The Arts Partnership and its program ArtWORKS will ensure local art is prominently on display throughout the facility.
In April 2024, local artist Hope Thier’s work was on display in the baggage claim area of the airport, with a reproduction of the exhibit in the departure waiting area. Thier is known for her whimsical paintings and this installation is no different. The airport installation includes colorful paintings of a rooster, bison and dinosaurs with bow ties and hockey sticks.
Like West Acres Shopping Center, which boasts the largest collection of regional art in the area, Hector Airport places a premium on displaying local art. Both destinations fervently support local artists through a variety of programming, live performances and special events.
Dobberstein, who’s worked at Hector since 1991, said the facility’s partnership with local arts organizations and local artists is part of what makes it a community-focused destination.
Hector has participated in The Arts Partnership’s ArtWORKS program since 2018. In that time, the partnership has brought dozens of exhibits and live music events to the space.
“You can see that travelers appreciate the visual art, but what’s also really special is the mini-musical concerts the airport hosts every summer and during the holidays,” The Arts Partnership Executive Director Tania Blanich said. “They smile when they look up and realize the music they’re enjoying is live.”
ArtWORKS brings rotating art exhibits by local artists to participating businesses. Currently, 21 venues in Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo participate in the program. Exhibiting artists receive a stipend for their participation and have sold work.
Blanich said ArtWORKS is a win-win between local artists and performers and local businesses, adding that public spaces like an airport are ideal for local art exhibitions simply for having a large amount of foot traffic.
“There are a million-plus visitors that travel through the airport each year,” she said. “Treating those travelers to some great local visual or performative art as they wait for their baggage or sit in the departure area is a spectacular experience for everyone.”
Visitors to the area get a taste of our local culture, too. Many exhibitions are regionally focused, with art often depicting prairie landscapes, agriculture and farming, and other subjects ubiquitous to North Dakota and Minnesota.
“The other nice thing is people coming to town see that our community is a special place, and that’s neat to see,” Dobberstein said. “The art that’s on display shows some type of expression of who we are.”
The benefits of the ArtWORKS program extend to the employee experience, too.
“Those who work at the airport also benefit,” Blanich said. “We love when the TSA agents stop to compliment musicians while they perform in the atrium.”
She said she won’t soon forget a delivery person “literally dancing past us” during a jazz concert over the lunch hour.
Airport developers have ambitious plans for local art in the future terminal expansion and overall revamping of the entire facility.
“We’re in the discussion phase. Local art will be a big feature, but it’s just a matter of how we bring it together,” Dobberstein said.
About the author
Lonna Whiting is a freelance writer and owner of lonna.co, a content marketing and communications agency located in Fargo, North Dakota. She is a frequent contributor to The Arts Partnership’s content library and also provides strategic communications consultation to the organization.
