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Visitors to Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field will now be greeted by the artwork of Arkansas Tech University faculty member Neal Harrington following a ribbon cutting held Oct. 23 dedicating his commissioned piece "Arkansas As Home." "Neal's piece is the result of months of thoughtful design, craftsmanship and a deep, personal connection to place," said Meredith Catlett, chairwoman of the Clinton National Airport art advisory committee. "Though he said he applied on a whim, anyone who sees the final work knows the installation is anything but accidental. Neal's work beautifully reflects the spirit and scenery of the Natural State. His vision has brought depth, warmth and identity to this space, and we couldn't be prouder to share it with the public." Harrington is professor of art at Arkansas Tech, where he has served on the ATU Department of Art faculty since 2001, according to a news release from the university. "Arkansas As Home" is installed in the presecurity lobby on the second floor of Clinton National Airport near the stairs and escalator that travelers use to enter and exit the terminal. "Arkansas As Home" is three 3.5-by-6-foot birch wood carved panels. The panels are entitled "Homegrown," which depicts the mountainous regions of the Ouachitas and the Ozarks; "Down Home," which features the wetland regions of the state; and "Home Sweet Home," which tells a story from the delta region of east and southeast Arkansas, the release states. Harrington's proposal to create "Arkansas As Home" was selected by the Clinton National Airport Art Advisory Committee from a field of 49 submissions. "Arkansas is my home," said Harrington. "It's been very good to me. My wife (Tammy) and I moved from South Dakota down to Arkansas to work and have opportunities. I refer to a lot of my work as visual ballads. I tell very straightforward stories, hopefully with a little bit of humor in there." Harrington said on his website that printmaking, in particular relief printing, is his primary means of exploration in the visual arts. "Printmaking was the internet of its time. Who had artwork before prints were invented? The wealthy. Who had books? Who had access to education and could improve their lives? The wealthy. When (Johannes) Gutenberg invented the printing press, it created the age of enlightenment and everyone was suddenly able to rise up. If you worked hard, you could make it." Harrington's "Arkansas As Home" is part of the Clinton National Art in the Airport program, which was launched in 2020. Stated goals of the program are to reflect the region's celebrated natural environment, welcome travelers to Little Rock and Arkansas, create a positive and memorable first impression and infuse creativity into high-visibility airport spaces, according to the release. "Projects like this always take on a life of their own," said Shane Carter, director of public affairs and governmental relations for Clinton National Airport. "You get the pleasure of knowing the artist, and before long you are given the gift of experiencing their talent and the gift of friendship along the way." Harrington is not the first individual with Arkansas Tech ties selected to contribute to the Clinton National Art in the Airport program, according to the release. A terrazzo floor design by Tiffany Black entitled "Over an Arkansas Sky" spans 4,624 square feet in the presecurity lobby at Clinton National Airport. Black served as the Windgate Foundation artist in residence at Arkansas Tech in spring 2020, and her floor mural at Clinton National Airport was unveiled in December 2021. "We have a very talented department," said Harrington. "I'm proud to work at Arkansas Tech. We have students who are phenomenal. To be able to do things like this and show them they can do it ... a lot of them come from towns that are much smaller. Some of them have never been to Little Rock. So, we have travel abroad programs, and we open up their eyes by getting them to go to gallery walks. They always come back refreshed and ready to go."
