GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Showing up at the airport is about to be more peaceful. Local artist Dania Grevengoed is putting the finishing touches on a series of murals that line the main strip of road leading in and out of the airport.
Grevengoed finished the painting process on her 12 murals Friday, planning to apply varnish next week.
The 12 naturalistic visual spreads are already up and visible for all of those entering or exiting the property.
"I focus on native plants, and plants that are local to the area where I'm painting,” Grevengoed explained. “We kind of got all the ecosystems coming from the Lakeshore in towards the airport."
Titled Growth (but they've been here the whole time), the artwork features magnified botanical line drawings of native plants, emphasizing their beauty and ecological importance to the region.
Located on the concrete berms in the median between John J. Oostema Boulevard and 44th Street, the murals showcase plants native to West Michigan. Visually, the colors correspond to their habitats: blues for wetlands, tan for dunes, green for woodlands, and white for plants found in multiple habitats.
"I park in the economy lot, and then I kind of play Frogger to get over here,” Grevengoed told FOX 17. "I am out here about eight to ten hours every day that I'm working.”
Despite the grueling temperatures she’s had to work through over the last few weeks, the paint she’s using is designed to withstand the elements.
"We are thrilled to welcome Dania and her artistic talent to the airport," said Tory Richardson, president and CEO of the Ford International Airport Authority. "As part of our efforts to create a memorable journey for everyone, we hope these murals will be enjoyed by guests and will celebrate the creativity and nature in West Michigan."
"I paint overlooked and underappreciated beneficial plants at a much larger size to help make them noticed, to have people appreciate the necessity of these plants," added Grevengoed. "I want to bring the peace and beauty of nature to everyone."
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