Two new exhibits at Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International airports aim to engage travelers with vibrant, colorful works of art. The exhibits, part of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Arts Program, will be on display until May 30.

At Reagan National Airport, “Color of Joy: An International Perspective” showcases art from around the world, using color in a variety of styles. Travelers will see vibrant, collages, abstract, mixed-media and other artistic expressions. The paintings of flowers, landscapes and geometric patterns are grouped according to color palates, designed to draw passengers to the works of art.

“Color of Joy,” provided by Nia Tavlarides Stratos Art and Central Asian Art, can be viewed in the airport’s Gallery Walk art corridor, near the underground walkway connecting Terminal A with the parking garages.

“'Color of Joy' seeks to uncover the artist’s most personal feelings directly through the creative process,” said Nia Tavlarides Stratos, artist and co-exhibitor. “We hope the exhibit will elicit an emotional response from travelers - a joyful response.”

“American Hollyhock,” by artist Beata Murawska, (pictured above) is one of the works on display at Reagan National Airport.

Visit here for more information about the exhibit.

“Down By the River” is a featured exhibit at Washington Dulles International Airport in the Gateway Gallery, located in the connecting walkway between the AeroTrain C-Gates and the C Concourse.

The exhibit is a photographic display of the natural beauty along the Potomac River. Various photos provide a glimpse into the waterway that captivated travelers during colonial times and draws modern-day explorers to the metropolitan area. “Down By the River” highlights features found along the course of the river and captures them in snapshots taken in West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia.

The photos were provided by f11Women’s Photography Collective, which has more than 40 photos on display at the airport to raise awareness about the natural beauty of the Potomac.

“The subjects are often narrowly focused on details or appealing scenes, but also widen to convey the unique features of the landscape along the river and its tributaries,” said Sheila Galagan, an f11 member. “The exhibit will likely attract the attention of passengers as they travel through the airport.”

“Fall near Sycamore Island,” by photographer Jo Ann Tooley, (pictured above) is part of the “Down By the River” exhibit at Dulles International Airport.   

Visit here for more information about the exhibit.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, through its Arts Program, offers diverse regional, national and international rotating exhibits, live performances and public art displays that celebrate the beauty and creativity of the National Capital Region. For more information about the Airports Authority Arts Program visit the Reagan National and Dulles International airports “What’s New?” pages at mwaa.com.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, established in 1987 by the governments of Virginia and the District of Columbia, manages and operates Washington’s Ronald Reagan National and Dulles International airports, which together serve more than 40 million passengers a year. The Airports Authority also operates and maintains the Dulles Airport Access Road and the Dulles Toll Road and manages construction of the Silver Line project, a 23-mile extension of the Washington region’s Metrorail system into Loudoun County, Va. No tax dollars are used to operate the toll road, which is funded by toll revenues, or the airports, which are funded through aircraft landing fees, rents and revenues from concessions. The Silver Line construction is funded by a combination of toll-road revenues, airport contributions and federal, state and local government appropriations. The Airports Authority is led by a 17-member board of directors appointed by the governors of Virginia, Maryland, the mayor of Washington, D.C., and the president of the United States.