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Beechcraft Heritage Museum’s hangar recently got an upgrade with the addition of a brand-new interior mural. Started as a challenge to Staggerwing Club enthusiasts by aviation legend Louise Thaden, the museum continues to honor the history of the manufacturer by methodically expanding its exhibits within the 78,000-square-foot facility.

The permanent display features historically accurate die-cut panels created by engineers at its Wichita plant; the aluminum planes highlight the evolution and use of the aircraft since the 1920s, including target drones for the military. Kirby Totty, the museum’s in-house curator, and Jody Cathey Curtis, Beechcraft executive vice president, asked DMA to facilitate the creation of a background scene for the wall-mounted pieces.

“We installed the aircraft panels in the back corner of the hangar and realized that the whole space needed some big dynamic stuff for museum visitors and patrons that come in for the 50th anniversary of the Beech Party in October,” Totty says. “I had seen all of the murals that DMA had done around Tullahoma and thought we needed to call these guys to come bring that same energy to the space, and away we went.”

Scott van Velsor, vice-president of DMA-events, assisted throughout the process and was newly inspired by Beechcraft Heritage Museum, what it represents for Tullahoma and how it all fits within the history of U.S. aviation.

“In an era of digital tech, artificial intelligence and snackable nuggets of information that we quickly discard from our brains, these aircraft and the art behind them are tangible objects that will live forever if we take care to preserve them,” van Velsor says. “It was an honor for our organization to be invited to participate in this installation.”

The original piece was designed and painted by Kyle Barton, who goes by the handle Folek, a tattoo artist and muralist based in Nashville. This is Folek’s fifth time painting for DMA in Coffee County. He collaborated with artist Mobe on three previous public art installations, as well as painted the interior café wall at the Tullahoma Virtual Academy.

Beechcraft’s annual Beech Party will bring in pilots and aviation enthusiasts from across the globe from Oct. 12–14. Last year’s fly-in hosted over 200 aircraft, including Staggerwings, Beech 18s, Barons, Bonanzas, King Air, Queen Air, Musketeer, Sierra, Sundowners, Cessnas and other varieties of aircraft.

Photos courtesy of Odinn Media. 

About DMA-events, Inc. 

Journalists Kristin Luna and Scott van Velsor started 501(c)(3) DMA-events in May 2018 as a catalyst to provide free access to art to rural communities throughout the South, with more than 50 large-scale murals successfully completed to date in cities across the state including Manchester, McMinnville, Viola, Lawrenceburg, Tracy City, Knoxville, Maryville, Sweetwater, Madisonville, Centerville, Columbia, Nolensville and Nashville. This is DMA’s 12th Tullahoma mural to date, in addition to the development of a downtown alley behind Memories & Antiques that celebrates emerging artists.