US air carriers debut culturally sensitive new plane designs
Artist Crystal Kaakeeyáa Rose Demientieff Worl imagined what her work would look like on an Alaska Airlines plane. Her mom worked at the carrier, and while growing up in Juneau, Alaska, Worl often saw Alaska Airlines aircraft flying overhead. “Every time I see an airplane, a boat, a car, a wall, any shape and any form, I can’t help but visualize how my designs could wrap around it,” she said. Now, Worl doesn’t have to imagine anymore. Her artwork is painted on one of two new planes flying the US skies that honor Indigenous art and culture. In recent weeks, Southwest also unveiled a new livery designed, in part, by an Indigenous artist. “It’s really significant that they chose an Indigenous artist to do Indigenous art,” Worl said. “I hope it becomes a trend to support Indigenous people, sharing our art and our story.” US airlines can go decades without changing often conservative aircraft paint designs — huge symbols of their brands. They occasionally debut liveries featuring sports teams, charities or commercial partnerships with theme parks or consumer-facing companies, like the Walt Disney Co. “There’s some whimsy and fun to painting a large aircraft so it looks like a Star Wars character or an Orca whale,” said Edmond Huot, chief creative officer and livery designer at Forward Studio. “What we’re seeing now is an elevated sense of duty with artists who are local. They’re going to give those individuals a way to tell a greater story in a much more meaningful way.” Alaska Airlines in March announced it has plans to work with an Indigenous artist in Hawaii on another plane. Worl had dreamed up a plane design years ago. In 2020, she posted a mock-up of an idea on Instagram and tagged Alaska Airlines. “Are you ready for me @alaskaair?? I’m ready for you,” she wrote. She never heard back, but gave a copy of her creation to the carrier’s employees whenever she flew. She also had her friends and family to send it to the airline. Alaska, independently, decided to find an Indigenous artist to design a livery. Marilyn Romano, a regional vice president at Alaska Air Group Inc., had begun a search when she got a copy of Alaska Monthly magazine with Worl on the cover. She told Worl she’d never seen the Instagram post.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-05-17/general/us-air-carriers-debut-culturally-sensitive-new-plane-designs
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/logo.png
US air carriers debut culturally sensitive new plane designs
Artist Crystal Kaakeeyáa Rose Demientieff Worl imagined what her work would look like on an Alaska Airlines plane. Her mom worked at the carrier, and while growing up in Juneau, Alaska, Worl often saw Alaska Airlines aircraft flying overhead. “Every time I see an airplane, a boat, a car, a wall, any shape and any form, I can’t help but visualize how my designs could wrap around it,” she said. Now, Worl doesn’t have to imagine anymore. Her artwork is painted on one of two new planes flying the US skies that honor Indigenous art and culture. In recent weeks, Southwest also unveiled a new livery designed, in part, by an Indigenous artist. “It’s really significant that they chose an Indigenous artist to do Indigenous art,” Worl said. “I hope it becomes a trend to support Indigenous people, sharing our art and our story.” US airlines can go decades without changing often conservative aircraft paint designs — huge symbols of their brands. They occasionally debut liveries featuring sports teams, charities or commercial partnerships with theme parks or consumer-facing companies, like the Walt Disney Co. “There’s some whimsy and fun to painting a large aircraft so it looks like a Star Wars character or an Orca whale,” said Edmond Huot, chief creative officer and livery designer at Forward Studio. “What we’re seeing now is an elevated sense of duty with artists who are local. They’re going to give those individuals a way to tell a greater story in a much more meaningful way.” Alaska Airlines in March announced it has plans to work with an Indigenous artist in Hawaii on another plane. Worl had dreamed up a plane design years ago. In 2020, she posted a mock-up of an idea on Instagram and tagged Alaska Airlines. “Are you ready for me @alaskaair?? I’m ready for you,” she wrote. She never heard back, but gave a copy of her creation to the carrier’s employees whenever she flew. She also had her friends and family to send it to the airline. Alaska, independently, decided to find an Indigenous artist to design a livery. Marilyn Romano, a regional vice president at Alaska Air Group Inc., had begun a search when she got a copy of Alaska Monthly magazine with Worl on the cover. She told Worl she’d never seen the Instagram post.<br/>
