Step Into the Phoenix Airport Museum’s New Immersive Art Exhibition

A new, immersive exhibition at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is casting a light on passengers and inviting them to explore its spiritual and transformative qualities through a wide range of media.

Spectral Alchemy, curated by the Phoenix Airport Museum, features works by 15 Arizona artists and transforms the Terminal 4, Level 3 Museum Gallery into a luminous environment that promotes calm and contemplation. Each of the 15 artists on display offers their own interpretation of light, from cosmic and celestial imagery to expressions of “inner light,” using materials like paint, neon, glass and digital animation.

Visitors approaching the gallery cannot miss the large-scale video installation by Phoenix-based artist Kenaim Al-Shatti. Spanning nearly 30 feet wide, the immersive artwork envelops viewers in a dreamlike, moving image that feels like stepping inside a living painting.

The exhibition also features collaborative mixed-media works with neon, emphasizing light’s physical presence. Paintings by Phoenix artist Pierston Doctor present visual narratives rooted in generational storytelling about the sky, while Tucson artist Christina Thomas explores themes of inner light and healing in her painting, Bail Out My Spirit. From glowing neon to mystical subjects, the exhibition highlights both the beauty of light and the meaning we attribute to it.

Set apart from the bustle of the terminal and designed with subdued lighting, the Phoenix Airport Museum Gallery offers a quiet space for reflection and respite. Travelers are encouraged to pause, reset and recharge with art as part of their airport experience.

The Phoenix Airport Museum spans more than 40 exhibition spaces throughout Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and is one of the largest airport art museums in the United States with a collection of nearly 1,000 artworks. The Terminal 4 Museum Gallery is open to the public, including non-travelers, and is always free to visit. For more information about Spectral Alchemy and other exhibitions, visit skyharbor.com/museum.