The Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority (ABAA) is moving forward with an ambitious initiative to preserve and showcase the nation's aviation heritage through a curated display of historic photographs, artwork, and personal stories from across the twin-island state.
According to Antigua.news, the project — titled "Legacy Wall: Honouring Our Past, Inspiring the Future" — will transform areas within V.C. Bird International Airport into a visual archive celebrating the evolution of aviation in Antigua and Barbuda, while enriching the cultural experience for residents and visitors passing through the terminal.
Speaking on Antigua and Barbuda Today, ABAA Customer Experience Manager Jan Walker-Brown said the project grew from a long-standing desire to expand the airport's arts programme and create a meaningful way to document the country's aviation history.
"We have noticed that many airports do have an arts program within their airport component, and for us it has been something that we have wanted to champion for a while but there have been many competing priorities," Walker-Brown said.
She noted that discussions with Civil Aviation Minister Charles Fernandez helped advance the concept after he highlighted opportunities to enhance the airport environment through historical and cultural displays. What began as a proposal to exhibit artwork throughout the terminal quickly evolved into a far broader undertaking.
"We saw that persons were so interested, we said let's develop it even more and let's do it big. Let's make it into a wall. Let's bring some more components together," Walker-Brown said.
The project will feature photographs documenting Antigua and Barbuda's aviation journey, including images from the former Coolidge Airport, Runway 10, and Codrington Airport in Barbuda. Organizers also plan to incorporate school art projects, paintings, digital art, and sculpted works displayed across various sections of the airport.
Carshe'na Joseph, Administrative Assistant and Committee Lead for the Legacy Wall project, said members of the public may have valuable historical photographs tucked away in family collections.
"We know that there are persons who have pictures dating back to when their family members were travelling and when other people they knew were passing through the airport," Joseph said.
She encouraged residents to submit photographs regardless of their age. "No matter how old you think your pictures are, we would like them," Joseph said.
Photographs submitted for the project will be scanned and the originals returned to their owners. Contributors will be asked to sign permission forms authorizing the airport authority to feature their images as part of the exhibition.
Organizers are currently accepting submissions through the end of June and into the first week of July 2026, with the completed project expected to be unveiled during Antigua and Barbuda's Independence celebrations later this year.
Walker-Brown said the initiative will also strengthen the visitor experience at V.C. Bird International Airport, which she described as providing travelers with both their first and final impressions of the destination.
"At the Airport Authority, which is the managing company of V.C. Bird International, we have recognized that the experience, for the most part, starts and ends with us," she said. "It begins with the airport and it ends with the airport."
She added that creating a sense of place for arriving visitors remains a key priority. "It's important for us to ensure that when a visitor comes in, they feel like, 'I have landed in some place that has welcomed me,'" Walker-Brown said.
The project will also feature an interactive signing wall, allowing travelers to leave their names as a permanent part of the airport's history.
"We will also have a signing wall where persons who are travelling are able to etch themselves into the history. So not just your photo, but your name will be placed there also," Walker-Brown said.
Joseph said the initiative is already delivering history lessons to those involved. "Right now working with this project, I'm getting a lot of history lessons. I'm learning a lot of things that I did not really know beforehand," she said.
She added that displaying photographs and stories of Antiguans and Barbudans could inspire national pride among younger generations. "A picture tells a story. We know that there will be different stories under each photo, so you feel like I did something for my nation or I'm making Antigua proud," Joseph said.
The Legacy Wall initiative is also expected to expand to Barbuda as plans progress for a permanent terminal at Barbuda International Airport. Walker-Brown confirmed that historical material is already being collected for incorporation into future airport developments on the sister island.
"Anything that's done in Antigua is mirrored in Barbuda," she said, adding that digital artwork currently displayed at Barbuda's airport helped inspire many aspects of the project.
Rather than occupying a single location, the displays will be spread throughout multiple sections of V.C. Bird International Airport. "We stress on Legacy Wall, but we should've really said Legacy Walls, because it will be in different spaces of the airport," Walker-Brown said.
The initiative also coincides with the airport's tenth anniversary since the opening of its modern terminal. "We are now ten years old, if you can believe it, and we want to stay fresh. We want to stay ahead of the trends," Walker-Brown said.
Photographers, aviation enthusiasts, archivists, artists, and members of the public interested in contributing may submit photographs and artwork via email to [email protected]. Physical photographs may also be delivered directly to the Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority, addressed to Mrs. Jan Walker-Brown or Ms. Carshe'na Joseph.
For additional information, contact the Airport Authority at 268-484-2332 or 268-725-4196.
