Ten reproductions of Patti Doolittle’s “Legends of the Bakersfield Sound” portraits are now on view in the public lobby at Meadows Field Airport. The display was unveiled Wednesday through a partnership between the airport and Citizens Preserving History, The Bakersfield Californian reported and KGET 17 News reported. The reproductions match 10 originals on permanent display at Beale Memorial Library; the library installation was unveiled in May, according to earlier Californian coverage.
Kern County Director of Airports Bill LaManque described the airport as the county’s “front door” and said the portraits would introduce travelers to the musicians and music that shaped the community, The Bakersfield Californian reported. The display creates another public setting for the portraits; how many travelers will see it is not established by airport boarding totals.
A local collection, and different airport models
The portraits are one part of a wider local heritage landscape, not the only place where visitors can encounter Bakersfield Sound material. The Kern County Museum describes a separate collection of stage costumes, sheet music, instruments and other memorabilia associated with artists including Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, according to the museum.
Other airports provide useful but limited comparisons: their programs show different ways to present local culture, not that Meadows Field’s portrait display is part of a similar formal program. Los Angeles World Airports says its LAX Art Program, initiated in 1990, presents local and regional art through exhibitions, installations and performances. Nashville International Airport’s Arts at the Airport program, established in 1988, includes rotating exhibits and permanent acquisitions, according to the LAX program and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. These are broader programs, unlike the specific Meadows Field display.
What airport traffic figures tell us
Meadows Field recorded 195,148 passenger enplanements in 2024, up from 174,891 in 2023, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. Enplanements count departing passenger boardings, not all airport visitors or total passenger movements. The figures provide a measure of airport traffic, but do not show how many people will encounter the portraits.
