Reviewed by: Cindy Hatcher
New BHM art installation offers a powerful look at Alabama for America’s 250th
Reading time: 4 minutes
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As America approaches its 250th birthday this summer, a powerful new art installation is arriving at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM), offering travelers a valuable chance to pause and reflect.
Beginning Wednesday, July 1, visitors passing through BHM can experience Whitman, Alabama, an acclaimed documentary film project by filmmaker and artist Jennifer 張 Crandall that explores identity, community and the shared American experience through the voices of everyday Alabamians.
See why this installation is worth checking out when taking your next flight in or out of the BHM airport this summer.
What is Whitman, Alabama?
Check out one participant reading the first verse of “Song of Myself” in the below clip.👇
Virginia Mae Schmitt, filmed in Birmingham, reading the first verse of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” (The Whitman, Alabama Project)
Created over several years, Whitman, Alabama, is a series of short films featuring Alabamians from diverse backgrounds sharing moments from their everyday lives.
The result is a living portrait of Alabama that, at its heart, asks a simple question: Who gets to represent the American story? Crandall says Whitman’s vision of a democratic voice belonging to everyone inspired the work.
“Walt Whitman was trying to develop a voice that could encompass us all, so my project became a question of amplifying this idea about who gets to claim the American voice. All of us—America past and present, North, South, East and West.”
Jennifer 張 Crandall, Creator/Director, Whitman, Alabama
Whitman, Alabama will join the art experiences at BHM starting July 1, 2026
Airports are places of constant movement, urgency and transition. For Crandall, that’s exactly what makes BHM the perfect home for this installation.
“I’ve always wanted Whitman, Alabama to be shown in places where people encounter it unexpectedly—where they stumble upon it and discover something that might alter their day a little.”
Jennifer 張 Crandall, Creator/Director, Whitman, Alabama
The project draws inspiration from Walt Whitman’s iconic poem “Song of Myself,” which sought to embrace the many voices and perspectives that make up America.
What makes Alabama the perfect subject?
Though Crandall has lived around the world—from Ethiopia and Pakistan to California and New York—Alabama became one of the places she calls home after first visiting in 2013.
What began as a short freelance assignment evolved into a much deeper relationship with the state and its people—revealing Alabama as the perfect mirror to reflect the broader American experience back to viewers.
“If you look at Alabama closely enough, it will reveal the whole country.”
Jennifer 張 Crandall, Creator/Director, Whitman, Alabama
Enjoy Whitman, Alabama before your next flight at BHM
Whether you’re departing on vacation, returning home or simply making a connection, the BHM x Whitman, Alabama installation invites locals and visitors alike to take a moment to reflect.
Crandall hopes travelers and airport employees alike will find something familiar—and maybe even surprising—in the stories on display.
“Anyone can find themselves somewhere in Whitman, Alabama. Maybe they walk in curious and walk out even more so—with a renewed sense for how they are connected to the world.”
Jennifer 張 Crandall, Creator/Director, Whitman, Alabama
She intentionally avoids telling audiences what they should take away from the work. Instead, she hopes visitors enter into a conversation with it.
Looking ahead to America’s 250th
As communities nationwide prepare to commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday, Whitman, Alabama arrives to the BHM airport at a fitting moment.
For Crandall, she hopes the country’s anniversary encourages Americans to think more intentionally about who they are, who they want to become and what they share.
“America is in the process of becoming, it always has been.”
Jennifer 張 Crandall, Creator/Director, Whitman, Alabama
For travelers passing through Birmingham this summer, Whitman, Alabama offers a brief but meaningful reminder that every journey is connected to a larger story.
Plan your visit: Whitman, Alabama opens July 1 at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. Learn more about the project at WhitmanAlabama.com.
Traveling through BHM this summer? Post a comment on our social media letting us know your take-aways from Whitman, Alabama—remember to tag us at @bhamnow!
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