One thing I would really love to see more artists (and actually airports) do is infuse their art work with a sense of place. There is this huge push all the time to subscribe to the American identity, and often that pushes our true identities to the side. The best example I can think of is how when Christmas rolls around the acceptable imagery is pine trees, snow, snowmen, sleighs. But, we don't really get snow down here in Austin. And we have a lot more deciduous trees than coniferous. Even palm trees. At least in the city.
What I'm trying to say is, this is how we connect with our unique-ness. This is how we create "new" ideas. Last Halloween my friend carved a pineapple instead of a pumpkin. It looked so adorable! Not that we don't get pumpkins down here, but it was fresh, new, and the little dude had a tuft of palm as a little mohawk. It was precious. Plus, you can eat the insides right away. It says something about where we live and who we are.
Can we merge our traditions with our new surroundings? Of course! Like this czech recipe book I picked up over at the Czech Stop. It's got a mashup of Czech, Teaxan, and Mexican cooking in it. Topped off with a good dose of semi-homemade ingredients. Think Rotel+nacho casserole. Totally unique. And all the men and women who contributed recipes get credit for it. I love it because it is connected to a time, a place, and a group of people.
Bakery Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/akbuthod/2480658986/sizes/l/in/photostream/
