Cornelia Fort Airpark

Authors

Ava L. Zindel, Belmont UniversityFollow

Publication Date

Spring 2025

Presentation Length

Poster/Gallery presentation

College

Watkins College of Art

Department

Art, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

SPARK Category

Knowledge

Faculty Advisor

Emmanuel Saka

WELL Core Type

Social Wellness

SPARK Session

Gallery: Experiential Graphic Design with Emmanuel Saka

Presentation Type

Gallery

Summary

Cornelia Fort Airpark is an abandoned private airport that has been turned into a festival space, park, and biking trail for the people of Nashville. The Airport operated from the 1940s to 2011 until it was deemed unusable after the Cumberland River flooded Nashville in 2010. The park now hosts the Cornelia Fort Pickin' Party every summer, a community event featuring folk artists, craft beer, and local vendors. It is named after the first female pilot to die on duty in WWII, Cornelia Fort. She grew up in Tennessee, and the airpark was built in the 1940s, not far from her family's Tennessee farm. Visiting the park I collected research on various pain points such as a lack of lighting, no restrooms, lack of general keeping of the park and rest stops, and a lack of a developed playground for visiting families. This project focuses on reengineering Cornelia Fort Airpark's northern entrance and playground area for visitors and the surrounding neighborhood.

Recommended Citation

Zindel, Ava L., "Cornelia Fort Airpark" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 108.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/108