Art Exhibitions
Explore ongoing and temporary art exhibitions at the Cradle
Art at War: Squadron Insignia from the Curtiss Collection
On View: April 4 through September 6, 2026 | Free with Museum Admission
Never meant to survive long-term, squadron insignia like these were often roughly-painted art on the fabric fuselage of early aircraft. These images of pelicans, cartoon characters, dragons, etcetera, came to be far more than just identification painted on an expendable aircraft. These pieces united crewmembers, representing the emotions of war and the lives of the pilots and crews. The squadron insignia within this exhibit represent aircraft, pilots, crew, and nations across decades of history, from France and Germany, to the United States, around the world, and back again. Each tells a story of bravery, sacrifice, camaraderie, luck, and fear.
Shaping the Future: Grumman Concept Art
On View: April 4 through September 6, 2026 | Free with Museum Admission
For over half a century, Grumman Aerospace on Long Island produced some of the best and most famous aircraft and spacecraft ever built in America. However, for each type of aircraft that reached production, many other advanced designs were conceived and developed but never placed into production for a variety of reasons. These original artworks, which show cutting-edge concepts, reveal the advanced planning underway in Bethpage that helped push back America’s air and space frontier.
Talented Grumman staff artists did not conceive of these ideas; they worked with Grumman engineers who outlined the design and details of the proposal aircraft or spacecraft. Most of these artworks were then created to illustrate a proposal that was pitched to various government agencies for development. Other artworks were created to give the public some idea of what a new aircraft or spacecraft would look like once it went into production. These rare artworks have never been shown to the public before.
Aline Rhonie Mural: The Pre-Lindbergh Era of American Aviation
On View: Ongoing Exhibition | Free with Museum Admission
Created by aviator and artist Aline Rhonie, this monumental mural chronicles the pioneering years of American aviation from 1909 to 1927. Originally painted on the wall of Hangar F at Roosevelt Field, the work portrays more than 500 aviators and aircraft who helped shape the earliest era of flight on Long Island—an area soon known as the “Cradle of Aviation.” Stretching nearly 100 feet in length, the mural stands as one of the most comprehensive visual records of early American aviation. Carefully preserved by the Long Island Early Fliers Foundation and later stewarded by Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, the mural now returns near its historic home, where visitors can experience this remarkable tribute to aviation’s pioneers.
