New Auburn Airport Mural Honors Women Aviation Pioneers

Myron Curry’s artwork celebrates historic achievements of Joann Osterud and Kimberly Scott Ford.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, April 03, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A mural to honor influential women aviators (Kimberly Scott Ford, left, and Joann Osterud) goes up at Auburn Municipal Airport near Seattle. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]

Key Takeaways:

Auburn Municipal Airport unveiled a new mural by artist Myron Curry, celebrating two pioneering women aviators: the late Joann Osterud and active pilot Kimberly Scott Ford.
Joann Osterud was a trailblazing airline pilot and aerobatics world-record holder, notable as the first woman hired by Alaska Airlines.
Kimberly Scott Ford is recognized as the first African American woman to fly the C-17 Globemaster and the first Black woman pilot for Alaska Airlines, actively involved in aviation youth groups.
This mural is part of an ongoing project at the airport to honor diverse local aviation heroes and historical figures, serving as an inspiration for future aviators.

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The latest mural to be painted at Auburn Municipal Airport (S50) south of Seattle features two local women with tens of thousands of hours in the cockpit between them, including military flying, airlines, and competitive aerobatics.

The new mural, which features Joann Osterud and Kimberly Scott Ford, at the nontowered airport is the work of local artist Myron Curry, whose designs appear in several locations around Seattle, including several others at Auburn. Curry’s murals are located on the airside of the T-hangars—and they are simply larger than life.