New Terminal at New York’s JFK Airport to Host Permanent Works by 18 Artists

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on July 16 announced that it had tapped eighteen contemporary artists to createcommissionsfor its forthcoming Terminal 6. The works will be in place when the first gates at the $4.2 billion terminal open in 2026 (the terminal is expected to open fully by 2028). A committee composed of members of the Port Authority, developers JFK Millennium Partners, and an independent art expert selected the artists for the project, which is being curated by the nonprofit Public Art Fund.

“Walls, floors, ceilings, and volumes will all be enriched with architecturally integrated, site-specific commissions by some of the most extraordinary artists of our time,” said Nicholas Baume, artistic and executive director of the Public Art Fund, in a statement.

Reflecting New York’s long-standing reputation as a melting pot, the eighteen artists represent seven countries between them; of these, many live and work in New York City and its nearby environs. Nina Chanel Abney, Laure Prouvost, and Haegue Yang will contribute works suspended from the ceiling, while Nevin Aladağ, Charles Gaines, Barbara Kruger, and Sky Hopinka will create wall-mounted works. Candida Alvarez, Felipe Baeza, Kerstin Brätsch, Teresita Fernández, Shara Hughes, Eddie Martinez, Kambui Olujimi, GaHee Park, Uman, Charline von Heyl, and Dyani White Hawk will also contribute works.

“Public art that is inspiring and evocative of our region is an essential part of the Port Authority’s strategy to create world-class airports that are becoming destinations in their own right,” said Port Authority executive director Rick Cotton in a statement. “Just as we have done at LaGuardia and at Newark-Liberty’s Terminal A, the public art at JFK’s new Terminal 6 will dazzle travelers and help create a sense of place unique to New York.”