The new terminal at the Kansas City International Airport will include a diverse mix of installation art that will engage visitors as soon as they park and accompany them throughout their journey.
At a meeting Friday, the Municipal Arts Commission announced five more finalists for art installations, stretching from the parking garage all the way to a connector joining the terminal's two main parts.
This is the second rollout of finalists for the KCI terminal, after the first group of artists were announced in April.
A third call for artists will close on June 18. Altogether, the terminal’s $5.65 million budget for commissioned art constitutes the largest public art project in Kansas City history, according to the city.
Pieces in this latest group of artists range from multi-story feathered airfoils to ceramic figures, illuminated aluminum pieces to overlapping clouds.
"It provides a nice mix of works that are conceptual and abstract in nature with works that are more narrative and more representational and perhaps more approachable for a wider audience," says public art administrator James Martin.
The five artists selected come from a variety of mediums and styles.
They include John Balistreri with “Wings,” Jill Anholt with “Sky Prairie,” Nancy Hou and Josh de Sousa with “Riff/Lift,” and SOFTlab/Michael Szivos with “Cloud Gazing,” and George Rodriguez with “Let the Music Take You.”
"Riff/Lift" from Nancy Hou and Josh de Sousa will cascade down the stairwell of the parking garage. Comprised of metal fins, the project resembles multicolored falling feathers and airfoils.
Jill Anholdt's "Sky Prairie" is a sculpted series of aluminum shapes that resemble rolling hills and prairie grass. The shapes move and flow with the wind above travelers walking between concourse A and the parking garage.
On the north end of the check-in hall, John Balistreri's "Wings" resemble airfoils standing on end. The ceramic pieces all convey symbolic references to the area and its history.
At the south end, George Rodriguez's "Let the Music Take You" features several large ceramic figurines of jazz band members.
As travelers move from concourse A, they will walk beneath "Cloud Gazing" by Michael Szivos, with interlaced images shaped like a cloud.
Commissioner Hector Casanova says the variety of art and perspectives adds to the experience of travelers.
“Anybody, regardless of where you come from what your experience is and what your exposure is to art is, you can go to the airport and see artwork that you can respond to and feel engaged by," Casanova says.
The finalists still need to be confirmed by City Council. Once their contracts are finalized, they will begin installation in October 2022 and will be done by the end of the the year.
KCI'S new terminal is scheduled to open in March 2023.
