There are few experiences that muster an equal level of excitement and angst as going to the airport. Unless you’re spending thousands to fly business and indulge in a private lounge before take-off, then it’s likely the latter experience will be more dominant. New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport, the sixth busiest in the US, will be funding an ambitious new art initiative to make traveling in-and-out of its terminals much more (aesthetically) pleasing.
The $22m USD art initiative is part of the new Terminal 6 hitting JFK in 2026, which is estimated to cost $4.2b USD. Funded by JFK Millennium Partners, the same group that financed neighboring LaGuardia Airport‘s art transformation, the latest venture will include work from a mixture of 18 New York-born and international artists, including Barbara Kruger, Charles Gaines and Sky Hopinka to Eddie Martinez, Laure Prouvost and Haegue Yang, amongst others.
New York has always stood as an art capital in modern times and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey wanted one of its flagship airports to become a destination in its own right. “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,” Port Authority executive director Rick Cotton said in a statement.
Terminal 6 will feature 10 aircraft gates, sustainable and innovative technologies, as well as a suite of opportunities for minority and women-led businesses.
