The Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW Airport) has announced a call for local, national, and international artists as part of its ongoing capital construction program.
Currently, DFW Airport’s public art program has approximately 30 works of art in its permanent collection, including pieces by Sol Lewitt, John Newman, Terry Allen, Dennis Blagg, Dan Blagg, Linda and Ed Blackburn, Benito Huerta, and Nancy Lamb. This new open call will grow the collection by nearly 60 percent, adding 17 new installations to the airport. The works will be installed over four phases, which will unfold from 2026 and 2030.
The call is part of a larger construction project known as DFW Forward. This multi-year initiative is a nearly $9 billion investment that includes massive upgrades and expansions across the airport’s terminals, airfield, and roadway infrastructure. Art will be installed in the new Terminal F, as well as the updated Terminals C & E.
In a press release, Sean Donohue, DFW Airport’s CEO, remarked, “North Texas is home to one of the nation’s most vibrant and impressive art communities, and we are looking to tap into the energy and culture of the Dallas/Fort Worth region as we build the airport terminals of the future. While our new facilities will deliver state-of-the-art design, technology, and customer amenities, we also are committed to delivering a collection of inspiring art pieces that create a sense of place, respite, and reflection for tens of millions of visitors each year.”
The first phase of the project includes calls for two site-specific pieces in Terminal C. Both will be suspended pieces, one will be near a new security checkpoint and the other will be in the main concourse area. Future opportunities include floor installations, digital walls, a new Skylink corridor, and rotating public art galleries dedicated to North Texas artists.
MASSIVart, a global art consultancy and production agency, is working with DFW Airport to manage the call for artists. The company has also convened a panel of North Texas art experts to provide input and recommendations on the submissions. The overall goal is to ensure participation by local, regional, national, and international artists, including emerging and established creatives working in a variety of disciplines.
The advisory panel includes Jessica Fuentes, News Editor at Glasstire, Founding Director of Kinfolk House, and Board Member for Make Art with Purpose; Christina Hahn, Creative Director of the Dallas Asian American Historical Society and Founder of the Dallas Asian American Art Collective; Alison Hearst, Curator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; Letitia Huckaby, artist, Board Vice President of Kinfolk House, and Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas; Jessica Brit Ingle, President and Founder of Texas Vignette; Eric M. Lee, Director of the Kimball Art Museum; Jed Morse, Chief Curator & Interim Director of the Nasher Sculpture Center; and Ade Omotosho, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at the Dallas Museum of Art.
DFW Airport’s open call for the first phase of public art opportunities will open Monday, December 2, 2024. Learn more about the call and the public art program via the airport’s website.
