Flying High With Art in the Airport
The new program coincides with the 59th Carnegie International.
PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
As the 59th Carnegie International draws visitors from around the world, Pittsburgh International Airport says it will serve as the region’s “front door” to art lovers, welcoming travelers “with a reminder that the region’s cultural experience begins the moment they arrive at the airport.”
PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Following construction of the airport’s state-of-the-art terminal in November, officials commissioned artists to create new, permanent works that have been installed at 30 locations throughout its campus as part of its Art in the Airport program. The goal, officials say, is to build Pittsburgh into the airport experience, creating a space shaped by the region and sharing that sense of place with visitors.
“We chose artists who were able to come in from the community from 150 miles around Pittsburgh who have a good regional voice,” says Keny Marshall, PIT’s arts and culture manager.
PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
According to Blue Sky News, artists such as Erie resident Fredy Huaman Mallqui provide a unique perspective from within the regional community. His hand-carved wood sculptures, titled “Connections,” are on display in the terminal’s baggage claim area.
“It’s related to my own experience as a migrant from Peru when I came in 2012, and connecting with other people, with other cultures,” Mallqui says.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BLUE SKY NEWS/BETH HOLLERICH | CREATED FOR THE 1958 CARNEGIE INTERNATIONAL, THE ALEXANDER CALDER MOBILE HAS BEEN A FIXTURE AT PIT SINCE 1959.
The new art pieces complement longstanding work throughout the airport, including an installation that was originally created for the Carnegie International in 1958; “Pittsburgh,” a kinetic sculpture by Alexander Calder, has been a landmark display at the airport since 1959. The airport installed the final piece of art near the end of June — the last in a series of three corten- and stainless-steel columns by artist Patrick Marold that are located between the terminal garage and the new terminal.
