Airports are usually the last place you’d go to look at fine art. With their typical appearance of gray tones, crowds, and a construction built for speed, they’re the farthest you’d travel to view art installations. However, JFK International Airport is undergoing a $19 billion redevelopment. The newly constructed New Terminal One will feature a museum-grade art installation starting in June 2026.

Art as Part of the Production

The developers worked with Culture Corps curators to commission seven works of art that will be integrated into the construction of the airport. Tomás Saraceno created Cloud Cities New York, a massive web of glass that will be installed throughout the airport’s departures hall. Baggage claim areas, usually the most boring parts of the airport, will get a visit from Woody De Othello’s sculptures of giant watches and streetlamps that will be installed on top of the baggage claim carousels.

We Travel Under One Sky

The art installation, titled We Travel Under One Sky, celebrates the diversity of New York. The sculptures include 18-foot bronze sculptures of native flowers from New York by Kelly Akashi and kites painted in vibrant colors by Yinka Shonibare to represent the cultural diversity of Queens.

This represents a great step forward for our Innovation pillar. Airport production is not just about the movement of the skies and airplanes. It’s about the environment that we create for the travelers. By integrating art into the construction of this airport, JFK has set a precedent for innovation in public infrastructure.

While Terminal One will feature the art installations, plans call for 19 artists across multiple terminals at the airport. This $19 billion project is a significant commitment to transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary by ensuring that art is part of the places we visit daily.