Local Call for Artists Issued for KCMO’s Largest Public Infrastructure Project

Public art will play a major role in creating a positive first impression for visitors in the New Terminal at Kansas City International Airport, now under construction. After two rounds of successful calls for artists, the City of Kansas City, Missouri’s One Percent for Art program seeks to commission professional visual artists to create wall-based artworks for the New Single Terminal at KCI Airport.

Recently, the Municipal Art Commission selected four artworks from the first Call for Artists that, pending City Council approval, will be created for locations such as the check-in hall ceiling and the escalator and retail areas. The final round of judging for the second Call for Artists will take place in May.

The $5.65 million budget for new commissioned public artworks is the largest One Percent for Art project in Kansas City history with opportunities for 27 individual artists and new artworks for public display in the New Terminal and Parking Garage at KCI.

For this Third Call for Artists, the project team seeks to commission professional visual artists from the Kansas City area and surrounding counties in Missouri and Kansas to create wall-based works of art for the terminal’s concourses. Artists living outside of these counties who can demonstrate significant ties to Kansas City and/or Kansas City International Airport in their Letter of Interest are also eligible to apply.

Wall-based artworks may include (but are not limited to) traditionally framed drawings, paintings, photography, textiles, mosaic or tile wall hangings, mixed-media or assemblage, digital art displays, artwork utilizing electricity or digital components, relief or wall-mounted sculptural works.

To view and apply for the Call for Artists for the Concourses, visit buildkci.com/call-for-artists/. The application deadline is June 18, 2021.

Interested artists should attend or watch the recordings of Artists Information Sessions prior to applying to the Request for Proposals. They may register for Artist Info sessions HERE. View renderings of some of the art spaces HERE.

Work is advancing quickly on the $1.5 billion terminal and parking garage at Kansas City International Airport. The Build KCI project will replace the aging three-terminal complex with a single, modern terminal and 6,000-space garage that will improve the traveling experience for residents and visitors. Public art will be a significant part of this experience.

To learn more about the Build KCI public art plans, visit Public Art Program – Build KCI. View the art location heat map HERE. For information about the KCMO One Percent for Art program visit kcmo.gov/art. More details of the whole New Terminal project are available at BuildKCI.com and on social media at @BuildKCI.

The Kansas City Airport System is an Enterprise Fund Department of the City of Kansas City, Mo., and is supported wholly by airport user charges. No general fund tax revenues are used for the administration, promotion, operation, or maintenance of the airports in the system.

Visit flykci.com for more information. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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Media Contact:

Joe McBride
Joe.McBride@kcmo.org
816.243.3164