The Facts
Julie Curtiss has been selected, along with six other artists, to create a monumental, site-specific work for John F. Kennedy International Airport's New Terminal One in New York. The project is part of an expansive program celebrating the history, culture, and diversity of New York and Queens, the borough where the airport is located. Curtiss's work, titled "New York Hands" (2025), is a playful mosaic depicting oversize hands clutching iconic foods and cultural symbols, capturing the theatricality and multicultural vibrancy of New York City. The projects at New Terminal One, anticipated to be completed in 2030, are curated by the arts consultancy Culture Corps.
The Signal
The selection of Curtiss, a Gagosian-represented artist known for her surreal, figurative paintings, signals a growing trend of integrating contemporary art into major infrastructure projects, particularly in transit hubs. For collectors and curators, this commission underscores Curtiss's rising institutional profile and the increasing value of public art as a marker of cultural prestige. The mosaic's focus on New York's multicultural identity also reflects a broader movement among airports to use art to create a sense of place and community, potentially influencing future public art commissions in urban centers.
- Artists: Julie Curtiss
- Galleries: Gagosian
- Locations: New York, Queens
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