Sacramento airport is spending $3.75 million on public art. Where will pieces be displayed?
Sacramento International Airport is spending $3.75 million on public art — and it’s seeking submissions.
The artworks will grace a new parking garage and pedestrian walkway being constructed as part of SMForward, a $1.3 billion dollar expansion plan, according to a Tuesday news release.
The plan is designed to help the airport accommodate an increase in passengers over the next seven years. It’ll feature a total of six major construction projects, the release said.
Sacramento International Airport currently has more than two dozen public art pieces throughout its two terminals, according to the airport website.
One of the best-known is “Leap,” a 56-foot-tall red rabbit sculpture by Lawrence Argent that greets travelers at Terminal B.
Sacramento airport seeks public art for new parking garage
On Tuesday, the Sacramento airport issued a formal request for statements of qualifications and experience from artists to “design, fabricate, and install permanent artworks” at two sites.
The airport is seeking a total of four public art installations to grace the new spaces.
The art piece to be displayed at the new Terminal B Parking Garage would have the largest budget, of $1.75 million.
The parking garage, which will built on the west side of Terminal B, will feature a total of 5,500 parking spaces and stand six stories tall.
“The south facade of the garage presents an opportunity to create a work of art that can be seen from a distance for a sustained period by car and foot,” airport officials said in Tuesday’s release. “It is a primary location for art.”
“There are multiple sites called out as potential locations where artwork may be placed in the new parking garage,” the airport said, specifically the south facade, east side and entry points into the garage on the south and west sides.
There are also “secondary sites that could be addressed by an artist if the budget allows,” the release said.
What about the new pedestrian walkway?
Sacramento International Airport is commissioning three separate art installations for the pedestrian walkway.
The walkway will be 1,200 feet long and 50 feet wide, the release said, and serve as “the major thoroughfare for travelers arriving or departing from Terminal B to and from Concourse B by foot.”
The airport is commissioning artworks for north and south entrances of the pedestrian walkway. Each art project will have a budget of $500,000.
“As portals to the next stage in a traveler’s journey, these sites can use captivating visuals to draw them forward,” airport officials said in the release. “Artists ... should imagine ways to craft grand gateways toward wherever each traveler needs to go, with work that embodies the thrill of adventure leading them on.”
About halfway through the pedestrian walkway, travelers will encounter a “hub” with “vaulted ceilings and an escalator,” the airport said, “presenting a dramatic site for art possibilities.”
The airport has set aside $1 million for an art installation in that space.
What kind of art is the airport looking for?
As part of Tuesday’s request for proposals, Sacramento airport officials laid out their project goals for the SMForward Art Program — specifically their “desire to cultivate an unforgettable experience for every traveler.”
Among other factors, the airport said it plans to commission artworks that:
▪ Work with architectural design elements.
▪ Engage and delight travelers “through humor, surprise, beauty and curiosity.”
▪ Build on what makes the Sacramento region different from the rest of the world.
▪ Consider the idea of “bringing the outside in” with echoes on the natural world.
▪ Create a “lasting impression of Sacramento as a destination.”
▪ Are made with durable materials that can be maintained over time.
▪ Are located in the highest traffic publicly accessible areas.
When is the deadline to submit an airport art proposal?
Proposals for artwork should be submitted by Thursday, May 7, by 4 p.m.
Forms are available on the Sacramento County Department of Airports website.
Who can submit an art proposal?
Art proposal proposals are open to anyone residing in the United States.
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