Art in the Airport Welcomes Travelers to Pittsburgh

The new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) wasn’t meant to be a new airport in Pittsburgh, but Pittsburgh’s airport, said Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA) CEO Christina Cassotis — a vision that extended all the way to the art on display.

On Thursday evening, 125 people attended an Art in the Airport Reception and Public Viewing to celebrate the new terminal’s commissioned public art collection and the artists and sponsors that made it possible.

“It was time that the community deserved a real representation of who and what it is, and I hope that as you listen to the speakers tonight, as you read some of the descriptions of the art, and actually see it yourself, you see how hard we worked and what we accomplished and how great it was to have partners support us all the way through,” Cassotis said.

As part of the new terminal program, 14 artists were commissioned to create installations at more than 30 locations.

“These integrated artworks run the gamut from vibrant, colorful glass entryways to sculpture on baggage claim devices to patterns cast directly into the concrete of the terminal, garage, roadways and bridges,” said Keny Marshall, ACAA Arts and Culture manager. “Art in public spaces, especially transition spaces like airports, create moments of wonder and contemplation.”

Other leaders also lauded the importance of Art in the Airport.

ACAA Board Chair Matt Smith, who is chief growth officer at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, said artwork in an airport can make a difference for economic development.

“When a visitor or a business prospect comes to this region, the first experience, the first touch point they have with this region is Pittsburgh International Airport, and now they’re not only going to be able to experience our new terminal, they’re going to experience our great culture and our great art community here in Western Pennsylvania, right off the bat, when they get off the plane, and that has a meaningful difference,” Smith said.

State Sen. Devlin Robinson, an ACAA board member, said the art also helps act as a wayfinding tool and creates a more enriching passenger experience.

“The space selections were very intentional on where art and the type of art should be located. It is meant to complement the passenger traffic flow. Places in the airport where passengers may be stationary — baggage claim, for example — there’s an art display that provides deeper engagement,” he said.

Moreover, the recently opened UPMC Terrace and the artwork make the airport itself a destination, said Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling, Allegheny County Council representative.

“Together, we’re changing our idea of what an airport can be,” she said.

Art in the Airport is made possible through the generous support of The Heinz Endowments and PNC Bank.

PNC Vice President of Public Finance Glenn Groninger said, “[The art] showcases the creativity and talent that thrives in the region, while helping visitors immediately recognize that Pittsburgh’s a city that values innovation, culture and community.”

Managing Director of Arts and Culture Jasmin DeForrest said The Heinz Endowments’ investment in the airport’s public art efforts is about more than the installations themselves: “It’s about creating opportunities for artists, bringing art into public spaces where people encounter it as part of their everyday life, and making those spaces more welcoming, interesting and distinctly Pittsburgh.”

Rachel Rearick, the preceding ACAA Arts and Culture manager who worked as an arts liaison to the architectural teams and on initial selection for artists such as Adam Kuby, Patrick Marold and others during her time at ACAA as part of the new terminal program said she was proud to be a part of such a successful project.

“Having the opportunity to work with the team and integrate art into the new terminal was an honor of a lifetime,” said Rearick who left ACAA in 2021 to become executive director of Pittsburgh-based Contemporary Craft. “I’m eternally grateful that Christina had the vision to make sure Pittsburgh became a place where arts and culture is in the spotlight, and I appreciate all of the artists and architects that trusted me as a partner in the early work.”

A self-guided art tour, open to the public, followed the Thursday evening reception and allowed guests to explore installations throughout the terminal, Customer Service Building, which houses the rental car counters, and terminal garage using a printed directory and interactive, online navigation tools.

During the art crawl, artists and ACAA art program team members greeted visitors and talked about the art works.

“Innovative, large-scale projects are an opportunity for artists to reach beyond where they have worked before,” said Renee Piechocki, an art consultant who helped select the artists.

For some artists, this was their first permanent piece of public art. Others, she noted, worked in “an epic scale,” such as 50,000 square feet of tiles or acres of terrazzo. Other artists explored new mediums and collaborated with architects, engineers and fabricators for the first time.

“It takes a visionary client, design teams that are game to work with artists, and a construction team that is as passionate about getting the details right as the artists are, and we had all of that here at PIT, as well as partners in the community — like PNC Bank and The Heinz Endowments — who helped us amplify that vision,” Piechocki said.

Artist Carolina Loyola-Garcia created the “Fractal Dance in Transit Gardens” in Concourse B. A multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker and performer originally from Santiago de Chile, she now calls Pittsburgh home.

“My goal was to honor that bridge between community and nature. I wanted to capture the flora, the movement, and the unmistakable spirit of the region, while representing the experience of being at the airport,” Loyola-Garcia said. “I hope that as people encounter the work, they feel a sense of awe and wonder as the fractals multiply into mandalas.”

People can also hear from and ask questions of the artists through a free series of virtual talks titled “Meet the Artists.” The next talk is Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Airport visitors can also pick up a free map of the art installations by visiting one of the Information Desks located on each level of the terminal.