JFKIAT, the operator of Terminal 4 at John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York, has expanded its T4 arts and culture program by launching a series of ongoing installations that spotlight local artists and create interactive experiences.
The exhibits will run throughout 2023 and have been curated to represent the New York City experience, from local art to food, culture and beyond. To run the expanded program, JFKIAT formed a new committee, including the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY), Delta Air Lines, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Terminal Four Airline Consortium.
The expansion of the T4 arts and culture program began with the unveiling of MCNY’s inaugural triennial photography exhibition, titled New York Now: Home. Coinciding with the opening of the exhibition, which is on view at MCNY through August 27, 2023, the T4 Arts and culture program is presenting a Queens-based digital installation focusing on artists who live in Queens or who make Queens the subject of their work. New York Now: Home examines contemporary ideas of ‘home’, highlighting the dwellings and experiences of New Yorkers. Each piece demonstrates the meaning of ‘home’ to the individuals featured, encompassing a variety of viewpoints as diverse as the city itself, and inviting viewers to engage with the city through a new perspective.
New York Now: Home will be presented in Terminal 4 through May 2023. The T4 Arts and culture program will showcase a diverse mix of art installations and performances representing the local community throughout the year, including a pop-up gallery featuring historical photos of New York City neighborhoods that will appear in the A and B Concourses in May and series of summertime performances and exhibits that will spotlight performers, artists and photographers within the Terminal 4 community.
A selection of 15 images has been displayed throughout Terminal 4 – along with two viewing stations in the Retail Hall. These images are intended to activate the terminal through community-driven narratives that spotlight the artists and their stories and connect viewers to the community around them. The featured artists include Xyza Cruz Bacani, Elias Williams and Maureen Drennan. Xyza Cruz Bacani is a Filipina photographer and author who shares images from the life of Farah, a Filipina survivor of labor trafficking living in Queens. The photographs document a migrant woman’s journey toward safety and security in her adopted home. Elias Williams grew up in St Albans, Queens, a community where black home and business ownership has flourished. The featured photograph celebrates the pride of St Albans during economic hardship, preserving the identity of one of New York City’s historically Black communities. Maureen Drennan began photographing Broad Channel, Queens, in 2012. On the only inhabited island in Jamaica Bay, she encountered a small, tight-knit working-class community with a lifestyle similar to a fishing village. Drennan’s work highlights the enduring fantasy of living near the water and the delicate balance between the community and natural environments.
Roel Huinink, president and CEO of JFKIAT, said, “As a Queens-based business and the gateway to New York City for millions of people, it is important to us that we foster a vibrant, welcoming environment within our terminal that truly embodies and celebrates the diverse communities around us. The T4 arts and culture program will connect passengers to New York City in the same way that Terminal 4 connects travelers to the world through an immersive art and cultural experience. We are so proud to collaborate with the Museum of the City of New York, Delta Air Lines, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Terminal Four Airline Consortium to bring this vision to life.”
Sheryl Victor Levy, vice president of marketing communications for MCNY, said, “As New York City’s storyteller for the last century, it’s a thrill to partner with Terminal 4 to bring arts and culture to all who travel to and through New York City and beyond. We are inspired by their commitment to bring a fresh and accessible approach to what is presented in the Terminal and are excited to have MCNY’s photography Triennial be the launching pad for Terminal 4’s arts and culture program.”
Teresa Rizzuto, general manager of JFK International Airport, commented, “This new immersive art experience aims to engage and educate travelers on various experiences living in the surrounding borough of Queens, New York. Integrating three local artists native to Queens provides a first-hand look at the area and subjects of each of their works. We urge those who pass through Terminal 4 to take some time to stop and view these unique works of art to get a sense of what Queens has to share.”
Frank DiMola, executive director of the Terminal 4 Airline Consortium, stated, “JFK Terminal 4 is a true gateway to New York City and to the world, connecting a local and global audience to the eclectic cultural beauty, talent and flavor of our New York performers. This wonderful immersive art program created by JFKIAT, in partnership with The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Delta Air Lines, and MCNY, promises to provide our passengers with an educational and entertainment experience and a respite from the hurried nature of an airport terminal. The Terminal 4 airlines applaud the inaugural launch of this immersive arts initiative and look forward to its continuing program.”
To find out more about JFK Airport’s latest developments, click here.