New York City's airports are undergoing a dramatic transformation, not just in infrastructure but in cultural programming, as evidenced by the latest announcement from John F. Kennedy International Airport's new Terminal 6. A group of the city's most prestigious cultural institutions has unveiled plans that include a permanent installation by singer and artist Yoko Ono, inspired by her 2019 anti-war work "PEACE is POWER" and organized by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), alongside promotional montages featuring collection items from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Site-specific art installations have become increasingly common across New York City-area airports as developers invest billions of dollars into improving terminals' reputations and passenger experiences. Nearly every operational commercial terminal in the region now features some form of artwork, whether permanent or rotating, or has concrete plans to do so. With millions of travelers passing through these airports annually, the installations provide artists and cultural institutions with access to an enormous captive audience.

The scope and variety of these artistic interventions is remarkable. At LaGuardia Airport's Terminal B, travelers encounter Sarah Sze's suspended spherical installation "Shorter Than a Day" (2020), comprised of individual photographs of the sky above New York City. The artist, who received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2003, created this piece specifically for the airport environment. Meanwhile, Laura Owen's "I ♥ NY" (2020), crafted from handmade glazed ceramic tiles and grout, was commissioned by LaGuardia Gateway Partners in partnership with Public Art Fund for the same terminal.

At Newark Liberty International Airport's Terminal A arrivals hall, visitors are greeted by New Jersey-based artist Layqa Nuna Yawar's expansive mural "Between the Future Past" (2021-22), which occupies 350 feet of wall space and commemorates often overlooked heroes, including local community activists and airport staff. The installation represents one of the most significant new additions to Newark's art collection in decades. Among the oldest artworks in the Port Authority-controlled airports is James Brooks's 1942 mural "Flight," which charts the evolution of air travel and is housed in LaGuardia's Art Deco-style Marine Air Terminal.

The financing structure for these art programs varies significantly depending on the terminal and its development model. Some terminals, including those at Newark, are financed directly by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the public transportation agency that oversees the region's major transportation infrastructure. However, other terminals are developed through collaborations with private corporations and airlines, including Delta Airlines, which invested in LaGuardia's $4.7 billion Terminal C that opened in June. A reported $12 million was set aside specifically for art commissions within that terminal, developed in collaboration with the Queens Museum.

When contacted by Hyperallergic, many New York terminal developers either did not respond to or declined to answer inquiries about their specific spending on art as part of their broader enhancement projects. However, the Port Authority provided some transparency about its investments. The agency reported spending $6 million on two major installations in Newark's Terminal A: Layqa Nuna Yawar's "Between the Future Past" and Karyn Olivier's "Approach" (2022), both developed in collaboration with the Public Art Fund. These works were reportedly the first new installations unveiled in Newark since 1937, when the Works Progress Administration commissioned 10 murals by Armenian-American abstract artists (these historical works are now housed at the Newark Museum of Art).

Tom Topousis, a spokesperson for the Port Authority, estimates that art projects at LaGuardia and JFK airports, which are overseen but not directly financed by the Port Authority, together cost somewhere in the range of eight figures. The agency operates without taxpayer funding, relying instead on revenue generated from transportation fares and other operational income. Topousis noted that the Port Authority does not maintain a definitive count of artworks across its 11 terminals, partly because the statistic becomes complicated by rotating exhibitions, such as an alternating digital display of works by local artists in Newark Terminal A. An independent count by Hyperallergic identified over 60 current and planned installations across the three major airports.

Despite the variation in funding sources, the art selection process remains largely standardized, though notably opaque, across the three Port Authority airports. When a new terminal enters development, an arts advisory council convenes to select works that are intended to reflect the culture, diversity, and history of the region. This council includes representatives from the Port Authority alongside developers, unspecified art experts, and cultural organizations. Partner organizations have included the nonprofit Public Art Fund, the Queens Museum, and the consultant group Cultural Corps, though the Port Authority declined to name the specific "art experts" who ultimately decide which artists' works will be seen by millions of passengers.

The selection criteria and compensation structure for artists and arts groups remain unclear, as the Port Authority declined to share detailed information about these processes. However, examination of the selected artists reveals that many come from the upper echelons of the art market. Of the 19 artists announced last year for JFK Terminal 6, all have gallery representation, and eight are represented by blue-chip galleries, including prestigious names like Hauser & Wirth, David Zwirner, Perrotin, Gladstone, Lisson, and Lehman Maupin.

Balancing this focus on established artists, JFK Terminal 6 has also committed to including temporary art installations by local artists through partnerships with the Queens Museum and the Jamaica Center for the Arts and Learning. The $4.2 billion terminal will also feature commissions from The Met and MoMA that were announced recently, alongside a mural organized by Lincoln Center and a selection of images from the American Museum of Natural History. These installations will be unveiled in phases starting in 2026, when the terminal begins opening, with full completion expected by 2028.

The nearly $10 billion new JFK Terminal 1 has not yet announced its comprehensive arts and culture program, but has already named the art consultant group Culture Corps as its curator, suggesting that cultural programming will be a significant component of the terminal's identity. This appointment indicates the growing recognition of art's role in airport design and passenger experience.

Public Art Fund, which also places works in parks and bus shelters throughout the city, has actively promoted its selected permanent artworks as a contributing factor to LaGuardia Terminal B's perfect ratings in national airport evaluations. For this terminal, the organization developed around a theme of "lightness of being," which includes an installation of Berlin-based Danish artist Jeppe Hein's faux helium balloons fastened to the ceiling in his work "All Your Wishes" (2020), made from powder-coated aluminum.

Interestingly, while Public Art Fund sought to express what it described as "the vital essence of New York" in its project descriptions, three of the four artists selected for LaGuardia Terminal B do not actually live in New York City. Two of the artists, Jeppe Hein and Sabine Hornig, are based in Berlin. This international approach contrasts somewhat with JFK's Terminal 6, which will feature permanent installations by 19 artists selected by the Public Art Fund, about half of whom are from New York City.

The transformation of these airports through art represents more than aesthetic enhancement; it's part of a broader reputation rehabilitation effort. Over the years, Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK have undergone notable fluctuations in public perception. Once widely considered among the worst airports in the country due to factors such as outdated facilities, poor customer service, and high rates of luggage loss, attitudes toward these three airports appear to be improving significantly.

Topousis believes that art programming plays a crucial role in this transformation. "The art programs play an important role in achieving that level of customer and critical approval," he explained. "Significant and inspiring public art has been an important element in the Port Authority's vision for transforming our region's airports from some of the nation's worst to the very best." This statement reflects a broader understanding within the aviation industry that passenger experience extends far beyond basic transportation services to encompass cultural and aesthetic elements that can fundamentally alter how travelers perceive and remember their journey through these major transportation hubs.