The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and JFK Millennium Partners (JMP), the company selected to build and operate the new $4.2 billion JFK Terminal 6 (T6), today announced additional permanent artworks to be included in the JFK T6 Art Program, the terminal’s unique and comprehensive public art offering that will create a uniquely New York sense of place and a world-class passenger experience.
Photographer and visual artist Lauren Karp has been commissioned to produce 24 original pieces, including two expansive murals to be featured in the TSA and CBP corridors. Karp will also create artwork that will be displayed in all of the terminal’s restrooms as part of JMP’s strategy to create an aesthetically pleasing, calming environment for travelers throughout all parts of their T6 journey.
“Inspiring works of public art are a signature part of our strategy to build new, world-class airport terminals at JFK International Airport that will create a sense of place unique to New York,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “The already extensive art program at Terminal 6 will now extend to all corners of the new terminal, enhancing the passenger experience from curb to gate and making the terminal a destination in itself.”
“Across the region, the Port Authority is transforming its airports with award-winning, world-class terminals that are filled with inspiring works of art,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “The world-renowned artists commissioned at Terminal 6 will dazzle travelers with artworks that reflect the uniqueness of our region, just as we have done at Newark-Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A and at two new terminals at LaGuardia Airport.”
“The JFK T6 Art Program is a cornerstone of our vision to create a terminal that goes beyond functionality and becomes an inspiring part of the travel experience. When T6 opens next year, passengers will encounter art at every turn. From bold, large-scale installations to immersive visual pieces, the program reflects our commitment to delivering a dynamic, world-class environment that celebrates creativity and enhances every journey,” said JFK Millennium Partners CEO Steve Thody.
“Every element of the JFK T6 Art Program was selected to be an integral part of the architecture and the passenger experience,” said architect Stanis Smith, who is leading the JFK T6 Art Program in collaboration with JFK Millennium Partners. “By integrating artworks into unexpected places rarely thought of as passenger-centric, JMP is reimagining how art can transform travel.”
Traveling across New York City, Karp took more than 30,000 photographs of landmarks and natural settings that were the inspiration for her work at T6. “New York City Daydream,” a mural in the TSA corridor, will feature local landmarks to create a vision of New York’s immensity and its capacity to inspire wonder. In the CBP corridor, Karp’s mural, “City of Icons,” will be a panorama of landmarks, layered to reflect the city’s complex character. Additionally, Karp will create artworks for the terminal’s 22 restrooms, using scale, color and layered textures to convey a distinct sense of place.
Karp’s unique process, which she calls Imaginature, uses a layering technique that blends the familiar with the artistic. “At times, my photographs capture the world as it is – sharp, clear, and recognizable, while at other times I use intentional camera movement that reimagines environments as dreamlike landscapes,” Karp explained. “Together they explore the interplay between representation and abstraction.”
JMP also announced a second 3D Ombrae artwork: a custom-designed, cone-shaped digital panorama that will be situated at the heart of the terminal’s main concourse. This artwork is by post-digital artist Roderick Quin, with support from Jared Korb and Brian van Zanden, the team that is also creating the sweeping JFK Global Panorama featured on the terminal’s southeastern façade.
About the JFK T6 Art Program
The JFK T6 Art Program is a transformative initiative that establishes the new T6 at John F. Kennedy International Airport as both a cultural destination and gateway to New York City. Components range from sculptures to immersive visual art including: bespoke installations from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of Natural History; 20 major site-specific permanent installations curated by Public Art Fund featuring renowned artists from around the world; and Queens in Flight, curated by Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, which features six rotating art displays.
About the New JFK Terminal 6
Currently under construction, JFK T6 is being developed in two phases, with the first six gates opening in 2026 and construction completion expected by 2028. Over a dozen domestic and international airlines will operate from the new terminal, including ANA, Avianca, Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, Lufthansa, and SWISS.
The new terminal will also feature:
- 10 gates, of which nine will accommodate widebody aircraft
- State-of-the-art automated baggage system, customs/border control facilities, and the latest TSA screening technologies
- One of the longest departures curbs at JFK, with airline-branded passenger drop-off zones
- Multiple airline lounges, in addition to a new arrivals lounge
- A new ground transportation center
- Sustainably sourced building materials, rooftop solar power, and energy efficient systems and operating practices throughout the terminal
- Sustainability certifications for LEED (silver or gold), Envision and SITES currently underway
Transforming JFK Into a World-Class Global Gateway
In January 2017, the JFK Vision Plan was announced to transform JFK into the world-class airport that New Yorkers deserve. The vision plan provides a strategic framework for the Port Authority and its partners to completely redevelop, modify and expand existing facilities and infrastructure. The $9.5 billion new Terminal One broke ground in September 2022. A new $4.2 billion Terminal 6, which will connect seamlessly with Terminal 5 to create an anchor terminal on the airport’s north side, broke ground in February 2023. The $1.5 billion expansion of Terminal 4, led by Delta Air Lines and JFK International Air Terminal (JFKIAT), is substantially complete. Additionally, the $400 million expansion of Terminal 8, led by American Airlines, which operates the terminal, was completed in November 2022.
