Travelers will be able to marvel at the immersive art experience throughout John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4, which is expanding its T4 Arts & Culture program to present a series of installations representing New York City art, food, culture and more.
The expansion of the T4 Arts & Culture program begins with a photography exhibit at MCNY, titled “New York Now: Home,” which will be on display through Aug. 27. With this opening, the T4 Arts & Culture program is presenting a Queens-based digital installation focused on local artists in the borough who make Queens the subject of their work.
A selection of 15 images are currently displayed throughout Terminal 4 – along with two viewing stations in the Retail Hall.
New York Now: Home focuses on contemporary ideas of “home,” highlighting the homes and experiences of New Yorkers. Each piece demonstrates the meaning of “home” to the individuals who are featured.
JFKIAT – the operator of Terminal 4— formed a new committee to facilitate this program, 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.
Roel Huinink, President and CEO of JFKIAT said that the T4 Arts & Culture program will connect passengers to New York City in the same way that Terminal 4 connects travelers to the world.
“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,” Huinink said.
The artists include Xyza Cruz Bacani, a Filipina photographer and author who shared images from Farah, a Filipina survivor of labor trafficking living in Queens; Elias Williams, who grew up in St. Albans, and features the historically Black community; and artist Daureen Drennan, from Broad Channel, who came from the only inhabited island in Jamaica Bay — her work highlights the allure living near the water and the balance between the community and its natural environment.
This exhibit will be present in JFK Terminal 4 through May. The T4 Arts & Culture program will showcase various art installations and performances throughout this year, including a pop-up gallery with historic photos of the city and summertime performances from artists within the Terminal 4 community.
Sheryl Victor Levy, Vice President Marketing Communications for MCNY said she is inspired by Terminal 4’s committment to bring accessible art and culture to the terminal.
“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,” Levy said.
Frank DiMola executive director of the Terminal 4 Airline Consortium, said this terminal is a gateway to New York City and the world, so it makes sense to fill it with cultural beauty and talent of New York performers.
“This wonderful immersive art program created by JFKIAT, in partnership with The Port Authority of New York & 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,” DiMola said. “The Terminal 4 airlines applaud the inaugural launch of this immersive arts initiative and look forward to its continuing program.”
