The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey unveiled a new mural at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B depicting some of the most iconic sites in Queens, including the World’s Fair Unisphere and the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The expansive mural, commissioned by the Port Authority in collaboration with the Queens Culture & Art Network (QCAN), stretches throughout the parking garage at Terminal B.
The 54-foot-long L-shaped mural contains references to some of the iconic landmarks and institutions that call Queens home, including the Hell Gate Bridge and Pepsi Cola sign on the western Queens waterfront to the Unisphere and the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The colorful mural also contains references to Queens Night Market and Queens Botanical Garden among other iconic landmarks.
Astoria resident Brittney Rios designed and created the new artwork and said she chose the landmarks based on her own experiences while living and working in Queens.
The Port Authority, meanwhile, said the mural helps extend LaGuardia’s “world-class” art experience beyond terminal concourses and into the parking garage. The agency said the mural is on display near the Uber and Lyft drop-off point in the Terminal B garage.
The Port Authority has installed numerous art installations across Terminals B and C at LaGuardia, which were overhauled in a massive $8 billion redevelopment project beginning in 2016.
Rick Cotton, the Port Authority’s executive director, said the new installation reflects the vibrancy and diversity of Queens by showcasing some of the borough’s most prominent landmarks. He also said the mural helps create a “New York sense of place” by greeting passengers with artwork from “curb to gate.”
“From the start, we envisioned a new LaGuardia Airport that would include public art, light-filled and spacious terminals, iconic and locally inspired concessions and state of the art technology to create the world-class passenger experience we intended,” Cotton said in a statement.
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said public artwork like the mural recently installed at LaGuardia helps to beautify airports and also tell the story of the region.
“The mural at LaGuardia Terminal B’s garage is an example of how we are infusing our new airport terminals with art that will inspire travelers to explore our region,” O’Toole said.
Rios, who goes by the artist name Plushie, said she focused on capturing “must-visit” attractions in Queens in the newly-installed artwork, stating that many of the landmarks are her “personal favorites.”
“I emphasized the energy of each location through the color that they are typically associated with – orange for Citi Field and red for the Pepsi Cola sign, for example. Queens is my home, and I adore the vibrant energy that all of Queens has to offer,” she said in a statement.
Plushie was selected to create the new mural after the Port Authority and QCAN partnered to search for an artist who would celebrate the diversity of Queens through their own personal connections to the borough.
QCAN Executive Director Susan Agin said Plushie’s mural serves as a “vibrant greeting” to those visiting New York for the first time as well as a “dynamic travel directory” guiding visitors to some of the most iconic sites in the borough.
“For returning residents, it feels like a warm embrace, reminding everyone why Queens stands out as the city’s most diverse and exciting borough,” Agin added.
