Finalists have been named for five public art installations that will grace the modernized B Concourse at Memphis International Airport.

The UrbanArt Commission, working with a committee formed by the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, reviewed submissions by 239 artists and narrowed the field to 16 finalists.

Finalists for the biggest installation, a $350,000 suspended sculpture in the southeast leg of the concourse, are a Memphis team, artist Yancy Villa-Calvo and architectural firm brg3s; Gordon Huether Studio of Napa, California; Michael Szivos, SOFTlab Studio, New York; and Norman Lee and Shane Allbritton, Re:site Studio, Houston.

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The UrbanArt Commission received 152 responses to a call for artists for the suspended sculpture. The call was open to artists currently living and working in the United States, and one finalist position was reserved for a Memphis/Shelby County-based artist.

For a $125,000 wall-bound artwork at the B security checkpoint, there are three finalists, all local artists: Jamond Bullock and Eric Okdeh; Nancy Cheairs and Erin Wright; and Ruby Zielinski and Zach Kremer, Studio 210.

There also will be three glass artworks for waiting areas. The selected artists will each receive $15,000 commissions to provide the art only.

The finalists, all local, are:

• Danny Broadway
• Susan Maakestad
• Jessica Tinsley
• Erin Harmon
• Melissa Dunn
• Ziggy Mack
• Beth Edwards
• Josh Breeden
• Pam McDonnell

“The strong responses from local and national artists to these projects speaks to how exciting the reimagining of the Memphis International Airport is to the art community,” UrbanArt Commission executive director Lauren Kennedy said.

Artists sought for airport’s revamped B Concourse

“Particularly, the design-only opportunity for glass artworks for Memphis and Shelby County-based artists demonstrates that local artists are eager to expand their creative practice from studios to public spaces,” Kennedy said.

Airport president and chief executive Scott Brockman said, “We are thrilled with the talent and various artistic disciplines that make up the finalists for the B Concourse art program. In addition, our pool of candidates and finalists has strong representation from women and minority artists, which we feel is essential in representing our great city.” 

The finalists are scheduled to submit and present site-specific proposals to the selection committee in mid-June.

The $245 million concourse modernization is on track to be completed in the first half of 2021.