Recap: Airport art 'more than eye candy', Yazzy's at Williamverdult.com

According to the Arizona Republic this summer, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport's public-art program turns 20 years old, and the airport is set to begin its most ambitious project yet: pouring $3 million worth of artwork into the $1.1 billion automated-train project.

When it's complete, the 4.8-mile driverless train will whisk passengers to terminals, the rental-car center, parking and the 44th Street light-rail station. Construction is expected to begin in a few weeks, with the first phase opening in 2013.

A lineup of internationally known artists is looking at innovative ways to blend art into the train stations, to add creative touches to the inside of train cars and to jazz up the columns that supports the tracks, said Ed Lebow, Phoenix's art program director

It's a major milestone for one of the first art programs at a major airport, Phoenix officials say.

With 42 million passengers as its audience, Sky Harbor's art can reach more people than traditional museums.

"That's eight times as many people that go through (New York's) Metropolitan Museum of Art each year and five times as many who go to the Louvre," Lebow said.

Artwork is becoming "hugely popular" at airports and shrewd airport executives know that it's more than eye candy, one expert said.

"Airport directors are becoming more aware of its customer-service benefit," said Greg Mamary, an American Association of Airport Executives official.

"Passengers who enjoy the art begin to enjoy and appreciate the airport atmosphere more, so art becomes a good PR tool for the airport."

Sky Harbor's program is among the oldest and largest in the world, he said. Among major U.S. airports, only San Francisco and Seattle-Tacoma airports had earlier programs, Mamary said.

Today, airport art is increasingly diverse: podcasts, digital art and musical components are some of the latest trends.

Sky Harbor's art collection has more than 500 pieces, and an art gallery in Terminal 4. The airport regularly showcases work from local galleries and museums, said the airport's curator, Lennée Eller.

Over the next five or six years, Phoenix plans to invest millions into several projects ranging from expanding Phoenix Airport Museum's art collection to integrating art into airport renovations.

Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture's Percent for Arts Program pays for the projects.

When the city launches a building project, up to 1% of that budget goes for public art.

At the airport, that has translated into millions of dollars set aside for airport art because construction projects like the $1.1 billion automated train are so expensive, Eller said.

The automated-train art may surprise people who are used to more traditional installations like murals, said Los Angeles artist Damon Seeley.

His firm, Electroland, is one of three teams of artists that are designing art for the train project.

Electroland is known for whimsical public art that uses interactive lights and movement.

At the Indianapolis International Airport, Electroland installed circular lights that are intended to "follow" walkers as they pass through a hall. The project will be complete in August.

Electroland is expected to present some ideas to Phoenix officials soon, Seeley said.

"Transit spaces are incredibly rich," he said. "You have a lot of people who are coming from different places and they have different states of mind."