NEW PUBLIC ART PROJECT BRINGS DESERT SCULPTURE GARDEN TO PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
A recently completed public art project allows Arizona artists to welcome international travelers almost as soon as they step off the plane at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The International Pedestrian Walkway and Desert Sculpture Garden, dedicated February 19, provides a gateway to Arizona for international passengers and bypasses the secure portion of the terminal, allowing travelers to keep their luggage with them after they go through Customs. The 360-foot long interior pedestrian walkway, located on the north side of Terminal 4 began construction in December of 2002 and features several sculptures along the passage and in the adjacent, exterior garden which can be accessed from the walkway or viewed through glass walls.
The Desert Sculpture Garden is a long, linear outdoor space combining a landscape that combines native desert plants, selected by the Desert Botanical Gardens, with sculptures created by nine Arizona artists. Paolo Soleri, Hirotsune Tashima, Greg Wenz, Mary Bates Neubauer, Michael Maglich, Heather Johnson, Peter Deise, Roger Asay and Rebecca Davis are represented with works that explore a variety of themes and images of the desert southwest. The project was funded by the Aviation Department Percent for Art Funds managed by the Public Art Program.
Hirotsune Tashima’s
sculpture stands in the new
Desert Sculpture Garden at Sky Harbor Airport -
photo by Hirotsune Tashima