A Queens-themed photo installation is now on view at JFK Airport
Photo courtesy of JFKIAT
A new digital art installation in JFK Airport’s Terminal 4 explores what “home” means to New Yorkers. The T4 Arts & Culture program partnered with the Museum of the City of New York to bring New York Now: Home, the first installation of an ongoing photography series at the museum that debuted this month, to the terminal. The 15 images now on display throughout Terminal 4 were either created by an artist with a connection to Queens or who make the borough the subject of their work.
As part of the installation, 15 photographs are on display in Terminal 4, with two separate viewing stations in the terminal’s retail hall. Travelers can view each photograph while learning more about the artists, their stories, and the local Queens communities their work depicts.
Artists featured in the exhibition include Xyza Cruz Bacani, Elias Williams, and Maureen Drennan. Bacani, a Filipina photographer and author, has shared images that document the life of Farah, a Filipina survivor of labor trafficking living in Queens. The photos show a migrant woman’s quest for safety and security in her new home.
Williams’ photographs celebrate the pride of St. Albans, a community where Black homes and businesses have prospered. The photo collection serves to preserve the identity of one of NYC’s historically Black communities.
Maureen R. Drennan, “Mayor Al” 2012 Courtesy of the artist
Drennan’s work highlights Broad Channel, a small working-class community in Queens she started photographing in 2012. The images show the “delicate balance” between the community and the natural environment.
The new installation is part of the expansion of Terminal 4’s Arts & Culture program, an ongoing series of art installations, exhibitions, and performances throughout the year representing New York City’s food, art, and culture. The program begins with the New York Now: Home, which will be on view in the terminal through May.
Throughout the year, the T4 Arts & Culture program will host various art installations and performances, including a pop-up gallery in the A and B concourses featuring historical photos of NYC neighborhoods and a series of summertime live performances highlighting performers, artists, and photographers within the Terminal 4 community.
“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,” Roel Huinink, President and CEO of JFKIAT, said.
“The T4 Arts & Culture program will connect passengers to New York City in the same way that Terminal 4 connects travelers to the world through an immersive art and cultural experience. We are so proud to collaborate with the Museum of the City of New York, Delta Air Lines, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Terminal Four Airline Consortium to bring this vision to life.”
New York Now: Home first opened at the MCNY in March, featuring the photography and video work of 33 artists who captured their personal definition of “home,” whether it be a personal feeling, physical place, or chosen community.
The museum’s photography triennial New York Now will occur every three years with different contemporary themes related to New York City.
“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,” Sheryl Victor Levy, vice president of marketing communications for MCNY, said.
“We are inspired by their commitment to bring a fresh and accessible approach to what is presented in the Terminal and are excited to have MCNY’s photography Triennial be the launching pad for Terminal 4’s arts and culture program.”
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