MSP Airport Takes a Big Step Forward for the Arts: RFPs and Other News

Girls check out a display at MSP.

I've done a lot of business traveling these past 30 years and one of my favorite aspects of all those planes, trains and automobiles (ok, very few trains) has been seeing the ways airports design their interior spaces, especially with regards to the local art and the stories they tell. The Allentown-Bethlehem airport showcases local student art at its entrance and a display from the Martin guitar factory as you check in and depart. (There was a very nice vintage 1937 Martin 00-42 guitar used by Chris Weber while recording a portion of Dylan's Blood on the Tracks.)

Memphis has its Elvis tribute, among other things. At the Minneapolis airport there's always been a long area in the A-C wing of the terminal featuring local and regional artists. When not in a hurry I skip the moving walkway in order to saunter more deliberately up close to the art work.

ALL THIS TO SAY that the airport has a new director for the Arts@MSP. (If you travel much, you already know the each airport in the world has a three letter designation. Duluth, for example, is DLH.) The new director is Ben Owen and he has put the word out that he's looking for proposals on how to use some of the wall space at Minnesota's busiest airport. The following was forwarded to me earlier this week. 

The latest news and project opportunities 
from Arts@MSP

Airport Foundation MSP art@airportfoundation.org  

Happy New Year from the Arts@MSP Program at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport!

I trust that 2019 is off to a wonderful start for you. My name is Ben Owen, and I am the new director of Arts@MSP.

The airport features performance art as well.

If you have not heard of us before, Arts@MSP is a partnership between the Airport Foundation MSP and the Metropolitan Airports Commission. The program includes visual arts, performing arts, and exhibits that showcase the cultural and natural heritage of the Upper Midwest. We will use this newsletter to share updates about arts and culture programming at MSP, and to announce upcoming commissioned art projects and other opportunities to get involved with our program.

There are two immediate job opportunities for experienced arts management dynamos to join the Arts@MSP team. If you or anyone you know is interested in working at the intersection of public art and the aviation industry, we would like to hear from you. Note that if you applied between December 21, 2018 and January 16, 2019, we may not have received your application because of technical difficulties with our email server. Please resubmit your application at the links below.

Lastly, if you are a visual or performing artist, artisan, or a representative of a partnering organization, we have three opportunities for you to share your creativity, talent, and stories with the traveling public, as well as one from the City of Bloomington. Follow the links below or visit our current opportunities page for additional information.

As always, please reach out with any questions about the Arts@MSP Program.

All my best, Ben


Help Us Make Art Happen

Exhibitions Coordinator

We are looking for an experienced professional to coordinate exhibitions programs at MSP. If you have experience with art handling, collections management, exhibitions preparation, gallery administration, and/or visual arts selection, read more here

Performing Arts Coordinator

We are looking for an experienced professional to coordinate performing arts programs at MSP. If you have experience with musical and/or performing arts selection, cultural, or non-profit programming, and working with audio equipment, read more here

Help Us Transform Space to Place

Request for Exhibit Proposals 
at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport

Ongoing Recruitment
Overview: The Arts@MSP Program requests exhibit theme proposals from artists, artisans, and partnering organizations for a variety of select locations in Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

View full RFP

Request for Performing Arts Proposals 
at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport

Ongoing Recruitment
Overview: The Arts@MSP Program requests qualifications from performing artists and arts organizations whose work reflects the rich diversity of the Upper Midwest to showcase their unique talent at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

View full RFP

Caribou MSP Airport North Terminal Art Installation
Deadline – February 14, 2019, 11:59 PM CST

Overview: Caribou MSP Airport, a Minnesota Joint Venture between Francicorp, Inc. and Caribou Coffee Company, Inc., seeks an artist to create designs and install a two-dimensional art piece to be incorporated into the new Caribou at the entrance to the North Terminal Mall at Terminal 1 of Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

View full RFP

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Thank you to Ben Owen and the Airport Foundation MSP. And thank you, David Beard, for sharing this information with the Northland arts community. Just one more example of how Art goes on all around us.