Organizer Information
Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places (APP) is a program of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and one of the first public art programs in the United States, established in 1973 through an ordinance allocating 1.5% of the capital costs of new local government buildings toward the purchase or commission of artworks, educational programs, and collection maintenance. Now marking 53 years, the program is overseen by a citizens' Art in Public Places Trust appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, which receives recommendations from an independent Professional Advisory Committee of art, architecture, and design professionals. The program's collection spans more than 1,000 accessioned artworks preserved through a lifetime Maintenance and Repair Program, including numerous existing commissions across Miami International Airport and other Miami-Dade County aviation facilities. This call is issued in partnership with the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD), which manages MIA alongside four general aviation airports in the county.
Title & Description
International Call to Artists — Miami International Airport (MIA) Capital Improvement Program
Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places and the Miami-Dade Aviation Department are seeking qualifications from artists to be considered for full proposals at various locations across Miami International Airport as part of its major Capital Improvement Program. A pool of approximately 30–40 artists will be shortlisted to compete for specific public art opportunities tied to MIA's $14 billion Modernization in Action (M.I.A.) Plan, which aims to transform the airport by 2031 to handle up to 77 million passengers and 5 million tons of cargo annually by 2040. Public art commissions will be featured across locations including the Concourse D West Expansion, both land and airside areas of the Central Terminal Redevelopment, the new Concourse K, terminal-wide infrastructure improvements, and interconnectors linking Concourses E, F, and G to the South Terminal. Selected artists will develop proposals for unique artworks intended to contribute to the identity of these spaces and engage employees, visitors, and passers-by.
Categories
- Sculpture
- Public Art
- Mixed Media
- Time-based Media
- Design
- Installation
Eligibility
- Open to local, national, and international professional visual artists or artist-led teams with a track record of collaboration
- A "Professional Visual Artist" is defined as a person who has created a recognized body of original works within an artistic discipline over a sustained period, striving toward the highest level of professional recognition
- Artist-led teams/collaboratives may apply only with completed work samples and credentials attributed to the collaborative as a whole, not to a single member
- Fabricators producing work through contracts with artists are not eligible to apply on an artist's behalf without consent, and may not claim completed works as their own
- Artists based outside South Florida must engage a locally based consulting firm or artist representative with authority to make decisions on their behalf, as needed, and must be readily available for in-person participation as required by the project
- Third parties (gallerists, curators, collectors, or other designees) applying on behalf of an artist or collaborative must clearly identify the artist/collaborative and submit one separate application per individual artist, each with its own CV, artist statement, and 10 images
- Artists new to the program are strongly encouraged to apply
Program Benefits & Awards
- Multiple commissions envisioned in the range of $100,000–$500,000+
- Each shortlisted artist receives a proposal stipend, plus a travel allowance as needed, to support a proposal development phase in collaboration with APP, MDAD, and the project's architectural/engineering consulting team
- Shortlisted artists receive project-specific orientations, schedules, and stipends tailored to their proposal opportunities
- Commissioned artworks are accessioned into the Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places Collection, an internationally recognized collection of over 1,000 works, and preserved through a lifetime Maintenance and Repair Program
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Open Call Released: July 2026
- Online Artist Workshop: Thursday, August 13, 2026, 1:00 PM EST
- Submission Deadline: Monday, September 21, 2026, 11:59 PM EST
- PAC Orientation and Scoring Period: September 21–29, 2026
- PAC Meeting to Select Artist Shortlist: October 1, 2026
- Art in Public Places Trust Approval of Shortlist: October 13, 2026
- Artist Notifications and Orientations: October–December 2026
- Proposal Development Period: October 2026 – October 2028 (up to 24 months, with ~60 days per specific opportunity)
- Proposal Presentations to PAC: October 2026 – October 2028
- Project Engagement and Implementation: 2027–2031 (2–5 years per commission)
Location
Miami International Airport, 2100 NW 42nd Avenue, Miami, Florida, 33122, United States
Additional Details
- Submission requirements: 10 samples of completed work (identified with medium, dimensions, date, location, client/agency, size, budget, completion date if applicable, and a brief written description), CV/resume, brief artist statement, and professional references; artists working in video, sound, installation, or kinetic sculpture may include a short video, audio, or dynamic media file; no proposal images or concepts should be submitted at this qualification stage
- The PAC may recommend artists who did not apply to this specific call, based on previous artistic accomplishment, public art experience, and initial design approach
- Upon shortlisting, the Art in Public Places Trust will contract directly and communicate solely with the artist and their studio designees; artist representatives may submit qualifications on an artist's behalf only with the artist's explicit consent
- Commissioned artists must negotiate and execute a Design Development contract within 30–45 days of Trust approval and artist notification
- Selection criteria include Standard of Excellence (exceptional quality and enduring value, per recognized art experts) and Appropriateness to Site (relationship of the artwork to the site's physical dimensions, social dynamics, local character, and surrounding urban context)
- Opportunities span major, mid-size, and integrated commission categories, including artist-designed terrazzo flooring and hardscape, suspended artworks, two-dimensional works for corridors and ceilings, site-specific installations, wayfinding, technology and time-based media, large-scale exterior facade integration, integrated glass artwork, tile and mosaic applications, sculpture, and functional design elements such as seating and screening
- Accommodation requests (accessible formats, sign language interpreters, CART, etc.) for program-sponsored meetings must be made at least 5 business days in advance by contacting Dana Pezoldt (305-375-2161, culture@miamidade.gov); TTY users may call 711 (Florida Relay Service)