HOUSTON CIVIC ART - REQUEST FOR ACQUISITIONS: Civic Art Project for Houston Airports in Partnership with Southwest Airlines Portable Work Acquisition

Budget: $215,000.00 for the acquisition of multiple works of art

Deadline: Monday, June 01, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CST

Location: HOU Baggage Claim Corridor  

Eligibility: Texas Artists

To submit, visit SUBMITTABLE LINK

Only applications sent via Submittable will be considered.

Summary

On behalf of Southwest Airlines and Houston Airports, Houston Arts Alliance requests the submissions of multiple two or three-dimensional artworks for direct purchase for the Houston Airports West Concourse Expansion Project at William P. Hobby Airport. The approved works will become a part of the City of Houston’s permanent civic art collection.

As passengers make their way from their gates to the baggage claim and exits, the main corridor provides opportunities for two art display cases. Glass-protected displays offer space for wall-hung or three-dimensional pieces. A large 4’ x 8’ x 2’5” opening to each case allows works at a variety of forms and scales. The inspiration for this work is “Space City” to connect with the celestial designs of the adjacent baggage claim hall and the exterior passenger canopy.

Artists or sellers of the selected artwork will be responsible for delivering the pieces to a designated location in Houston, TX. Purchase price to include costs of framing, delivery, shipping, or other needs for the delivery for installation-ready artwork. Artworks requiring a plinth or display shelf must include those features with the acquisition submission and in the total purchase price.

The Hobby Airport West Concourse Expansion will include seven new gates, a state-of-the-art baggage handling system, additional baggage claim carousels and a protective canopy connecting the terminal to the parking garage.

Houston Airports is the City of Houston’s Department of Aviation. Comprised of George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), and Ellington Airport (EFD) / Houston Spaceport, Houston Airports served 62 million passengers in 2025. Houston Airports is one of the largest airport systems in North America and serves as a primary gateway to Latin America and the South-Central region of the United States. Houston Airports is the winner of the World’s Best Airport Art Program, awarded by Skytrax in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. Civic Art at Houston Airports enhances the passenger experience by building and presenting a world-class collection of regional, national and international artworks.

Eligibility
THE FOLLOWING ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY:

• Open to all Texas artists and galleries in Texas submitting on behalf of Texas artists.
  • Texas Artist is defined as:
    
    • Born in the State of Texas, or
    • Currently residing within the State of Texas
• Galleries submitting applications for more than one artist must submit individual applications for each applicant/artist.
• If multiple artists are included on the same application, the submission will be marked as ineligible.
• Artists can be living or deceased.
  • Secondary market artwork will also be considered.
• Living artists or artist teams for whom applications are submitted must be 18 years of age or older.

THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO APPLY:

• Artists currently under contract for a City of Houston Civic Art project.
• City of Houston employees.
• Elected City Officials, Mayor’s Office of the Arts, and their immediate family.
• Houston Arts Alliance employees, Board members, Advisory Board members, and their immediate family.

Applications that do not meet all eligibility criteria or application requirements will be withdrawn from consideration.

Budget

• Artworks for consideration must be priced at fair market value.
• The total price listed for each object must include the cost of delivery by the artist (or submitter) to a collection site within Houston, Texas, designated by HAA.

Application Requirements

• Each artist or gallery may submit up to three (3) artworks per artist. Each entry is one artwork. There are no limits to the number of artists a gallery can submit.
• Artist(s) resume or CV (3 pages maximum per artist)
• Artist Statement (500 words maximum)
  
  • An artist statement is a written description of the work that helps the audience access or understand it. The purpose of the artist statement is to inform, add context, and present process and conceptual ideas to the viewer, which may include sources, ideas, and materials in your current practice.
• Digital images of the artworks. Applicants can submit up to three (3) images in JPEG format, no larger than 2 MB, of the same artwork. One video, no longer than 30 seconds, may also be accepted per artwork. Image details should include:
  
  • Artist Name
  • Work Title
  • Year Completed
  • Dimensions (inches – H x W x D)
  • Material
  • Price

Other Requirements for Three-Dimensional Work:

• Artwork should not exceed a height of 40 inches or a depth of 24 inches.
• All artwork must exist and have been completed before December 31, 2025. Works in progress or concept proposals will not be considered.
• Subject matter depicting obscene, sexually explicit, social, political, religious, racially demeaning, or other subjects that the City of Houston deems to be inappropriate for an airport environment will not be accepted.

Other Requirements for Two-Dimensional Work:

• Artwork should not exceed a height of 40 inches or width of 72 inches.
• All artwork must exist and be accomplished before December 31, 2025. Works in progress or concept proposals will not be considered.
• Framed 2-D artwork must be ready to hang, prepared with D-rings, French cleat, or other appropriate hardware, as required. Framed works should be noted as such.
• Mounted 2-D artwork must be ready to hang, prepared with appropriate hardware and installation instructions. Mounted artworks should be noted as such.
• Photography and works on paper must be made from archival materials and must be framed with the appropriate museum quality glazing.
• Subject matter depicting obscene, sexually explicit, social, political, religious, racially demeaning, or other subjects that the City of Houston deems to be inappropriate for an airport environment will not be accepted.

Artworks for consideration will also be subject to the following criteria:

• All artwork for consideration must be titled.
• All artwork must be ready to install for public presentation.
• Artworks must meet or exceed the City of Houston ADA requirements.
• Artworks should be resistant to graffiti and vandalism and require minimal maintenance.
• Artworks should be family-friendly and suitable for public display to a diverse, and international audience at the airport.
• Artwork must be durable and have a life span of at least 20 years.
• Artwork should make a significant artistic addition to the City’s Civic Art Collection and demonstrate a specific artistic voice, perspective, or aesthetic.

Selection Process

• A six-person panel comprised of arts representatives, community representatives, and Houston Airport System representatives will review artwork submissions and recommend artworks for purchase.

Location and Site

William P. Hobby West Concourse Expansion, 7800 Airport Blvd, Houston, TX 77061

See linked site plans and images for more information.

Contracting

Established in 1999, Houston Civic Art is a City of Houston Mayor’s Office of the Arts (MOA) program that contracts with Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) to manage projects.   

Selected Artists or Galleries will enter into a Purchase Agreement with HAA. A sample agreement is linked HERE.  

Selected artists will also be required to sign a Visual Artist Rights Act (VARA) Waiver with the City of Houston. View a sample of the waiver HERE

Timeline

All dates are subject to change.

RFA Released:                                           Week of April 27th

Artist Info Session # 1**:                        May 12, 2026

Artist Info Session # 2**:                       May 19, 2026

Deadline for questions:                          May 22, 2026

RFA submission deadline:                    June 01, 2026              

Selected artist notified by HAA:          August 25, 2026

Purchase Agreement:                            August 28, 2026

Artwork Delivery:                                  September 2026

**HAA will host two (2) artist information sessions about this RFA via Zoom. Click the links below to register for a session. **

• Artist Info Session #1 – Tuesday, May 12, 2026 @ 1:00 PM REGISTER HERE.
• Artist Info Session #2 – Tuesday, May 19, 2026 @ 6:00 PM REGISTER HERE.