RFQ: Civic Art Project for Houston Airports in partnership with Southwest Airlines - William P. Hobby Airport West Concourse Expansion - Suspended Artwork

Summary
On behalf of Southwest Airlines, Houston Arts Alliance invites artists and artist teams to submit qualifications to design, fabricate, and install one major suspended work of public art for the Houston Airports West Concourse Expansion Project at William P. Hobby Airport.

This opportunity calls for a significant artistic addition, commissioned by Houston Airports in partnership with Southwest Airlines, to be included in the City of Houston’s Civic Art Collection. The suspended artwork will be highly visible to millions of annual travelers, creating a memorable impression of Houston as a dynamic and creative city. The inspiration for this commission is the dappled light filtering through the canopy of old-growth live oak trees. Artists are encouraged to explore concepts that engage with natural light, shifting perspectives and the passage of time as sunlight streams through the concourse’s full-height glass wall.

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 63 million passengers in 2024. Houston Airports form 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 and 2025. Civic Art at Houston Airports enhances the passenger experience by building and presenting a world-class collection of regional, national and international artworks.

Scope of Civic Art Project and Artwork Requirements

The West Concourse Suspended Artwork commission is for a large-scale installation located above the westernmost gate areas in the upcoming expansion of William P. Hobby Airport. The designated artwork area lies between the last three structural trusses and spans approximately 118 feet by 49 feet (5,700 square feet). The space is defined by a full-height glass wall to the west and an origami-like ceiling that fills the concourse with natural light throughout the day.

Connection points are provided on a five-foot by five-foot grid. The total weight of the artwork shall not exceed 3,000 pounds, with a maximum load of 400 pounds per roof joist and 1,000 pounds per roof truss. The artwork must remain at least fifty percent open to ensure proper operation of the fire sprinkler system above and must comply with all load, attachment, and safety requirements outlined in the architectural documentation. Power is available in the ceiling plenum through a 120-volt connection, and the artist is responsible for providing any required lighting, control systems, or other integrated components necessary to support the installation.

Artworks should meet the following requirements:

• Artworks should be family friendly and suitable for public display to a diverse and international audience.
• Artworks must be free of safety hazards.
• Artworks must meet or exceed City of Houston ADA requirements.
• Artworks should be resistant to graffiti and vandalism and require minimal maintenance.
• Artwork must have an expected life span of at least 20 years.
• Artwork should make a significant artistic addition to the City of Houston Art Collection.

Eligibility
THE FOLLOWING ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY:
This opportunity is open to all professional artists and artist teams residing in the United States, age 18 and older. Artists working in all media and artistic approaches are encouraged to apply.

FOR REPRESENTATIVES INTERESTED IN APPLYING ON BEHALF OF ARTISTS

• Galleries, agents, and representatives submitting applications for more than one artist must submit individual applications for each applicant.
• If multiple artists are included in the same application, the submission will be marked as ineligible.

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 Cultural Affairs Staff, and their immediate family.
• Houston Arts Alliance employees, Board members, Advisory Board members, and their immediate family.

Applications not meeting all eligibility criteria or application requirements will be withdrawn from consideration.

Location and Site

William P. Hobby West Concourse Expansion, 7800 Airport Blvd, Houston, TX 77061
See linked site plans and images for more information.

Budget
The budget of $710,000.00 is inclusive of all work including, but not limited to, design proposals, artists’ fees, design, engineering, permitting, insurance costs for each year of the project, lighting, software, studio and project administration, travel, fabrication, all materials, installation, and required documentation.

Application Requirements

1. Artist(s) resume or CV, relevant information for any other key team members (3 pages maximum per artist or team member)
2. Artist Biography (250 words maximum or under 2 minutes)
3. Statement of Intent/Concept Brief (1,000 words maximum or under 5 minutes) - A Statement of Intent is a declaration of your plans and your ideas for a specific project. A SOI is your chance to demonstrate your personality, professionalism, qualifications, and enthusiasm for a project.
4. Artist Statement (500 words maximum or under 3 minutes) - An artist statement is a written description of your work that helps the audience access or understand your artistic work. 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.
5. Images - Digital images of completed artworks. Applicants should submit up to ten (10) images in JPEG format only with each image no larger than 2 MB. Each image should include information about artist, title, year completed, dimensions, material, commissioning entity, and budget or price (as applicable) for each image provided

All documents should be in at least a 12-point font, single-spaced, with at least a ½” margin.

Selection Process
A panel of three art professionals and project stakeholders will review qualified submissions and select a short list of up to three artist or artist teams who will develop concept proposals for the opportunity. Panelists will consider the following:

• Artistic quality: a unique voice, perspective, or aesthetic.
• Ability to create site-specific artwork responsive to the site’s architecture, light, and community context.
• Contribution of new artistic voices and perspectives to the City of Houston Art Collection.

Contracting
The final commission for this project will be broken out into two separate contracts with HAA, one for design and one for construction (i.e. “commission”). The selected artist must be able and willing to sign contracts for design and commission.

Sample Contracts:

• Attachment A2 - Artist Services Agreement for Design
• Attachment A3 - Artist Services Agreement for Commission

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.

• RFQ released: Friday, October 24, 2025
• Artist Info Session # 1**: Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 11am
• Artist Info Session # 2**: Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 6pm
• Deadline for questions: Wednesday, November 19, 2025
• RFQ submission deadline: Monday, November 24, 2025 11:59pm
• RFQ notification: Monday, December 15, 2025

The following section only applies to artists who advance to the RFP phase.

• RFP released to finalists: Monday, December 15, 2025
• RFP deadline: Monday, January 19, 2026
• Artist proposal presentations: Week of February 1, 2026
• Selected artist notified by HAA: Monday, February 16, 2026
• Contract released to artist: Monday, February 16, 2026
• Project completion: January 2027

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

• Artist Info Session #1 – Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 11 AM CST: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tWewGUsZQLKPLI-HIs9kxw
• Artist Info Session #2 – Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 6 PM CST: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ROldJwkwTO2zuQm8FgR9pA