New Public Artwork at SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1 Offers A Welcome Sight For Travelers

SAN FRANCISCO, July 18, 2024 – The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC), in partnership with the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), announce the unveiling of multiple new public art installations at Harvey Milk Terminal 1 upon the completion and recent grand opening of the final section of the terminal.

“The collection of art found at San Francisco International Airport is some of the finest in the world, and that’s no exaggeration,” said Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs. “From captivating 2D works, to murals, sculptures and everything in between, we hope the world class artwork travelers will see as they make their way towards their travel destination inspires them and keeps them coming back for more. We are thankful to have been able to partner with SFO to incorporate new public art as part of the renovation of Harvey Milk Terminal 1 and thank all the artists who worked closely with public art staff to make their visions and dreams, reality.”

Funding for public art at SFO was generated from the Art Enrichment Ordinance, or 2%-for-Art-Program, which ensures two percent of gross construction costs from the expansion of Harvey Milk Terminal 1, and other publicly funded capital construction projects at SFO, be allocated for public art. Other recent construction projects at SFO include the new Long Term Parking Garage, Grand Hyatt Hotel, and AirTrain stations.

The Arts Commission developed an ambitious public art program designed to create a dynamic environment that engages travelers from the moment they arrive at the airport, showcasing world class art throughout the airport campus, pre and post security.

The final section of the award-winning $2.5B Harvey Milk Terminal 1 opened on June 17, 2024, and includes new public art, a new north check-in lobby, a new mezzanine-level security checkpoint, two additional aircraft gates, four new concessions and a new connecting walkway that links all SFO terminals post-security.

“Harvey Milk Terminal 1 sets a new benchmark for the airport experience,” said SFO Airport Director Ivar C. Satero. “This facility celebrates the legacy of a pioneering civil rights leader, with museum exhibits and public artwork that together tell a story about what makes San Francisco great and how people like Harvey Milk continue to serve as an inspiration for the world. Our thanks go out to the San Francisco Arts Commission for their contribution to making Harvey Milk Terminal 1 an experience which all of San Francisco can be proud.” 

The first phase of Harvey Milk Terminal 1 opened in July 2019 and included nine departure gates, concessions, and the check-in lobby. The second phase in May 2021 included seven departure gates, a new post-security connector to the International Terminal, a new museum gallery, and a new display of exhibit content honoring the life and legacy of Harvey Milk.

Close Encounter with the California Sublime, by Suzanne Husky, 2024, SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1. Photo courtesy of SFO Museum.

Public Art at Harvey Milk Terminal 1: 

Two new works were installed as part of the completion of this final section: Craig Calderwood’s immersive three-story mural The Only Blue is the Sky uses vibrant visual vernacular to capture the exuberance of queer history and culture while honoring the legacy of civil rights pioneer Supervisor Harvey Milk;  Suzanne Husky’s Close Encounter with the California Sublime reimagines Albert Bierstadt’s painting, Merced River, Yosemite Valley, c. 1866 by adding a tourist family in the act of taking a selfie with a California grizzly bear to critique environmental commodification and exploitation.

Additional installations include new and not recently seen works from the Civic Art Collection including Ala Ebtekar’s Zenith (VII), 2016-17, Dewey Crumpler’s Untitled, 1977, and Oliver Lee Jackson’s Painting (12.16.08), 2008, among several others.

These works join other public art installations at Harvey Milk Terminal 1, including numerous two-dimensional works, Terra-Techne, 2019 by Liz Glynn, Bird Plane House, Intersection, and Shell, 2020 by Gay Outlaw, located in the South Courtyard, mosaic murals by Emily Fromm, The Color of Horizons, 2020, by Dana Hemenway, The Author & Her Story, 2019, by Jason Jägel, Hyper-Natural Bay Area, 2019, by Robert Minervini, Number 695, 2019, by Leonardo Drew, Unfolding Space (In Gold), 2020 by Andy Vogt, Orion, 2020, by Spencer Finch, and Red Cadmium, 2019, by Mark Handforth.

We’ve Got to Give Them Hope, a neon and mirror ball installation by Andrea Bowers, is scheduled to be installed at the arrivals underpass December 2026-January 2027 and will incorporate quotes from Harvey Milk. 

A photo gallery documenting the life and legacy of Harvey Milk, curated by SFO Museum, is also on view in Harvey Milk Terminal 1. 

Close Encounter with the California Sublime, by Suzanne Husky, 2024, SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1. Photo courtesy of SFO Museum.

Harvey Milk: Messenger of Hope

SFO Museum's exhibition Harvey Milk: Messenger of Hope chronicles the life of the visionary human rights leader, groundbreaking political luminary, and seminal figure of the LGBTQ rights movement. Located pre-security on the Departures Level of Harvey Milk Terminal 1, the photography exhibition focuses primarily on Milk’s politically active years during the 1970s. Given Milk's impact on San Francisco communities, exhibition materials were sourced from public calls for photographs as well as the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center and the GLBT Historical Society.

To learn more about the public art found at Harvey Milk Terminal 1 and other locations at San Francisco International Airport, visit: sfartscommission.org/sfopublicart

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About the San Francisco Arts Commission  
The San Francisco Arts Commission is the City agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy. Our programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Investments, Public Art, SFAC Galleries, and Art Vendor Licensing. To learn more, visit sfartscommission.org.  

About San Francisco International Airport
SFO is committed to providing an extraordinary airport experience, with seamless access, thoughtful amenities, sustainable design and inspiring artwork and exhibits. For up-to-the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details on shopping, dining, cultural exhibitions, ground transportation and more, visit www.flysfo.com. Follow us on x.com/flysfo and facebook.com/flysfo.

About Harvey Milk Terminal 1
In 2019, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance re-naming the terminal as Harvey Milk Terminal 1 in honor of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk (1930 – 1978). Supervisor Milk was the first openly gay official elected in California. Tragically, he and Mayor George Moscone, were assassinated while in office. In 2009, the Presidential Medal of Freedom was posthumously awarded to Milk.