El Paso International Airport

Public Art Projects

01 / 05
Suspended glass panels hanging over a food court area.
Suspended glass panels hanging in front of windows.
1

Concourse B Variations

These 45 suspended glass panels catch and filter the light in the airport’s expanded Concourse B, welcoming travelers to El Paso. The panels depict contemporary updates on Native American motifs used in the airport’s original design and are meant to serve as expressions of the city itself.

Artist: Rae Mahaffey (2010)

Medium: Infused glass panels, aluminum, aircraft cable / (45) 20" x 20"

A mural of portal-like rings in various shades of blue.
A mural of portal-like rings in various shades of blue.
A mural of portal-like rings in various shades of blue.
2

Portal 1

This bright, sky-inspired mural welcomes El Pasoans and visitors into the city as they exit the airport. The portal-like rings in various shades of blue suggest clear skies for flying and the possibility of adventure ahead. The artist, who was born in El Paso and raised in Anthony, New Mexico, has also worked as a sound engineer. His paintings are informed by meditation, astronomy, and sand mandala paintings and often evoke the vibration of sound waves.

Artist: Ricardo Chavarria (2022)

Medium: Interior oil paint / 70' x 17'

An undulating terrazzo design on the floor, next to the baggage carousels.
An undulating terrazzo design on the floor.
A zinc medallions embedded with the words "Living the history: Boot Hill, the Magoffin House, Hueco Tanks, the old adobes in the valley, Marty Robbins Brent.
3

River Spirit

This undulating terrazzo design inspired by the Rio Grande wends its way through the 10,000 square foot baggage claim area in El Paso International Airport. Local artist Mitsu Overstreet worked with community members and visitors who contributed to the artwork by sharing memories of El Paso and what they love about the region. Their words were engraved onto zinc medallions embedded throughout the artwork.

Artist: Mitsu Overstreet (2013)

Medium: Terrazzo / 10,320 sq. ft.

4

Radiance

Abundant natural light filters through the hanging shapes of this mandala-like artwork, radiating colors and patterns that change throughout the day. The artists chose shapes from traditional patterns related to the many groups that have contributed to El Paso’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, creating a stunning focal point that coordinates with Mitsu Overstreet’s terrazzo artwork below.

Artists: Shane Allbritton and Norman Lee (2016)

Medium: Painted steel, steel ball chain, dichroic acrylic / 20' x 36'

5

Acies at the Airport

As part of his work for the Sun Metro BRIO stations along the Montana Corridor, George Bates created two freestanding sculptures for the El Paso International Airport station. Like the windscreen panels at the other stations, these sculptures feature an abstract line element and laser-cut designs that share universal ideas of individuals and communities connecting, colliding, and commingling in unexpected, complex, and colorful ways.

Artist: George Bates (2022)

Medium: Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic / 9' and 13' tall