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Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson Announces RFQ for $3.8 Million Public Art Program at the New Concourse D at O'Hare Airport

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CHICAGO – Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) today announced the release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking artists to create site-specific, integrated public art for The New Concourse D, currently under construction at O'Hare International Airport.

"Chicago's identity is inseparable from the artists, designers and cultural traditions that make our city unlike any other," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "By integrating public art into the new Concourse D, we are creating a gateway that reflects Chicago's creativity and character while giving travelers from around the world a meaningful introduction to our city"

The RFQ identifies seven art opportunities across Levels 2 and 3 of the new 19-gate passenger concourse, the first major passenger facility being delivered through ORDNext. The commissions, valued at approximately $3.8 million, will encompass lighting, suspended sculpture, outdoor sculpture, wall art, and other integrated approaches designed to enhance the passenger journey.

"The New Concourse D is being designed around the passenger experience, and art will be an essential part of how travelers move through and remember this remarkable space," said CDA Commissioner Mike McMurray. "These seven opportunities invite artists to respond to the concourse's orchard- and prairie-inspired architecture with work that is ambitious, welcoming and unmistakably connected to Chicago."

Inspired by the tree canopy of an orchard and the natural landscape of the prairie, Concourse D—designed by the Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) in collaboration with Ross Barney Architects, Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects (JGMA) and Arup—creates a more people-centered airport experience, with light-filled gathering spaces, areas for rest and relaxation, and retail neighborhoods that reflect Chicago's character.

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Integrated art will help extend Chicago's cultural heritage throughout the concourse while creating distinct moments of wonder, discovery and inspiration for passengers.

"O'Hare is one of Chicago's most visible public spaces and an extraordinary platform for public art," said DCASE Commissioner Kenya K. Merritt. "Our airports do more than move people, they introduce people to the creativity and character of our city. We're looking for bold, ambitious work that transforms these spaces and makes it clear from the moment you arrive that Chicago is a city of art, culture and ideas."

The opportunities outlined in the RFQ include:
  • The Orchard Ceiling: A skylit, multilevel space shaped by gentle curves and landscaped forms, this central gathering space introduces moments of rest, dining, retail, and play.
  • The Orchard Threshold: A three-dimensional artwork of suitable materials to comply with weight limits within the available space.
  • Skyline Garden Enhanced Seating: Suspended artwork activating the seating area while complementing the surrounding tree columns and interior landscaping.
  • Skyline Garden Exterior: Durable, grounded exterior sculptures contributing to the passenger experience at the concourse's skyline overlook.
  • North End Walls: Two- or three-dimensional artwork for a pair of prominent walls visible from both the concourse and the airfield.
  • Sterile Corridor MER Wall and Escalator Cove: A major transitional and connecting point for arriving international passengers, the Sterile Corridor gives access to stairs and elevators leading to the future O'Hare Global Terminal.

Artists are encouraged to bring their own vision and artistic voice to each location. Artwork depicted in the RFQ's architectural renderings is intended only to illustrate potential placement and does not indicate a preferred aesthetic, concept, style or configuration.

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The City will select artists through a competitive qualifications-based process. Details regarding artist eligibility, individual commission budgets, evaluation criteria, required application materials and the anticipated project schedule are available in the complete RFQ.

Applications must be submitted via the CAFÉ online application by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 30, 2026. The complete RFQ and supporting materials are available at https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/provdrs/public_art_program.html.

An optional applicant information session will be held online from noon to 1 p.m. Central Time on Sept. 2, 2026. Preregistration is required via https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/4b74ce9b-6048-4b9d-8db9-9bae918a19dd@7036cda9-062d-4151-8144-97ddc56e7027?source=copyLinkLegacyShareLinkDialog.

The New Concourse D, the largest new passenger facility built at O'Hare in more than 30 years, is the first of two satellite concourses planned as part of ORDNext, the City of Chicago's historic modernization of O'Hare's core terminal facilities. The concourse will initially operate as an extension of Concourse C and will provide a modern, comfortable and seamless experience for domestic and international passengers.

ORDNext is designed to increase gate capacity, modernize the passenger experience, improve connectivity across the airport, and strengthen O'Hare's role as a global gateway and economic engine for Chicago and the region.

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