Medical School Student Names Art Piece At DFW International Airport‘s Terminal D

DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, (January 27, 2006) - The 100-foot-long art piece formerly listed in DFW International Airport’s art guide as "Untitled" has been named by Arlington resident Jennifer Kwak, whose entry “On the Wings of a Dragon” was selected as the winner of the Airport’s art-naming contest. Kwak will be recognized tonight at a special artist reception at DFW’s International Terminal D. For her efforts, Kwak will receive dinner for two at the Grand Met in the Grand Hyatt Hotel overlooking the newly named art piece, as well as two round trip international airline tickets. 

“My mom first showed me the art in Terminal D as I arrived home for Christmas,” said Kwak. “The sculpture inspired my imagination; it reminded me of a dragon, which in the Korean culture like many eastern societies is the symbol of good fortune and strength.” 

Kwak really took notice of the architecture in Terminal D during her first visit in December. Genuinely impressed with the new terminal, its shops, restaurants and spacious style, Kwak said, “I think other travelers around the country will start talking about the great experience they have had at DFW. Terminal D had everything I could need, making my travels a lot more bearable.” 

Kwak and her family, originally from Korea now live in Arlington. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Kwak is now in her third year of Medical School at Tufts University in Boston and is looking forward to her next opportunity to travel to DFW and enjoy her prizes. 

The contest received more than 600 entries between Nov. 23 and Dec. 30. “On the Wings of a Dragon” is part of the Airport’s 29 piece art collection especially designed for International Terminal D. The $6 million public art program called on local artists and artisans from around the world to create mosaic floor medallions, huge wall scenes, interactive pieces and sculptures to properly welcome travelers to the new “Gateway to the World” for North Texas. 

"We love this piece and thought it only fitting that it be named by the public," said Joe Lopano, executive vice president of marketing and terminal management. "This Airport belongs to the citizens of North Texas and should represent our diversity and culture. This magnificent art program truly makes DFW one of the best places to travel and enjoy art and culture.” 

Jerome Meadows and David Driskell of Maryland collaborated on the piece that was installed in the new terminal in May 2005 but chose to leave it unnamed. 

“Upon completing and installing the piece, our closeness to it made it difficult to name, in spite of numerous people asking what it was,” said Meadows. “I responded to their questions by asking people what it looked like to them, and on that basis thought it would be interesting to let the public come up with a title. I proposed this idea to DFW, and it was eventually formalized into a contest. The amount of entries was overwhelming, and after much effort, we made the final selection on the basis of how well this particular one suited the spirit, character and energy of the piece.”

Tonight’s event is the first time many of the artists have had the opportunity to see their work displayed since the installation and grand opening. Since International Terminal D opened last July, nearly two million travelers have viewed the collection. 

The public art program was initiated during the early planning stages of the new international terminal and was geared to enhance DFW's identity locally, nationally, and internationally, to express the dynamic culture of the Metroplex and aid in making DFW a choice destination for global travelers. 

The program also features pieces from the world renowned Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, complete with a sculpture garden just outside of the international arrivals area at Terminal D. 

For more information on the International Terminal D art program --- www.dfwairport.com/art.

“On the Wings of a Dragon” Art Piece description

The 100-foot-long three dimensional sculpture is hung in the hotel's atrium and is viewable from the departures level of the new terminal as well as the Grand Met restaurant located in the Grand Hyatt. This work consists of a collection of abstracted wings of flight forms. Beginning from the south end of the corridor and moving 100 feet to the north along the corridor, the suspended sculpture hangs at a level of approximately 14 feet above the floor and ascend in a serpentine fashion toward the glass window of the hotel restaurant to the north to a height of approximately 30 feet. On the corridor floor, interlaced into the terrazzo pattern, is a complimentary serpentine pattern relating to the suspended abstract images above. 

Biography of David Driskell

David Driskell, Ph.D., was born in 1931 in Eatonton, Ga. Driskell received a bachelors degree in Fine Art from Howard University in 1955, Masters of Fine Art from The Catholic University in 1962. Since 1977 he has been a professor of art at the University of Maryland, College Park, Md. He is also the recipient of 10 honorary doctoral degrees in art. Among his many accomplishments, he has received the National Humanities Medal from President Clinton in December 2000 for his contributions to AfricanAmerican art as an artist, curator, scholar and educator. He has exhibited at the Baltimore Museum of Art; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; the Oakland Museum of Art; and many other museums around the nation. His public art commissions include stained glass windows at Peoples Congregational Church, Washington, D.C., and DeForest Chapel (65 windows) at Talladega College, Alabama. He is represented by the DC More Gallery, New York, and the Sherry Washington Gallery, Detroit. His art has been widely exhibited in Europe, Africa and South America. 

Biography of Jerome Meadows

Jerome Meadows was born in 1951. Meadows received a bachelors degree in Fine Art from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1973 and a Masters of Fine Art from the University of Maryland in 1981. He is the recipient of two Fulbright Awards and has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows throughout the United States. Meadows was included in the invitational group exhibition Moscow-Washington Art Exchange held at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and was featured in a solo exhibition at the Alhamra Art Center in Lahore, Pakistan. In addition to exhibiting, teaching and numerous residencies, Meadows has designed and installed several large-scale public art works throughout the United States. He is the founder, director and principal designer of MeadowLark Studio, a design/build studio focusing on design and creation of art for public places. He divides his time between his production facilities in Savannah, Ga., and Washington, D.C.