Uplifting Wings: DFW International Airport World Of Wings Art Provides Inspiration To Travelers

(DFW International Airport, February 15, 2005) - DFW International Airport announces Texas's newest and most diverse public art program is officially open to the public. The World of Wings art program features hundreds of giant cardboard airplanes decorated by artists from around the globe, on display at DFW’s existing four terminals and the Airport’s rental car facility. 

Stories of inspiration surround many of the 6-foot by 6-foot cardboard airplanes which were distributed to area schools, airlines, DFW employees, military branches and cultural groups from North Texas and around the world. 

The project launched in April 2004, with most of the planes returned during the summer after months of careful planning and creativity. The first planes were hung in the fall with the final planes going up the days before Christmas. Each WOW airplane is accompanied by signage announcing the artist or organization that decorated the plane. The signs also include photographs of the planes during the decoration process and a photo of the final product. 

Planes of Inspiration

• Several WOW art planes were decorated by branches of the U.S. Military. Two planes were flown to Iraq and Kuwait where soldiers decorated and autographed them. All military planes are hanging at gate B-14 in front of the USO. 

• In tribute to victims of the March 11, 2004 bombing in Madrid, representatives of Dallas’ Honorary Consulate to Spain joined to decorate a WOW airplane. The solemn plane hangs at Terminal B near the British Airways ticket counter, Entry B-30.

• Dallas artist Desmond Blair decorated a WOW plane on behalf of Scottish Rite Hospital. Absent both his hands the artist designed and painted a realistic airplane, which hangs at Terminal B, Baggage Claim B-30. 

There are hundreds of planes and many more stories surrounding the WOW art plane program. To find out where a specific airplane is displayed or to view the all of the World of Wings airplanes, go to www.dfwairport.com/wow. 

The World of Wings program is designed to raise awareness of the world's newest airline terminal and world's largest airport train - named Skylink. International Terminal D will open in summer 2005 with Skylink opening in spring 2005. 

The Airport's 57 million annual passengers will see the WOW planes in ticketing halls, concourses and in baggage claims. DFW will place locally painted planes in public areas so school children and community groups will have easy access to see their work on display. 

Art planes were flown in from exotic locations such as Buenos Aires, Argentina; Lima, Peru; Brussels, Belgium; Paris, France; Sao Paolo, Brazil and Zurich, Switzerland. 

Two decorated planes returned from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan courtesy of the U.S. Army and DFW's military assistance and Rest and Recuperation Program. The military planes are on display outside the USO lounge located beyond the security checkpoint at Terminal B, Gate B-15. 

American Airlines tucked cardboard planes in 777 aircraft and flew them around the world to various destinations. The planes were then decorated by local artists or American Airlines employees. The American Airlines WOW planes are on display beyond security checkpoints in the connector corridor between Terminals A and C. 

Other participants include the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Safety Administration, the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, Ballet Folklorico Azteca de Fort Worth, the Japan America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth, Canadian Club of North Texas and the U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce-Southwest Chapter. Also participating in the program are Fort Worth International Sister Cities (Reggio Emilia, Italy; Nagaoka, Japan; Trier, Germany; Bandung, Indonesia; Budapest, Hungary; Toluca, Mexico; Mbabane, Swaziland, South Africa) and the Dallas-based general consulates for Britain, Mexico, Canada, El Salvador and Spain, along with Dallas International Sister Cities Monterrey, Mexico; Riga, Latvia and Taipei, Taiwan. 

Editors: To arrange interviews contact Ken Capps, Vice President, Public Affairs at 972 574 8080 or kcapps@dfwairport.com