McCarran expansion to include art

The D-Gate expansion at McCarran International Airport is nearly complete, and central to the $50 million project is its murals.

Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects issued a call for entry to 35 local artists to compete for the Art Mural Commission. Airport officials selected the finalists.

"We dealt directly with the three finalists, and their work was truly inspiring," architect Windom Kimsey said. "When you plan art for an outstanding building like the D-Gate, you like to think that you will be able to commission art that will add to the creation. McCarran officials found some incredible artists, and the art they are in the process of creating truly belongs to all of Southern Nevada."

Harold Bradford Jr. created the central piece of art, an 8-foot by 153-foot mural of a desert landscape with bighorn sheep. Roy Purcell designed an 8-foot by 30-foot desert scene with animals and figures, while an aviation-themed mural by Susanne Forestieri is slated for the future.

"When we were designing the original D-Gate, we enlisted local schoolchildren to create some artwork for the new building," Kimsey said. "That effort was a tremendous success as fourth graders developed art for 16 walls. When the expansion work restarted in 2001, we put out another call, this time for competition from sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders."

The young artists were asked to create paper airplanes, 12 of which were turned into 6-foot-long aluminum replicas that will hang beneath the skylight in the northeast wing expansion. The airplanes will be on permanent display.

"Those eighth-graders are now seniors, and their work will shine in this facility for decades to come," Kimsey said.

"Artwork spans generations, and the student artists of Clark County will have a living testament to their achievements that will be viewed by millions of people who pass through these halls."

The expansion also includes a new tower and 10 new gates. The 161,000-square-foot facility features operations, maintenance and building support on the lower level, with hold rooms, retail and concessions in the 90,000-square-foot second-level passenger area.

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