The Santa Barbara Airport is seeking artists to create and apply design elements to be incorporated into the structure of the new airline terminal.

A call for artists has been issued in three categories: stenciling of wooden ceiling beams, wrought iron embellishments for interior railings, and floor medallion design and installation in the rotunda of terminal’s north entrance.

These opportunities are part of the airport’s Public Art Program. The finished works will be viewed by more than 2,000 people daily.

As a community gateway, the Santa Barbara Airport is committed to providing a venue for public art that enriches the visitors’ experience and reflects the history and culture of the region.

The SBA’s Public Art Program has four major components:

» Existing Art: Inclusion and relocation of the Good Time Clock by George Rhoades and the Albatross — Golden Glider by Dustin Shuler courtesy of the Bermant Foundation.

» Commissioned Art: Various pieces sponsored by the airport, Santa Barbara Beautiful and the Pierre Claeyssens Museum.

» Long-Term Loan Art: Fiesta (1984) mural by Channing Peake, on loan from the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission; and a large 1930s courthouse lantern on loan from the Santa Barbara Courthouse Legacy Foundation that will hang in the main entrance hall of the new terminal.

» Regional Art: Artwork in various media by regional artists will be displayed on a rotating basis throughout the year.

To launch the new Public Art Program, murals created by local students will be installed on the construction fence around the airline terminal building site in 2010.

The $32 million airline terminal project includes:

» Construction of a new two-story, 67,000-square-foot terminal of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture

» Registration with U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design

» Reconfiguration and landscaping of a new short-term parking lot

» Construction of a new terminal loop road with a separate lane for public transportation vehicles

» Rehabilitation and relocation of the historic portion of the existing 1942 terminal

Click here to download the “Call for Artists” Request for Proposals. Questions regarding the RFP may be to directed to Rita Ferri, visual arts coordinator of the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, by e-mail at ferri@co.santa-barbaraca.ca.us, with Airport Public Art RFP in the subject line.

— Terri Gibson is the marketing and communications director for the Santa Barbara Airport.