Expand<\/a>
\nA captivating sunset<\/p>\nA tour through Terminal 1 will first take you through the baggage claim area, where your eyes may drift up above the carousels to take in quilted tapestries featuring the imagery of life beside the Everglades and beaches.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Busch\u2019s \u201cGateway to the South\u201d depicts the colorful, yellow-streaked sunset above the swamplands, stretching up over deep blue waters and leafy green vegetation in unique geometric patterns.<\/p>\n
Looking left, you\u2019ll catch Susan Harlan\u2019s \u201cChasing Armadillos,\u201d where each of the 72 quilt squares capture a vignette of tropical life: a pelican lounging beside a beachball on the sand, jumping dolphins and fish emerging from the water, a flip flop resting between leafy patterns on a beach towel.<\/p>\n
A large glass box between carousels 2 and 3 might make you stop in your tracks to do a double-take.<\/p>\n
On first glance, you may think you see a man trapped inside, sitting on a chair as he listens to music.<\/p>\n
![\""Vendor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778593584_955_tfl-l-fll-airport-art-06-050626.jpg\")
\u201cVendor with Walkman,\u201d by Duane Hanson, is a painted bronze sculpture that sits in Terminal 1 at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n
But after you realize he\u2019s sitting too still, you\u2019ll realize you\u2019re actually looking at \u201cVendor with a Walkman,\u201d a hyper-realistic painted bronze sculpture by the late Duane Hanson.<\/p>\n
It weighs more than 300 pounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt definitely gets a lot of attention,\u201d Roldan said. \u201cIt\u2019s a sight for people waiting for their baggage here, and sometimes, people think he\u2019s real.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve processed that you\u2019ve been staring at a sculpture \u2014 and not a real man \u2014 you\u2019ll hop on an escalator up one level, where stepped limestone platforms bear small plants and an aluminum boat frame with painted, swooping lines.<\/p>\n
This sculpture environment in the departures area is one piece of Alice Adams\u2019 \u201cStone and Glass Gardens,\u201d which also includes two pieces in the arrivals area.<\/p>\n
Tempered glass panels sitting atop the limestone create a green-blue sheen resembling water, allowing the piece to \u201cestablish a metaphor for the Everglades,\u201d according to Roldan.<\/p>\n
A repetition of words<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re walking across any of the three levels, you might notice a blue tint over the paneled wall of windows.<\/p>\n
And when you look more closely, you\u2019ll see words printed in white, repeating terms that make travelers think of Florida in space-free lines: \u201ccloudlessskyandcloudlesssky\u2026\u201d; \u201csunsetpauseandsunsetpause\u2026\u201d;\u201dbrightestmorningandbrightestmorning\u2026\u201d, to name a few.<\/p>\n
\u201cIdea Horizon,\u201d the glass curtain wall design by Liam Gillick, may create a disorienting effect at first, with its lack of spaces between each word.<\/p>\n
But the piece can\u2019t help but capture your attention as you stand before it and try to piece out what each line means.<\/p>\n
After you walk across the ticketing area, you\u2019ll find a vast, stunning mural that stretches from the ceiling down to the bottom level.<\/p>\n
Guy Harvey\u2019s \u201cSunken Treasure,\u201d painted in vivid blues and yellows on vinyl, depicts a lit seascape featuring swimming fish and a ship underwater.<\/p>\n
On the top level, a giant swordfish leaps out of the water against the luminous sky, with Fort Lauderdale\u2019s old skyline faintly visible above the water.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people identify it with FLL,\u201d Roldan said. \u201cI think because it\u2019s bold, and because it\u2019s really accessible. It\u2019s beautiful, and it looks like Fort Lauderdale.\u201d<\/p>\n
Going down the escalator past \u201cSunken Treasure,\u201d you\u2019ll end up stepping out onto more artwork on the second level: The green terrazzo floor of the east mezzanine is where Carolyn Braaksma\u2019s \u201cRiver of Grass\u201d creates the imagery of a swampscape under your feet.<\/p>\n
Swirling blue waters, swathes of grass, and wildlife creatures like frogs, fish, turtles, and snakes adorn the floor, taking travelers to the Everglades\u2019 diverse ecosystem.<\/p>\n
Terminal 1\u2019s rental car center extends the sensation of walking through South Florida\u2019s natural ecosystem with \u201cMangrove Islands,\u201d a unique terrazzo floor project by Thomas Sayre.<\/p>\n
As you climb from the second to fourth floor, you rise through a cross-section of a mangrove forest: At the second level, you\u2019ll see the base rings of trees clustered around, with a few marine animals swimming between them.<\/p>\n
The third floor cuts through the middle of the tree trunks, where more sea animals like turtles swim around. On the fourth floor, you stand between the leafy green tree tops and striped butterflies.<\/p>\n
![\""Sunrise](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778593585_406_tfl-l-fll-airport-art-11-050626.jpg\")
\u201cSunrise to Sunset,\u201d by Gordon Huether, is made of individual glass panels hung at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. It’s seen here on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n
Colorful light streams into the rental car center through Gordon Huether\u2019s \u201cSunrise to Sunset,\u201d a large window display of colorful glass squares.<\/p>\n
From the walkway between the rental car center and security, you can watch as the sun casts blues, yellows, and purple rays of light into the seating area through the display.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the light sparkles on the floor, and it\u2019s almost like a stained-glass effect,\u201d Roldan said. \u201cIt takes inspiration to apply the artwork to the impact glass.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Pedestrians](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778593586_381_tfl-l-fll-airport-art-14-050626.jpg\")
Pedestrians pass \u201cCentro de Formacao,\u201d a 198-foot ceramic tile mural by Sarah Morris, in Terminal 1 at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n
Depending on how much time it takes for you to get through TSA, it won\u2019t be long until you begin to encounter more dynamic artwork on your way to your gate area.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re heading through Concourse A, you might hop onto the moving walkway and lean against your suitcase as you take in \u201cCentro De Forma\u00e7\u00e3o\u201d by Sarah Morris, a painted ceramic tile display that stretches along its entire length.<\/p>\n
Each tile bears a quarter-slice of a circle in varying colors and orientations, creating mesmerizing geometric designs together as you move along toward your destination.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re traveling with children, you may be in luck once you reach the end of the walkway: A large display tucked on the side of the concourse doubles as artistic sculpture and a playground fit for running and climbing.<\/p>\n
![\"Bodhi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778593587_360_tfl-l-fll-airport-art-03-050626.jpg\")
Bodhi Suboyu, 4, launches his toy airplane while playing on \u201cCloudscape,\u201d an interactive play area by Volkan Alkanoglu, at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n
Volkan Alkanoglu\u2019s \u201cCloudscape\u201d allows children to explore looping white cloud-shaped structures that can serve as furniture or a jungle gym of sorts.<\/p>\n
Ariel Suboyu, 33, whose young children spent time inside \u201cCloudscape,\u201d said she appreciated the space as her family waited for their departing flight.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey kind of just stumbled on it. I think they loved it, I definitely enjoyed it,\u201d Suboyu said. \u201cI think that it\u2019s something every airport should have. A place for the kids to go play for a bit, because they gotta sit still on the plane for hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for a spot to rest your legs inside the terminal, you may find yourself in Concourse A\u2019s large, daylit lounge area, which sits right beside several of the airport\u2019s restaurants and bars.<\/p>\n
Suspended high above your head in the center of the lounge, you won\u2019t miss Emily White\u2019s \u201cWavelength,\u201d a dazzling display of aluminum slices in a purple, white, and blue color gradient, structured like an ocean wave in motion.<\/p>\n
While those sitting under \u201cWavelength\u201d may feel like they\u2019re looking up from underneath a wave, people looking from afar may believe they\u2019re seeing a whale swimming through the sea.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I see it, it reminds me of the sea, and I see different aspects of it: the deep blue sea, and also the white sky, and the lightness in the sky,\u201d Abraham Perez, a bartender at the nearby La Familia Tacos & Tequila establishment, said. \u201cIt just reminds me that I\u2019m here in Florida, in a beautiful tropical place.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a traveler headed to Concourse C, you\u2019ll get to experience immersive exhibitions inside the Terminal 1 art gallery, which rotate every six months.<\/p>\n
![\"United](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778593588_172_tfl-l-fll-airport-art-02-050626.jpg\")
United flight attendant Lindsey Robinson stops to photograph \u201cNotice,\u201d by Lori Pratico, at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n
Right now, the gallery is home to \u201cNOTICE\u201d by Lori Pratico, an installation that displays the names of over 100 prominent female artists in block letters across the walls.<\/p>\n
The printed names of South Florida artists, like K.G. Lopez and Judy Polstra, stand out from the others in light blue text.<\/p>\n
Four sketches of women and girls printed on translucent orange and purple sheets are suspended in the center of the exhibit.<\/p>\n
Lindsey Robinson, a United Airlines flight attendant waiting to catch her next flight, said the purple color first caught her eye.<\/p>\n
\u201cPurple to me is a symbol of power in life. So I think this is gorgeous. I love how it draws your eye to everything as it flows in, when you look at it,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cWhen I think about a woman\u2019s voice in the world, I love women\u2019s art.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re leaving the airport, you\u2019ll walk out of Terminal 1 under the \u201cWavescape\u201d audio installation across the speckled blue terrazzo floor.<\/p>\n
Under your feet, you\u2019ll notice twisting tree branches, golden leaves, and blooming pink flowers: all part of Davie-based artist Marielle Plaisir\u2019s piece, \u201cA Journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even the Hibiscus Garage is a testament to the reach of public artwork at the airport. The escalators that take travelers through the parking levels of different terminals are surrounded by the colorful, lit metal tubes of Jody Pinto\u2019s \u201cLight Cylinders,\u201d which will keep you shrouded in color whether you\u2019re arriving or leaving Fort Lauderdale on your travels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When you first step off the escalator into Terminal 1 of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, you\u2019ll hear…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":267996,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[506,28,249,251,250,114,266,115,109,1798],"class_list":["post-267995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fort-lauderdale","tag-broward-county","tag-florida","tag-fort-lauderdale","tag-fort-lauderdale-headlines","tag-fort-lauderdale-news","tag-latest-headlines","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-social","tag-transportation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267995"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267995\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\u00e2\u0080\u009cWavelength,\u00e2\u0080\u009d](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-01-050626.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"United](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-02-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Bodhi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-03-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-04-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Travelers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-05-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"\u00e2\u0080\u009cVendor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-06-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Travelers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-07-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"\u00e2\u0080\u009cMangrove](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-08-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Pedestrians](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-09-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"\u00e2\u0080\u009cLight](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-10-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"\u00e2\u0080\u009cSunrise](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-11-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-12-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Elizabeth](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-13-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Pedestrians](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-14-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n![\"Susan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tfl-l-fll-airport-art-15-050626.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n