A big-time trio will soon be making their debut at TPA, with three massive starfish sculptures moving into the Main Terminal as part of the Airport’s newest public art installation.

Renowned visual artist Claudia Comte’s “Starfish Family | Dancing Algae” has recently been installed in its permanent home in the future Airside D shuttle lobby near the Red Express Curbsides area on Level 3.

“Tampa International Airport has been working for years to bring to life this fantastic installation from a world-class artist,” said Airport Marketing Manager Kelly Figley, who oversees TPA’s public art program. “When Airside D is completed, this is going to be the first thing travelers see when they enter the Main Terminal from the shuttle stations.”

The artwork consists of three massive starfish carved from Italian Carrara marble, placed in front of a black and white wall painting representing the constant movement of waves and algae. Comte, who traveled to TPA to oversee the initial installation work earlier this month, said she’s excited about the contrast that the smooth white marble sculptures and graphic mural will create.

“Optically, I think it’s going to be very strong,” she said. “I’m hoping for the passerby, for the visitors, the people of the Airport to really experience some kind of stillness with the starfish and movement with the wall painting.”

Each starfish started as a wooden shape that Comte created with a chainsaw and then had sculpted from marble blocks. She revealed that the starfish family already has names – Sam, Kai and Leo – after her own partner and two young sons. Sam, the largest of the three, weighs about 3,000 pounds.

The future Airside D shuttle lobby and Red Express Curbsides are part of a major Main Terminal expansion that will be finished later this summer.

The Red Express Curbsides will mirror the award-winning Blue Express Curbsides experience on the Main Terminal’s south side, allowing travelers who don’t need to access the Baggage Claim or Ticketing levels quick and easy access to and from the Airsides.

Airside D, meanwhile, broke ground in December and is scheduled to open to the public in 2028 and connect to the shuttle lobby that is finishing construction now. For more information about the new airside terminal, go to AirsideD.com or sign up for our monthly Ascend with TPA newsletter.

All that continuing construction means the starfish family is currently out of public view, but will be a hands-on installation when the space opens to Airport guests in a few months.

Comte said she can’t wait to see how travelers interact with the artwork once they can get up close.

“Usually people really like to engage with my work,” Comte said. “They probably will use it as a background to take selfies, to touch the starfish. I’m hoping people will sit or lay down on the sculptures as well.”

Learn more about the artist and how she created her new work in the video below:

Click on an image below to enlarge or download it:

Tampa International Airport visitors may notice a new splash of color at a freshly installed Florida Watercolor Society exhibit, which is part of the organization's 50^th anniversary celebration.

A collection of watercolors by Florida artists went on display in mid-December and will remain hanging in the airport gallery between the Main Terminal and Marriott hotel through the end of March.

“It’s exciting to think about the number of people who can see it,” said Florida Watercolor Society director of operations and past-president Kathy Durdin. 

“This isn’t your grandmother’s watercolor. These are very serious artists who are doing very fun and exciting things with watercolor.”

Each of the 27 paintings was selected from past exhibitions and many were award winners.

“We only accept 100 paintings from all of the artists in the state of Florida,” said Durdin.  “It’s a very prestigious exhibit.”

The watercolors span a wide variety of themes and painting techniques but many showcase Florida’s unique beauty.

“We have so much that says Florida but it’s not just a bunch of palm fronds," said Durdin.  

From Suzanne Natzke’s “Safe!” which captures the anticipation and excitement of a Tampa Bay Rays game, to Roberta Oliver’s “School’s Out” which shows family fun on the water, the vivid colors of the Sunshine State are evident throughout.

“Some of these will make you smile. They’ll take your mind somewhere other than your troubles and the colors might even make you happy.”

The exhibit is open to the public through April 1 and is free, including the first hour of parking.

For more information, visit the website floridawatercolorsociety.org or contact Kathy Durdin at KathyDurdin@gmail.com.

With glue, weathered rocks, broken basalt and sand, Elva creates a distinct artwork, exempt from replication. She practices collography, adding ink or pigment to her collages to finish the pieces.

Elva says she has always been inspired by nature and how it reforms itself.

“My most profound memory of my childhood was the feeling of being free outside in nature by the seashore, climbing mountains or just being out in the nature and feeling its power,” Elva said.

By partnering with Icelandair, which began nonstop Reykjavik service at TPA in September 2017, and the Tampa Bay Business for Culture and the Arts, the Airport brought this unique artist to the region. After traveling 3,612 miles from Iceland to Tampa, 21 of Elva’s pieces now hang in the Airport gallery, giving passengers the chance to experience the small country’s brilliant nature.

The artist hopes that her exhibit in Tampa will encourage travelers to visit Iceland and make a connection with the landscapes beyond the frames.

The exhibit will be in the Airport Gallery between the Main Terminal and the Airport Marriott until Summer 2019.