KINGSTON, Jamaica — The operators of the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) have announced an open call for the Kingston Airport Roundabout Art Monument Project that will transform the recently renovated roundabout into a cultural landmark.

The open call invites Jamaican artists, who are citizens and residents currently living in Jamaica, to create an iconic mural that will welcome visitors to Kingston and leave a lasting impression on departing travellers.

The project features three-dimensional letters spelling ‘KINGSTON’ and ‘NMIA’, standing six feet tall and mounted on a concrete base, which will collectively serve as the canvas for a mural celebrating Kingston’s rich cultural heritage.

“We’re very excited about this art project as it represents more than beautification. It’s about creating a powerful first and last impression of Kingston that captures our city’s vibrant spirit. By commissioning this work from a local artist, we’re further supporting Jamaica’s creative industry while ensuring that our gateway truly reflects authentic Jamaican culture and creativity,” said Sitara English-Byfield, chief executive officer of PAC Kingston Airport Limited (PACKAL), a subsidiary of Grupo Aeroportuario Del Pacífico (GAP).

The selected artist will create a design that showcases Kingston’s distinctive character, from its cultural influence and history of being the birthplace of reggae and dancehall music to its historic architecture and dynamic city life. The mural must capture the essence of Kingston’s cultural landscape while creating an engaging visual experience for the thousands who travel along the Palisadoes corridor daily.

“We have a tradition of incorporating artistic expressions throughout the airport and so it’s only natural that this would extend to our roundabout,” Byfield-English noted as she shared that the roundabout project was started by her predecessor.

Highlighting the high visibility of the monument, she further stated that it was important to engage with the creative community directly and this led to the selection of Kingston Creative as the executing partner for the project.

“This is the final stage of our roundabout renovation project, and we wanted to work with an executing partner that has the relationships with the creative community and, importantly, has the expertise and experience with projects of this nature,” she continued.

“Commissioning a Jamaican artist to create a mural at such an iconic landmark like the kingston airport roundabout fills us with pride. As the gateway to our island, this project will enhance nation branding by showcasing Jamaica’s rich artistic talent to the world. We eagerly invite all visual artists to participate and are excited to see the brilliance of their creativity,” said Andrea Dempster Chung, co-founder and executive director of Kingston Creative.

The open call officially opens Wednesday, February 26, 2025, when the details will be posted on the social pages of both the NMIA Airport and Kingston Creative, as well as on the Kingston Creative website. Entries may be submitted individually or by a team comprised of up to five persons. Artist(s) interested in submitting proposals should prepare full-colour sketches that closely represent their intended final work.

The deadline for submissions is Sunday, March 23, 2025, and shortlisted submissions will be showcased on the NMIA Instagram account. The selected artist/team will be notified by April 14, 2025, with work scheduled to commence shortly after.

The selected artist/team will be required to complete the work within a 14 day period. In addition to the commission, a plaque will be mounted at the monument highlighting the artist. A representation of the work will also be displayed prominently in the airport, showcasing the artist(s) to travellers.