International travelers passing through Washington Dulles International Airport will receive a warm welcome thanks to local students.  A dedication ceremony for the “Hello and Welcome” art exhibit, located in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection area in Concourse C, took place June 10 with over 100 students from 9 schools from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia gathering at Dulles to view the art they created. 

Artist in residence Catherine Judge taught local students the art of portraiture for the “Hello and Welcome” project, which was designed by Michael McBride. With the help of Ms. Judge, the students drew self-portraits that were compiled along with words of welcome in several languages into a public art project that will greet international passengers upon arrival to the airport.  Pastels and colored paper were the media for the original portraits.  The images were then fabricated in porcelain enamel, and 18 of the 40 panels were backlit using LED lights to make the colors pop. A plaque includes the names of each student artist so their work may be admired for years to come.

“We are very privileged to be celebrating our first permanent art display at  the International Arrivals Hall at Dulles Airport,” said Lynn Hampton, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority President and CEO.  “The faces of children from the Washington area will now be welcoming people to the United States.”

Participants in the project were invited to Dulles to see their work on display and photograph the final product.  After viewing “Hello and Welcome,” the student artists and teachers enjoyed a reception and dedication ceremony to celebrate the opening of the exhibit.

The project features artwork by over 180 students in grades K through 12 from these participating schools: 

Mountain View Elementary School, Purcellville, VA
Shepherd Elementary School, Washington D.C.
Phelps High School, Washington D.C.
Washington Very Special Arts, Washington D.C.
Carl Sandburg Middle School, Alexandria, VA
Charles Carroll Middle School, New Carrollton, MD
Sterling Middle School, Sterling, VA
Holmes Middle School, Alexandria, VA
Stone Bridge High School, Ashburn, VA
Waples Mill Elementary School, Oakton, VA

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is committed to the arts by offering live performances, gallery exhibits and public art displays as a part of its Airport Arts Program.  As a way to welcome visitors, the Arts Program features regional, national and international artists.  In addition to “Hello and Welcome,” three other permanent art displays are in development for Dulles Airport.  Lens sculptures by Philadelphia artist Ray King will soon light up the Baggage Claim area, a sculpture by Alice Aycock is coming soon to the Primary Inspection Hall and Mikyoung Kim’s wall sculpture representing global and local time will brighten the exit of the International Arrivals Building later this year. 

For more information about the Airports Authority Arts Program, please visithttp://www.mwaa.com/dulles/3680.htm

###