Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Approves Art Concept

Triangle Area Sister Cities to commission piece for Terminal 2

RDU Airport, NC – At its meeting on July 15, the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority board approved the concept for a piece of artwork to be commissioned by Triangle Area Sister Cities (TASC). Chapel Hill artist Jane Filer will create the piece, Friendly Folks, which will be placed in the international arrivals baggage claim in Terminal 2.

TASC created the Triangle Area Sister Cities Airport Art Project to identify an artist and complete work on the project.

“The Triangle Area Sister Cities is dedicated to emphasizing the importance of international relationships,” said Ronnie Lilley, project manager for TASC. “The Research Triangle Region exemplifies a sense of being part of a worldwide economy and community with shared ideas and values. What better place to promote this message than at the airport, which welcomes visitors from all over the world.”

The piece depicts a row of happy figures in vivid colors which go from bright yellows to shades of green and blue. Birds and flowers representative of North Carolina will be scattered throughout the piece. Buildings representative of various cultures appear behind the figures.

The piece will extend 40 ft. along the north wall in the international arrivals bag claim area.

Filer's piece was chosen by a 19-member panel of representatives from the local TASC chapters, city officials and the Airport Authority.

“Over the years the Airport Authority has greatly expanded its art program to enhance and enrich the experience of the traveling public at RDU,” said Teresa Damiano, marketing director for the Airport Authority. “This work commissioned by the Triangle Area Sister Cities is a welcomed gift to our travelers and will be a great addition to RDU's art program.”

Filer's work is featured in corporate, commercial and private sectors across the United States, Europe and Asia.

Airport Authority Releases June Numbers
At last week's meeting, the Airport Authority also released its passenger and cargo numbers for June. Throughout the month, the number of passengers traveling through RDU was up slightly to 821,489 compared to 815,077 during the same month last year. In the first six months of the year, 4,311,081 travelers used RDU compared to 4,293,820 in the first six months of 2009.

The amount of cargo passing through RDU also continued to rise compared to 2009. In June, 16,935,415 pounds of cargo passed through RDU compared to 14,659,787 pounds in June 2009. In the first six months of this year, 96,802,888 pounds of cargo have been processed through RDU compared to 86,103,867 pounds during the same period last year.

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