TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Every airport across the nation has its own landmark.

For example, Sacramento International Airport has a giant red rabbit leaping over baggage claim terminals and Denver International Airport has a 32-foot blue mustang which stands outside near the airport’s main entrance.

Now, Tampa International Airport is getting an iconic centerpiece of its own. A 21-foot pink flamingo.

The piece of art will be located in the main terminal, near the Shoppes at Bayshore, as visitors pass through.

The sculpture is one of seven new art commissions approved by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board on Thursday as part of a public art program designed to enhance and beautify TPA’s new facilities.

HOME by Matthew Mazzotta is a floor-to-ceiling sculpture that depicts a hand-sculptured resin and fiberglass flamingo as it dips its head beneath the water.

“The artwork should provide a visual respite; a sense of home for returning travelers and a sense of arrival for visitors,” said Robin Nigh, the City of Tampa’s Manager of Arts and Cultural Affairs. “It is unique, quiet, beautiful, kitsch and fun all at once. HOME will carry the meaning of what individuals bring to it, very much like one’s ‘real’ home.”

The seven art commissions approved were selected from 734 total respondents, including many local, national and international artists. Select artists were then shortlisted and invited to submit a proposal for a specific location.

“Every airport has terminals, seating, gates and travelers – and every airport functions as a gateway,” said Executive Vice President of Marketing Chris Minner. “But how this initial experience happens – how it feels during those welcomes and goodbyes – is what elevates our shared experience and invites our travelers to become true representatives of our region.”

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