Napa, Calif., artist Gordon Huether’s Gotta Go, created for the Jacksonville International Airport, was selected as one of the 40 best public art works in the United States, including projects from 32 cities in 15 states that were recognized at the 2009 Americans for the Arts annual convention held in Seattle, June 18-20. The works were chosen from more than 300 entries across the country.

Two new concourses were recently constructed at Jacksonville International Airport. Huether was chosen to address the large arched windows at either end of each concourse. He created an illusion of a male traveler on one end of the concourse and a female traveler on the other end, both walking across the tarmac. The travelers are monumental, vibrant and animated, standing more than 35 feet tall. The figures are rendered in environmentally-friendly High Definition Thermal Encapsulated film. Each traveler carries a travel bag that has a map of the immediate Jacksonville area on the bag. This area has an intense color zone of dichroic coating, which fluctuates in color from red to blue to yellow, depending on the time of day and angle of viewing.

“Through the use of monumental imagery and utilizing the kinetic, color-shifting properties of dichroic glass, we’ve created Gotta Go, an art piece full of constant discovery for travelers who use the Jacksonville airport on a regular basis, ” says Huether. “This installation enhances Jacksonville’s reputation as a city where culture and the arts are vibrant and alive, where people Gotta Go.”