TAMPA INTERNATIONAL JET CENTER
Corporate Art Consultation Case Study
About the Tampa International Jet Center
The Tampa International Jet Center at Tampa International Airport is an $11 million dollar facility featuring a 14,000 sq. ft. terminal area, three storage hangars and a 12,500 sq. ft. canopy for covered aircraft arrivals and departures. As a first-class FBO, Tampa International Jet Center offers a full range of pilot and guest amenities including snooze rooms, high-speed internet access and an exclusive on-site kitchen for catering.
Case Study
When the Tampa International Jet Center chose Michael Murphy Gallery to design its corporate art collection, Michael Murphy began by visiting the building itself. The two-floor Jet Center lobby had plenty of height and air, but not a lot of wall space. Michael Murphy knew the central lobby called for a focal piece that went above and beyond. So, he proposed an alteration his and his client’s initial plan for a more standard collection of two-dimensional art. What the lobby needed was artwork in the air.
The concept began with Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches of flying machines. “We wanted to know what it would look like if we had never learned to fly and tried to create those sketches today using contemporary materials,” Michael Murphy explains. After many conversations with the client, he proposed a series of “flying machines” that would be suspended from the ceiling. It was a bold concept, but it made perfect sense with the lobby’s multistory design and the purpose of the Tampa International Jet Center.
The above working drawings were created to present the concept to the client. It was a leap of faith for the client to choose the more expensive custom sculptures. However, Michael Murphy’s personal and collaborative consulting process had built the trust needed to make the decision. The Tampa International Jet Center approved the sculptures. The working drawings were even framed and displayed as part of the corporate art collection.
The final installation, handmade by a Michael Murphy Gallery artist, is a series of three sculptures that give form to the evolution of flight. The first piece is an aircraft reminiscent of da Vinci’s design, made of wood, canvas, and lashing. It is followed by an intermediary, geometric craft made with metal and visible rivets. The series ends with a sleek and modern spaceship. The sculptures were specially engineered to hang from the lobby ceiling, soaring over the lobby floor’s mosaic of a map of the world. Truly three-dimensional, the tops of the fully finished machines are visible from the second floor of the lobby.
The stunning and inventive sculptures brought the lobby to life. With complementary artwork selected for the rest of the building, the resulting corporate art collection elevates the Tampa International Jet Center to the first-class facility it is today.
Other art consultants may draw from a single catalogue of poster-like art for all their clients. Michael Murphy Gallery takes pride in a completely custom art consultation process. From responding to and designing for the corporate space to collaboratively generating and bringing to life out-of-the-box concepts, every step of the consultation centers on our client.