TAMPA, Fla. — It's big, it's pink and it's about as Florida as you can get.
We're talking about the much-anticipated giant flamingo coming to Tampa International Airport.
The 21-foot art piece titled "HOME" is a floor-to-ceiling resin and fiberglass sculpture of a flamingo dipping its head into the water by artist Matthew Mazzotta. It's set to be installed near the airport's Shoppes at Bayshore.
Plans for the sculpture's installation were first announced in March 2020 along with six other pieces as part of the airport's public art program. The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board selected the pieces from 734 local and international submissions.
The other pieces, which were installed in 2021, include:
- A hanging ladder sculpture by Aaron T Stephan of Portland, Maine
- A mural of local flora and fauna by Jason Middlebrook of Hudson, New York
- A mural of landscape photos laser-etched onto anodized aluminum panels by Catherine Wagner of Oakland, California
- Cove, a translucent, moving mobile inspired by a coral reef by Jason Hackenwerth a St. Pete-based artist and professor at Eckerd College
- A reflective and translucent sculpture by Soo Sunny Park of Hanover, New Hampshire.
“I think we will find that HOME is aptly named as it will evoke a sense of place for those that experience the artwork,” Robin Nigh, the City of Tampa’s Manager of Arts and Cultural Affairs, and a member of TPA’s Public Art Committee said in March 2020.
“The artwork should provide a visual respite; a sense of home for returning travelers and a sense of arrival for visitors. 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.”
After facing several delays, airport officials announced last year that HOME was set to be completed by Spring 2022.
The airport was set to share a "major flamingo update" at 11:30 Tuesday morning, but had to postpone due to "transportation-related issues."