The “Gotta Go” exhibit at Jacksonville International (JAX) was honored recently as one of the top public arts projects in the U.S. for 2008.

Americans for the Arts, a national arts organization, bestowed the honor at its annual conference in Seattle, Wash.

"As Jacksonville’s Year in Review selection illustrates, public art enhances our lives like nothing else can." says Robert Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. "Whether subtly beautiful or vibrantly jolting, its power lies in the singular ability to make citizens stop, think, and appreciate an artistic moment, no matter how brief."   

The Jacksonville International Airports Commission commissioned Gordon Huether of Napa, Calif., to produce the exhibit for the recently completed Concourses A and C at the airport.

 “Through the use of monumental imagery and utilizing the kinetic, color shifting properties of dichroic acrylic, we’ve created ‘Gotta Go,’ an art piece full of constant discovery for travelers who use Jacksonville International 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.’”
 
There are 11 pieces of large-scale, permanent art throughout JAX; “The River” by Peter Hite was also honored in 2006.