--- title: "Commissioned: Gordon Huether’s River selected for Des Moines Airport" description: "Gordon Huether's \"The River\" transforms Des Moines airport's terminal into a meditative space, reflecting Iowa's waterways with fluid, dynamic art." image: https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hubfs/the-river-gordon-huether-2025-1.jpeg --- [![Logo-CODAworx](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo-CODAworx.png?width=82&height=45&name=Logo-CODAworx.png "Logo-CODAworx")](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine) [CODAworx Home](https://codaworx.com) # Commissioned: Gordon Huether’s River selected for Des Moines Airport [By Yasmin Spiro](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/author/yasmin-spiro) 1 min read Jul 1, 2025 ##### Share - - - - [mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/suspended-beauty-gordon-huethers-river-lands-in-des-moines&body=Check%20out%20https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/suspended-beauty-gordon-huethers-river-lands-in-des-moines&media=https://5964602.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/5964602/the-river-gordon-huether-2025-1.jpeg](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/suspended-beauty-gordon-huethers-river-lands-in-des-moines&body=Check%20out%20https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/suspended-beauty-gordon-huethers-river-lands-in-des-moines&media=https://5964602.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/5964602/the-river-gordon-huether-2025-1.jpeg) ##### **A River of Light Welcomes Travelers at the New Des Moines International Terminal** At the soon-to-open terminal for Des Moines International Airport, a dramatic new suspended artwork by [Gordon Huether](https://www.codaworx.com/profile/gordon-huether)will greet travelers with fluid color and form. Titled [*The River*,](https://gordonhuether.com/news/des-moines-international-airport/) the 80-foot-long installation will anchor the meeter-greeter area of the terminal’s second floor, inviting a moment of reflection and orientation within the rhythms of air travel. Made from printed fabric stretched over curved aluminum tubing, *The River* draws from the movement and topography of Iowa’s waterways. Suspended above the public gathering space, its jewel-toned blues and greens shift with the light, creating a sculptural echo of the river systems that define the region’s landscape. The installation transforms the ceiling into a dynamic overhead terrain—part meditative canopy, part architectural intervention. The work was selected by the [Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation](https://dsmpublicartfoundation.org/) and the Des Moines Airport Authority, with support from a $4 million fundraising effort completed in 2024. The site is named in honor of the Thomas and Linda Koehn Foundation, and the terminal is scheduled to open in 2027. ![the-river-gordon-huether-2025](https://5964602.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/5964602/hubfs/the-river-gordon-huether-2025.jpeg?width=1200&length=1200&name=the-river-gordon-huether-2025.jpeg) *The River* transforms the overhead space into a meditative, dynamic environment that reflects an interpretation of Iowa’s natural landscape and creates a welcoming atmosphere for travelers. Based in Napa, CA, Huether is known for ambitious, architecturally integrated public art installations. Earlier this year, he was named the nation’s top public artist by CODAworx, following decades of projects including his long-running commission at Salt Lake City International Airport. “Working with great commissions like this gives me the joy of helping to inspire the spirit of humanity,” Huether said, “by bringing beauty and meaning into the world through art.” [As airports increasingly embrace public art as part of the passenger experience](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/lauren-karp-commissioned-for-jfk-airport-public-art-program), *The River* sets a tone of calm, movement, and place, bridging local landscape with global transit. **Do you have news, stories, or projects to share?** We’d love to hear from you—reach out to [editor@codaworks.com](mailto:editor@codaworks.com) [Back to List](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine) [Next Article](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/art-as-catalyst-how-artprize-transformed-grand-rapids) ### More from CODAzine [![](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-09-17%20at%2012.44.45%20PM.png)](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/miguel-edwards) [Miguel Edwards debuts ArtistBuilt.studio, a modular toolset for artists](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/miguel-edwards) 17 Sep, 2026 [![](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-09-17%20at%2012.45.03%20PM.png)](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/grounded-and-expansive-a-closer-look-at-sculptor-karen-yanks-monumental-work) [Grounded and Expansive: A Closer Look at Sculptor Karen Yank’s Monumental Work](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/grounded-and-expansive-a-closer-look-at-sculptor-karen-yanks-monumental-work) 17 Sep, 2026 [![](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hubfs/M.O.D.%20Photography%20-%20Event%20-%20Codaworx%202022%20Summit%20-%20Photography%20Coverage_-59.jpg)](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/spotlight-meet-codasummit-attendees) [Spotlight: Meet CODAsummit Attendees](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/spotlight-meet-codasummit-attendees) 17 Sep, 2026 ## Subscribe to CODAzine ### Relevant posts [![CODAzine](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e)](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/author/codazine) [Miguel Edwards debuts ArtistBuilt.studio, a modular toolset for artists](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/miguel-edwards) 17 Sep, 2026 [![CODAzine](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e)](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/author/codazine) [Grounded and Expansive: A Closer Look at Sculptor Karen Yank’s Monumental Work](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/grounded-and-expansive-a-closer-look-at-sculptor-karen-yanks-monumental-work) 17 Sep, 2026 [![CODAzine](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e)](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/author/codazine) [Spotlight: Meet CODAsummit Attendees](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/spotlight-meet-codasummit-attendees) 17 Sep, 2026 ### Get data and insights from CODAreview [Order now](https://www.codaworx.com/codareview) ## Related Posts [![Public Art Underfoot: A Picture Plane People Can Enter](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cellImage_1544215118_5.jpg?width=900&name=cellImage_1544215118_5.jpg)](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/jason-hoelscher-studio-public-art-underfoot-a-picture-plane-people-can-enter) ###### [CODAsummit](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/tag/codasummit) ##### [Public Art Underfoot: A Picture Plane People Can Enter](https://knowledge.codaworx.com/codazine/jason-hoelscher-studio-public-art-underfoot-a-picture-plane-people-can-enter) Sep 8, 2026 1 min read Reorienting an image from a wall plane to a terrazzo floor changes everything:. 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