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 will greet travelers with fluid color and form. Titled The River, 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 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.
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, 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
Relevant posts
