Even in the middle of one of the busiest airports in the country, there’s a call for peace — and this time, it’s coming through art.
The Broward County Aviation Department, in partnership with the Broward Cultural Division’s Public Art & Design Program, is inviting professional South Florida artists to design an immersive sensory room inside Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) — Florida’s second-busiest airport and the 18th busiest in the U.S.
Think of it as a sanctuary in motion — a place where travelers of all abilities can catch their breath amid the constant takeoffs and landings. The project’s mission is beautifully simple: to create a space that offers calm and comfort for children and adults with sensory-processing challenges, proving that even a packed airport can be A Place for People.
Centering Accessibility and Black Creativity
This call for artists isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about accessibility, inclusion, and the kind of emotional intelligence that great public art requires. In a region as culturally rich and creatively charged as South Florida, the opportunity arrives at the perfect time. The area’s Black artists have long used color, texture, and sound to create grounding spaces in the middle of chaos.
A sensory room designed through that lens — blending artistry with empathy — could become a defining example of what happens when local artists are trusted to shape how people feel in public spaces.
The Opportunity
- Application Deadline: Sunday, November 16, 2025
- Artist Selection: December 2025
- Artwork Completion: July 2026
- Budget: $70,000 + $1,000 stipend
Artists are encouraged to think holistically — merging visual design, materials, sound, and even scent — to create an environment that soothes rather than overstimulates. Whether through soft lighting, interactive textures, or murals inspired by nature and culture, the space will serve as both an oasis and a statement: accessibility can be art, too.
Why It Matters
For families traveling with neurodivergent children, for elders navigating airports that feel too loud, and for weary travelers of every kind, this sensory room is more than a design project — it’s a radical act of care.
And if you know anything about the South Florida creative scene, you know that care has always been its artform. Between Art Basel and murals that double as history lessons, the region’s artists know how to make space feel sacred.
Interested artists can learn more and apply through the Broward Cultural Division’s Public Art & Design Program.
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