Dépêches

Odebrecht, American Airlines and Miami-Dade County Unveil Historic JFK Airport Murals at MIA

Dépèche transmise le 25 juin 2009 par Business Wire

Odebrecht, American Airlines and Miami-Dade County Unveil Historic JFK Airport Murals at MIA

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, along with American Airlines and Miami-Dade County today will unveil the iconic Carybé murals at Miami International Airport’s (MIA) South Terminal, where they will be permanently displayed. These important works of art associated with U.S. aviation and created by the renowned Brazilian artist had adorned the American Airlines terminal at JFK International Airport since 1960.

In 1959, Carybé won first and second prizes for the murals in a competition aimed at bringing public art to JFK Airport. The murals ran the risk of being destroyed when the terminal at JFK was slated for demolition in 2007. Odebrecht invested in the preservation of the murals, including removing, restoring, transporting and re-installing them in Miami.

An agreement signed in June 2008 transferred ownership of the Carybé murals from American Airlines to Miami-Dade County and was approved by Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, County Manager George Burgess, Aviation Department Director José Abreu, American Airlines Senior Vice President Peter J. Dolara and Odebrecht USA CEO Gilberto Neves.

“Odebrecht is proud to see this special project come to completion. Thanks to our partnership with Miami-Dade County and American Airlines, and our commitment to building communities, MIA is now home to two great pieces of art that serve as a legacy honoring all who have journeyed throughout the Americas,” said Gilberto Neves, CEO of Odebrecht in the USA.

The two murals, “Rejoicing and Festival of the Americas” and “The Discovery and Settlement of the West”, are considered two of the most important works of art on display at U.S. airports. Each measures 16 ½ ft. x 53 ft. and depicts scenes of festivals and pioneer life in the Americas.

“Carybé’s artwork mirrors our community’s diversity and vibrant lifestyle. Miami International Airport, which welcomes thousands of worldwide travelers daily, is the ideal place to showcase this masterpiece,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez.

“We feel extremely honored and privileged to receive these art treasures from American Airlines and Odebrecht,” said Miami-Dade Aviation Director José Abreu. “As the Gateway of the Americas, MIA is the perfect place for Carybé’s murals, and we look forward to being their home for generations to come.”

Odebrecht USA, through its Joint Venture, completed construction of MIA’s South Terminal and is currently building the airport’s North Terminal, which will serve American Airlines and its oneworld alliance partners. Odebrecht is also constructing the MIA Mover, which will connect the airport to the adjacent Miami Intermodal Center.

“We are very excited to have been a part of the team that enabled these iconic works of art to be housed at MIA,” said Peter J. Dolara, American Airlines Senior Vice President. “Visitors traveling through the terminal will be able to appreciate the significance of these murals and take with them a little piece of aviation history.”

For additional information, please visit www.CarybeAtMIA.com.

About the Artist

Carybé was born Hector Julio Páride Bernabó in the Argentine city of Lanús in 1911, the son of an Italian father and a Brazilian mother. After spending much of his early childhood in Italy, he moved to Brazil in 1919, where he became a naturalized Brazilian citizen and was one of the country’s most beloved artists until his death in 1997. He studied art at the National Fine Arts School in Rio de Janeiro between 1927 and 1929, where he was inspired by the works of such international artists as Pablo Picasso and Diego Rivera. Having settled in Bahia in 1950, his works are permeated with the region’s vibrant colors, multi-ethnic culture and mystic religious traditions.

Throughout his career, Carybé’s art was expressed through a variety of media, including paintings, engravings, illustrations, wood carvings, mosaics and murals, allowing him to complete more than 5,000 works of art and making him one of Latin America’s most versatile artists. He illustrated the literary works of such world-renowned writers as Jorge Amado, Mário de Andrade, Gabriel García Márquez and Pierre Verger, and created set designs for cinema. His works have been exhibited throughout Brazil, as well as in New York, London, Liverpool, Venice, and Buenos Aires.

Editor’s Note: Images of the Carybé murals are available for download at

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B-roll of the removal, restoration, transportation and installation is also available upon request.

Captions are in the Notepad document. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Herrera at (305) 347-4338 or jennifer.herrera@bm.com