McKinney airport seeks Texas artists for new terminal murals

McKinney National Airport is asking Texas artists to help define the look of its new passenger terminal, with two murals planned for the baggage-claim wall and the exterior screening wall as construction heads toward late-2026 completion. The city says the artwork should reflect a “heritage modern” McKinney, pairing the city’s history, landmarks and culture with a cleaner contemporary style for travelers arriving through the new terminal.

The call for artists is open to applicants 18 and older, and each artist may submit up to two concepts. A committee made up of members of the McKinney Arts Commission and McKinney National Airport will choose 10 finalists, and each finalist will receive a $500 stipend to develop maquettes. Completed artwork is due June 5, with applications due May 19 and finalists notified by May 26.

City rules make clear that the murals must be original, appropriate for a community space and free of logos or advertising. Sketches and incomplete designs are not eligible, and fully AI-generated work will not be accepted. The city says AI may be used only as a supportive tool if the final entry is clearly the artist’s own work. The selected mural will become City of McKinney property once completed, and the artist will be responsible for all costs tied to preparing and delivering the artwork. Airport staff will prime and prepare the walls for painting.

The project is one piece of a much larger airport buildout that city officials say is on schedule for late 2026. McKinney National Airport says the new terminal will open as a four-gate facility with room to expand to six gates. WFAA reported the building is about 47,000 square feet and will initially open with four gates, with Avelo Airlines set to be the first carrier and two airlines expected at opening.

McKinney leaders have cast the terminal as more than a transportation project. City materials say the airport has operated for more than 40 years and generated more than $299 million annually for McKinney and the surrounding region, with total annual economic output expected to rise above $700 million after commercial service begins. The city also says McKinney has more than 225,000 residents and Collin County about 1.2 million, underscoring how far the airport’s visual identity could travel. City officials broke ground on the $79 million commercial passenger terminal on July 18, 2025, and the mural call now gives residents a first look at how McKinney wants that gateway to represent itself.