Calling All Hoosiers: Vote to Make IND #1 in Art
USA TODAY's Best Airport for Art contest underway, voting through Oct. 7
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 10, 2026) — The Indianapolis International Airport (IND) is calling on all Hoosiers to take IND to the number-one spot in the annual USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards “Best Airport for Art” contest. Voting kicked off Monday and will run through Oct. 7, 2026.
Last year, the Indy airport narrowly missed the top spot, coming in second among more than 20 mostly large-hub airports throughout the country. The Best Airport for Art nominees are selected by a panel of editors and travel industry experts who look for airports whose public art programs stand out for creativity, scale and the overall traveler experience. The public then votes once per day for their favorite nominee airport until polls close, and a top-ranked airport emerges.
Indianapolis Airport Authority Executive Director Mario Rodriguez said airport staff are hoping Hoosiers will cast the votes needed to put IND at the top for 2026.
“With more than 10 million people visiting the Indy airport annually, we’ve become the largest public art gallery in the city by way of visitors and exposure,” said Rodriguez. “And that means a lot even beyond the airport staff – it means a lot to the nearly 100 local and Indy-connected artists whose creative talents are on display in the terminal currently.”
Indy airport data shows that 80 percent of travelers notice the art in the terminal, 89 percent find it an aesthetically pleasing addition to the airport, and 69 percent say it positively impacted their travel experience through IND. In addition, 50 percent of airport guests surveyed say they are more likely to visit a local cultural institution after seeing it at the Indy airport.
Each step of the traveler journey through the airport terminal includes local arts and culture, with temporary display cases located pre- and post-security in the terminal, a dedicated gallery space in Concourse A, large-scale murals on construction walls, live music and dance performances in Civic Plaza, video art as travelers head down to Baggage Claim and more.
“We were so close last year to reaching number one,” said Chyanna Outlaw, IAA arts program specialist. “Winning the top spot this year would not only put the airport and artists in the spotlight, but it gives our local creative economy some excellent national exposure.”
The IAA partners with the Indy Arts Council to reach local artists and curate interesting and thought-provoking exhibits for the airport’s public arts program each year. The Indy airport’s arts and culture program invested nearly $114,000 in the local creative economy in 2025.
In recent years, the airport has expanded the art program to include partnerships with local groups like The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, WEPArt! Colectivo, Indiana Repertory Theatre, the International Violin Competition, and the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities.
Rodriguez is asking all Hoosiers from every corner of the state to please vote today and every day through the duration of the contest, and to “ask your friends, families, neighbors and coworkers to click that button for the Indianapolis International Airport.”
VOTE ONCE PER DAY THROUGH OCTOBER 7
https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/indianapolis-international-airport-ind-indianapolis-indiana/
For more about the Indy airport’s arts and culture program, click here.