Metro Expo Line, Phase 2
Metro Expo Line: Phase 2 – Seven New Rail Stations
Artists are invited to submit qualifications for exciting art opportunities at seven future Metro Rail stations in Los Angeles County. One artist will be selected for each station. These are ideal opportunities for both emerging and established artists with a background in two-dimensional media and an interest in public art. Prior public art experience is not a requirement.
For more information, Download the Call to Artists.
Deadline: Monday, July 2, 2012
Metro Expo Line: Phase 2 – Iconic Sculpture Opportunity
Artists are invited to submit qualifications for a major art opportunity at the forthcoming Metro Rail terminus station in Santa Monica. This is a prime opportunity for artists with significant experience in public art to create a sculptural artwork in a highly prominent station location.
For more information, Download the Call to Artists.
Deadline: Monday, July 9, 2012
Categories: Metro Art
[…] allocates one half of one percent of project construction costs for art and the agency is already seeking artists for the Expo Line extension to Santa Monica. · Expo Line’s Culver City, Farmdale […]
[…] allocates one half of one percent of project construction costs for art and the agency is already seeking artists for the Expo Line extension to Santa Monica. · Expo Line’s Culver City, Farmdale […]
So, Diane, are you in favor of art as part of Metro projects, or no?
Do you don’t like the are that is there? Isn’t that likely to happen with any art?
About the Gold Line Bridge: “The original concept for the bridge design was envisioned by internationally-recognized and award-winning artist Andrew Leicester, selected to be the project’s Design Concept Advisor following a competitive, international search.” So, there was a competitive search and the artist draws insipration from the native culture. These are bad things? BTW, the higher resoultion pictures show the baskets better and the theme is carried in the cross member. Wait and see if it is not better than the picture.
The Gold Line Mission Station in South Pasadena got stuck with one giant hollow man statue, which is pathetic considering the number of artists living in the community. Metro also outsourced it’s public art to England when they chose a Brit to design the Gold Line 210 freeway crossover – San Gabriel Valley art ,which is supposed to represent Native American woven baskets but looks more like a couple of golf balls. Why can’t the Metro find some Native American artists and give them the opportunity to create real Native American art?
Get the priorities straight first. Art can be added later when they make money.
It’s like spending millions for the Mona Lisa when you are receiving welfare and wondering why you’re never getting out of debt.
Frank M. Don’t like art? Then you would love our soul-crushing Muni Metro and BART stations under Market St.
“It would take the entire art budget to add one retail space for station that’s if their is space for one.”
Right, a newspaper stand costs a million bucks.
The Filmore Station on the Gold Line is very plain and jambed functionally onto the right of way. The ‘art’ for the station is very functional. There are brass steamer chests that act as seating. Hopefully you can see them in this view:
http://maps.google.com/?ll=34.133352,-118.139935&spn=0.000036,0.013711&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=34.133358,-118.148111&cbp=12,0,,0,0&photoid=po-1934658
And at the Southwest Station, the artwork again has seating and the shades that are made to resemble palm trees. Functional are is great
http://maps.google.com/?ll=34.100505,-118.20685&spn=0.000018,0.006856&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=34.098346,-118.206855&panoid=IDjhsSJVdZnt8T8Bof89rA&cbp=12,166.34,,0,0.08
Many local governments mandate that 1% of project cost go to public art.
http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2012/05/30/26712/public-art/
I find the majority of art on Expo Line to be nice to look at while waiting for a train and provides a decent sense of place and overall more refined than the superfluous Gold Line station design that incorporate art.
@Frank M:
1) Major capital improvements are required by law to spend 1% of their budget on public art. That’s why there’s almost always public art in corporate plazas throughout the city.
2) That amount of money is not as much as you seem to think it is. It’s really a drop in the bucket compared to the budget as a whole.
3) Even if Metro didn’t install public art the agency still wouldn’t be in the black.
4) If the stations had no public art they would probably become cold, uniform, and uninviting environments. Inhospitable, unidentifiable stations are no way to encourage ridership.
5) Most major metro systems in the world, including some of ones you love to rave about in Asia, include public art as part of their station design.
@Frank M. In reality, $1.5 million is not really that much money if you split it among the 10 million inhabitants of LA County. I personally would like more pleasant stations than soul-crushing ones–especially since train stations are permanent infrastructure (or are supposed to be). For perspective, check out the new column in the LA Times that describes the Artesia station in Compton, which basically has no art and is so difficult to enter/exit that people often walk on train tracks to access it. If you’re going to get upset about government overspending, art at train stations seems a weird target.
It would take the entire art budget to add one retail space for station that’s if their is space for one.
Plus some of us do enjoy the artwork are tax money is bringing to our rail stations and don’t take much heed to the fact it brings no revenue.
“The art budget will range from approximately $130,000 to $230,000 per station.”
At 7 stations, that’s $910,000 to $1.61 million on something that brings zero revenue and cost money to maintain.
You’d think a cash strapped agency like Metro would use that money to prioritize something constructive like add in retail spaces or better signage before putting up art.
But no, let’s waste it on art first, scratch our heads why we’re still in the red, and ask taxpayers for more money. You want million dollar art, add it later when you guys start making profit. There are a lot more important things that need to be done first with that money.
Government = Wasting tax dollars.