Olympic/26th Street Station artwork concept proposal by Constance Mallinson.
The Expo Line Construction Authority Board this afternoon authorized the CEO to issue art program contracts with eight highly-qualified and well-regarded artists, selected by panels of arts professionals and community members.
Selected artists include: Shizu Saldamando, Abel Alejandre, Susan Logoreci, Nzuji de Magalhaes, Constance Mallinson, Carmen Argote, Judithe Hernandez and Walter Hood. The artists were selected from a pool of over 400 submittals. Artworks will be included at each of the new rail stations currently under construction. More to follow as the artwork designs progress.
Interested in art opportunities with Metro? Visit metro.net/art and click on “Artist Opportunities” to download the latest Call to Artists for projects at El Monte Station.
Categories: Inside Metro, Metro Art
The only reason why the Art in the new stations does not work, is related to the fact that MTA has taken a micromanagement approach of the program. Artists are not creators of the artwork, they are just designers and paid about a 15% fee (of the allocated funds) to create a concept, in an area that is ben designated by the current burrocrats/”Art Planners” who do not have talent and vision to make great art. Look at the earlier stages of the program, the Gold Line Union-Pasadena is a good example of how stations can be unique and inspiring. What has to be done first is change the people that are in charge of the current art program, perhaps that will motivate some business to use a beautiful space to sell their products.
Why not both? How about making train stations designed with a dedicated place for artists to showcase their work and spaces for retail?
I think that would cover the best of both worlds: much efficient use of land space, better services, more money making opportunities for Metro, and helps out local businesses and artists.
The money that is focused on art should be used to construct a better canopy system to block out the sun, rain and other elements. Every art inspired design has set back practicality, cost effectiveness and logical construction.
I think we should be considered fortunate that artists are given opportunities to do their work due to a small percentage that is allocated for public art. Artists are people who need work just like anyone else. If artists didn’t get funded to either do public art projects, or commissioned to do artwork for private individuals or exhibit and sell their artwork through galleries, then fine artists would not have any platform to have their work create a dialogue with the public. These public art projects are funded by all of us and that “all of us” includes artists who are equally a part of the public.
That is so true! “Public Art” has NO BUSINESS being funded at the expense of a transit station’s practicality or efficiency! Especially when few even NOTICE the so-called “public art”, and it is placed in a part of the transit station where fewer riders notice it, then are there to catch a train or bus!
Art can be added later. Jobs and businesses are needed now to help our economy. I agree that it’s far better to use taxes to build retail space at the stations which can be rented out for cheap to support local small businesses gain new customers as they wait for the train.
This concept works elsewhere in the world, there’s no reason why it can’t be done here.
To give you an idea of how the MTA “works”, the “new” El Monte Transit Station was opened on Oct. 14, 2012, and has an EMPTY BUILDING AT IT, that COULD be used for a retail establishment that would benefit riders (a restaurant, a coffeeshop-SOMETHING!), but the building remains EMPTY! The so-called “artwork” that exists at the FRONT of the station (that riders rarely notice due to the buses they ride on going to the lower level, or BEHIND the buildings that obstruct the view of the “artwork”, was installed BEFORE THE STATION WAS COMPLETED! THIS is why the MTA has its head up its arse! “Art” installation at a facility before rider use? Seriously. This IS the way they do things!
If all the artwork is as good as the one shown here, then Metro users will at least have an uplifting experience, even if their bladders are full to bursting.
“Uplifting experience”? The bus or train arriving at all, or better yet, arriving on time IS an “uplifting experience”! I truly doubt the average MTA rider gets ANY “uplifting experience” from so-called “artwork” that is required to be installed so as to DELAY A rail or bus station’s construction, or eventual station opening! People go to transit and rail stations to CATCH BUSES AND TRAINS, not to look at what passes for “artwork”!
There are always going to be whiners complaining about the art that makes our world a slightly nicer place to be. They argue the money could be spent on other things. That’s always true of pretty much anything. The money you spent on your internet service could have been used to feed homeless people, and then we wouldn’t have had to see your complaints. Win win! 😉
Congratulations to all the artists and to Zipporah for all her hard work in working on one of the nations best public transportation art programs! Looking forward to seeing how this project takes shape.
Mr. Jacob T, this is the most preposterous statement that I have come across in regards to public art. The way it is, MTA has already cheapened the creativity of the artists, they have taken away their hands from fabrication (read hands-on expression) and establishing the same mold/format that fits all stations. Your proposal for more cacaholes and lousy cheap stores just defaces more the image of our city and our public transportation, no wonder! we get what we deserve with such a microscopic vision for the enhancement of our surrounding environment. How sad….
If you believe in “public art” so much, then clearly you would support: a.) FUNDING YOURSELF the installation of whatever you consider to be “art” at any MTA bus or rail station, and b.) waiting until the newly constructed bus/rail station is ACTUALLY COMPLETED (and under rider use!), before this “art” gets installed. No bus/rail station construction project should have to be delayed to “accomodate public art”, at taxpayer cost! If the “artist” wants it there so bad, he/she can pay for it, and have it installed at his OWN expense! Not the taxpayers!
I wish Metro would use the money to build more direct services and accommodations at the stations than just focusing on artwork.
Have they considered installing services like restrooms, retail spaces for convenience stores like a mini 7-Eleven, pharmacies like mini-Walgreens or mall-like kiosk like vendor stands to help out local small businesses?
Train stations are prime real estate themselves when you think about it because all the customers are already there waiting for the train to arrive. Metro needs to look at ways in making money off of that to help their revenue stream.
Let’s hope it’s not aggressively banal.
WHY is this somehow a “priority”, when Phase 2 of the Expo Line will not be done for SEVERAL YEARS, and then when it is, it will not be accessable to riders for SEVERAL MORE! Look at how long it took “Phase 1” to get opened after it was completed! And yet the MTA somehow things that “art” at stations needs to be focused on? Boondoglling gone wild!
The current projected opening for the second phase of the Expo Line is in the second half of 2016.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source