As many of you know, all of Metro’s rail stations include artworks by artists to enhance the transit experience, and the Gold Line Foothill Extension is no exception. When the line opens on March 5, you’ll finally be able to get up close and personal with the artworks at each of the six new stations and other places along the rail line.
Nine artists were commissioned by the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority — the agency that built the project — to create original artwork that reflects the natural history and architectural heritage of the Foothill cities.
Bridge spanning eastbound 210 Freeway in Arcadia
Andrew Leicester
Gold Line Bridge, 2012
Gold Line Bridge over the 210 freeway.
The structure serves as a symbolic gateway to the San Gabriel Valley and as a tribute to its earliest settlers, the landscape and the iconic roadside attractions of nearby Route 66. The bridge includes twin sculptures of Native American baskets and a serpentine design on the bridge’s underbelly simulates the patterns found on the native Western Diamondback rattlesnake.
Arcadia Station
Michael Davis
Arcadian Zephyr, 2015
Detail of Arcadian Zephyr at Arcadia Station.
The artwork depicts Arcadia’s history. A weathervane sculpture represents the flora and fauna of the nearby Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Galloping racehorse imagery embedded within the benches and on steel railing panels pays tribute to the historic Santa Anita Park racetrack. A peacock-inspired glass canopy honors the city’s official bird. The feathered design on tile pavers in the adjacent parking garage also alludes to the peacock.
Monrovia Station
Cha-Rie Tang
River of Time, 2015
Detail of River of Time at Monrovia Station.
Allusions to flowing water and motifs of the Arts and Crafts era highlight Monrovia’s natural scenery and architecture found in the city’s well-preserved homes. A seven-foot-high river-carved rock and glass sculpture is presented in the plaza landscaping. Hundreds of handcrafted ceramic tiles enhance the entrance ramps, the base of platform columns and the adjacent parking structure. Some tiles are based on molds taken from homes in Monrovia and from inside the historic depot at Monrovia Station, while others are original designs by the artist.
Duarte/City of Hope Station
Andrea Myklebust and Stanton Gray Sears
Spirit of the San Gabriel River, 2015
Detail of Spirit of San Gabriel River at Duarte/City of Hope Station.
Sculptural steel columns and cast-bronze pavers signify the area’s history. A topographical map, oak leaves, a Gabrielino-Tongva basket pattern and 19th-century tooled leather saddle are hand carved into the massive, limestone column capitals. The low-relief bronze paver designs on the station platforms are a nod to crate labels popularized decades ago when a local citrus industry thrived.
Irwindale Station
Robin Brailsford
Pioneros de la Rivera de San Gabriel, 2015
The artwork honors the area’s founding families who capitalized on the local geology to create a thriving community and industrial center. Texts inscribed in the railing panels include a song for Irwindale and names from its centennial directory. Pavers on the platforms and adjacent parking structure reference the San Gabriel River, which flows through Irwindale.
Azusa Downtown Station
Jose Antonio Aguirre
A Passage Through Memory, 2015
Inspired by local historic architecture and the cultural traditions of the region’s earliest inhabitants, the artwork features Spanish colonial-style arched portals in glass fiber-reinforced concrete and handmade glass mosaics. The mosaic patterns enliven the platform columns and draw upon Gabrielino-Tongva basket designs.
APU/Citrus College Station
Lynn Goodpasture
Azusa Horticultural Paradise, 2015
One of four benches that comprise Azusa Horticultural Paradise at APU/Citrus College Station.
The mosaic-clad benches and luminous hand-painted glass canopy celebrate Azusa’s botanical heritage and the individuals who have shaped the city’s landscape. Colorful visions of native elements include honeybees, oranges, wild hyacinth, camellia flower and California fan palm. The botanical imagery is also found in the adjacent parking structure with floral designs in the concrete paving.
Audio tours featuring interviews with the artists are available here.
Artwork copyrighted, all rights reserved. To request images of artwork for publication, please email ZellerH@metro.net.
For more information and free docent guided tours, visit metro.net/art or call 213.922.4ART.
Categories: Go Metro
Just curious, in what way is the bridge a tribute to the “iconic roadside attractions of nearby Route 66”? I can see the other two, but not Route 66.
Hi Ed,
You would have to ask the artist. This was how the bridge was described. I just transcribe. 🙂
Anna Chen
Writer, The Source
This is what the artist said: https://d1akjheu06qp1r.cloudfront.net/board/Items/2016/03_march/20160309wesitem6handout.pdf
“I drew my inspiration from two sources: the region’s cultural history and its architecture. The large baskets that adorn the bridge metaphorically represent the Native Americans of the region and the growth of agriculture as a primary catalyst to the San Gabriel Valley. They also pay tribute to the iconic sculptural traditions of Route 66 with its oversized commercial architecture such as the nearby windmill atop the Denny’s restaurant on Huntington Drive and the Maya restaurant on Foothill Road north of the freeway. The Iconic Freeway Structure’s baskets join this pantheon of larger-than-life artifacts.”