Watch the video above of Metro staff piecing together parts of a large-scale glass mosaic mural. The mural will eventually be installed at the future Crenshaw/LAX Line Martin Luther King Jr. Station. Created by artist Shinique Smith, this mural originated as a mixed media collage before being translated into glass mosaic through a comprehensive fabrication process.

Click here for an in-depth explanation of the fabrication process behind Smith’s artwork.

The elegant yet playful design combines elements of fabric, printed matter, calligraphy and reflective fragments. Titled “Only Light, Only Love,” Smith included words selected from Martin Luther King Jr’s inspiring speech, “I Have a Dream,” along with his autobiography. The artist included reflective mirror-like pieces to introduce movement and reflections of passengers into the artwork. The varying representations of fabric interwoven into the design are drawn from many cultures, reflecting the diversity of the region.

About the Artist: Shinique Smith received both her BFA (1992) and MFA (2003) from the Maryland Institute College of Art, as well as an MAT (2000) from Tufts University. She has had solo exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the First Center for the Visual Arts: Nashville, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Smith’s artworks are in numerous private and public collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Click here for more information about the artist.

Click here for more information about the Crenshaw/LAX Art Program.

Click here for more information about Metro’s art program, including our popular docent-led art tours and cultural programming. You can also follow Metro Art on Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram.