It’s National Arts and Humanities Month and an opportune time to consider how artwork enriches the transit environment for our customers, even from a distance.
Metro seeks to provide increased and equitable access to arts and culture for our diverse ridership and to continue to uplift and remain connected through the arts in a challenging time.
In honor of this special month, here’s a sneak peek on what Metro Art has planned. More information to come throughout the month.
A new artwork by Ned Kahn will be integrated as part of the new Patsaouras Bus Plaza, which is planned to open this fall. A notable project element is the new pedestrian bridge that directly connects the busway station to Patsaouras Plaza on the east side of Union Station. Kahn’s design for the 750-foot-long Wind Bridge utilizes hinged perforated stainless-steel panels that move with the wind and reveal subtle, rippling patterns of light and shade.
A new artwork by Sonia Romero will be installed at Mariachi Plaza Station. The mural features a pattern of hands holding objects to convey the rich and unexpected stories of people from the surrounding community of Boyle Heights.
A new Metro Customer Center will be dedicated and opened this month at Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station and along with it, two new artworks. A photo-mural inside the Customer Center and a grouping of sculptures for the public plaza by brothers Jamex and Einar de la Torre celebrate Rosa Parks’ essential legacy.
A new series of short “Poetry Moments” will be launched on the Metro Art Instagram, featuring poetry readings that engage with voices from across Los Angeles County, part of our longstanding collaboration with the Poetry Society of America.
Also in the digital space, starting this past May, Metro Art quickly pivoted its performance series, creatively connecting people with our transit system through innovative livestreams highlighting neighborhoods. Programs included livestream living room and backyard concerts and DJ sessions, a Sunday evening sound bath, poetry readings and even a salsa dance class as a hat tip to our popular annual Salsa Night at Union Station. Full length videos documenting this cultural moment are now up in full for your listening pleasure on the Metro Art IGTV archive!
We’re particularly excited to announce a new project launching soon, titled Silver Linings. The Board recently called on Metro Art to champion artistic experimentation and contribute towards reimagining transportation in a way that is responsive to the issues and concerns of our time. In this spirit, we are piloting a new poster series featuring culturally relevant artworks by local artists that visualize and encourage expressions of connection and care that have been silver linings during the pandemic. The artworks will appear on posters inside our fleet.
And in case you missed it, we recently spotlighted just-installed artwork by Ingrid Calame for the future Leimert Park Station.
Click here for more information about Metro’s art program. Follow Metro Art on Facebook and Instagram.
Categories: Metro Art