The Metro Art Docent Council consists of 30 volunteers who are passionate about the art at Metro Rail stations and in Union Station. In normal times the docents gave free tours throughout the year by taking people from station to station to learn how to take transit, see and learn more about the art and architecture and experience surrounding communities.
The dedicated docents each have their favorite artworks — with this new series you will be able to see why. Until we can resume in-person tours, we thought this would be a nice way to virtually learn about the art in our system.
Union Station East
A-Train
Bill Bell, artist
From docents Perry Radford & Bernice Flatebo:
“My favorite work is A-Train. I love the piece and I love living out Bill Bell’s wish for people to connect and share the magic of it in person! I feel like the whole thing is not common knowledge to most folks who walk by it, and on tours I always frame it by telling everyone to get ready for not one but two surprises! It is so special to see the awe on people’s faces and connect whoever in the area to what’s going on with the piece and let them in on its ‘secrets.'”
Perry Radford has been a docent since 2016 and serves as a fundraiser for Scripps College.
“A-Train is my favorite artwork because it’s colorful, fun and eye-catching AND it has visual & audio “secrets” — I passed by Bill Bell’s A-Train many times before discovering the light bars actually displayed moving pictures — a Metro Art Docent Tour opened my eyes. If you know the secret password, you can trigger music or a Tarzan yell from the speakers. There’s nothing more fun than hearing the Tarzan roar and watching the people on the escalators look around trying to figure out what is going on. This artwork is enjoyed by everyone.”
Bernice Flatebo has been a docent since 2018, and is President of Pension, Profit Sharing Services, Inc.
Do you have a favorite artwork in the Metro system? Tell us!
Learn more about the artist and artwork. To find out more about Metro’s art tours and sign up for our email list, click here.
Categories: Metro Art
I have introduced this art display every year to the field trips I bring to the station. One time I was there and a lady introduced herself to me as the Director of Art for Metro and told me one of the secrets to get the speakers to play Fool on the Hill by the Beatles. I would like to know if there is a way I can find the rest of the secrets to activate the Tarzan and other sounds it can do.
Hi Alan,
Thank you for your interest! The artist has asked that we not post any of the secret phrases online, however we’d be happy to share via email. Please send a note to Heidi Zeller at ZellerH(at)metro.net.
Anna Chen
Writer, The Source