Detail of artwork “Gifts of Freedom and Knowledge,” by George Evans, showing Alice “Sweet Alice” Harris, founder, Parents of Watts. The artwork is now on view inside the new Rosa Parks Customer Center.

Starting this week, a brand-new artwork is on view inside the Rosa Parks Customer Center as part of the new improvements at the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station.

Here are five things to know about George Evans’ artwork:

1. The new artwork, Gifts of Freedom and Knowledge, is a metal, multi-panel, photo montage installed in the lobby above the new Customer Center window. The composition is set primarily in Magic Johnson Park, an important community landmark, with the stream representing a path to the future, as well as the park’s restoration for future generations.
2. To create the artwork, Evans photographed a number of people who have cross-generationally served as guardians who have built and sustained community knowledge, including  Alice “Sweet Alice” Harris, founder, Parents of Watts; Rev. Dr. Sonja R. Dawson, pastor and women’s advocate, New Mt. Calvary Baptist Church; and Reginald Johnson, founder, Willowbrook Inclusion Network.
3. Artist George Evans was born in Watts and raised in the communities of South Los Angeles. He was born into a family that fostered creativity and was mentored by his father, a graphic designer, sign painter and small business owner.
4. Committed to cultivating the next generation of young artists, Evans formed the Youth Art Team in South L.A. in the 1990s and taught at Los Angeles Trade Technical College for two decades as a dedicated educator. The artist drew upon his decades of experience as a professor to conduct a series of arts workshops on photography and digital editing skills with local high school students.
5. According to the arts-advisory panelist and artist Richard Wyatt, a contemporary, Evans’ work “engages with the urban environment, but takes you beyond – using familiar imagery in unexpected ways.”

In addition to the work by George Evans, the upcoming station improvements will include a sculptural artwork by the artist team of Einar and Jamex de la Torre. Titled Second Line, the group of sculptural parasols are slated for installation in the plaza in 2021.

Evans and the de la Torre brothers participated in two Metro pop-up events at Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station in 2017 to share about their past artworks and interact with riders and community members as they were in the process of developing their artwork concepts for the station.

Click here for more information about Metro’s art program. You can also follow Metro Art on Instagram, Facebook, and Tumblr.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.