Metro Art
The Los Angeles Count Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), located at One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012, is responsible for planning, designing, constructing and operating most of the public transportation in Los Angeles County, including Metro Rail and Metro Bus. Metro Board policy mandates that 0.5% of Metro Rail construction costs be allocated for public art. This page is features public art at the Gateway Transit Center, and on the Metro Rail system. Although I took some of the photographs, most of the information and images for Metro Art have been made available courtesy of Metro files. The Metro Art web site has a complete Guide to Public Art in the Metro System. Do not reproduce information from this site without acknowledgement of the artists and their works, or of the authors of this site.
The Gateway Transit Center is a 7-1/2 acre multi-modal transportation center located in downtown LA adjacent to the historic Union Station. Much of the work on the Gateway Transit Center is sponsored by Metro and the Catellus Development Corporation.
- Patrick Nagatani, Epoch, 1996. 3rd level. This is a collage of over 500 postcards of trains, ships, and other means of transportation, from 1900 on. The postcards are laid out in a circular pattern, suggesting a view of planet Earth from space.
A series of Edweard Muybridge photographs illustrating the basic movements of a man running, first published in 1887, make reference to the most basic form of transportation and movement. For a period of about 48 hours the mural was covered by an individual who objected to the nudity of the Muybridge image. This made front page news in Los Angeles.
- Margaret Nielson, L. A. Dialogs, 1996. 3rd level. This Mural is composed of oversized photographs of famous Los Angeles landmarks and symbols.
- Jim Doolin, 4 murals, 1996:
- Fountains and seating areas by Roberto Gil de Montes, Elsa Flores, and Peter Shire. Paseo Cesar Chavez, 1995.
- East Los Streetscapers (Wayne Healy and David Botello). La Sombra del Arroyo, 1995. Passageway between the Metro transit plaza and Union Station. A view of the section of the ceramic work.
- While they are not public art works, the chandeliers hanging in the Metro lobby and the fountain at the Metro transit plaza represent details of architectural and space planning in urban settings.
- Look at public art works at the Union Station, which is just west of Metro headquarters and Transit Plaza.
(Transit Mall, Long Beach to 7th St./Metro Center, Downtown)
(Marine/Redondo in Redondo Beach to I-605/I-105 in Norwalk)
(Wilshire/Western in Mid-City, and North Hollywood to Union Station, Downtown)
(Union Station to APU/Citrus College)
(Union Station to Atlantic)
(North Hollywood to Canoga Park)
(Downtown Los Angeles to Culver City)
Construction Fence Temporary Art Projects (all removed with the opening of the stations):
Monthly Commemorative Metro Transit Passes:
Poetry in Motion:
Examples of bus posters with poetry:
Photographic Light Box Series (selections):
Commemorative Neighborhood Posters (selected):
- John Trevino, Chinatown.
- Manny Cosentino, Echo Park
- Karl Abramovic, North Hollywood Arts District (NOHO).
- Sarajo Friden, Venice.
- Ronald J. Llanos, Van Nuys.
- Walter Askin, Pasadena.
- Jody Zellen, Miracle Mile.
- Sam Pace, Leimert Park.
- Raoul de la Sota, Highland Park.
- Bob Zoell, Griffith Park.
- Sonia Romero, Pomona.
- Artemio Rodriguez, East L. A.
- Phung Huynh, Alhambra.
- Kyungmi Shin, Koreatown.
- Jonathan Anderson, Gardena
- Mary Ann Ohmit, Azusa
- Danny Heller, Chatsworth
- Wakana Kimura, Inglewood
- Ramon Ramirez, Pico Rivera
- Christina Nguyen, Long Beach
- Emi Motokawa, Monterey Park
- Brooks Salzwedel, La Canada Flintridge
- Fabian Debora, El Pueblo de Los Angeles
- Sandow Birk, Downtown Burbank
- Randall Von Bloomberg, Torrance
- Sandra Low, San Gabriel
- Michael C.Hsiung, Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
- Ana Serrano, East Hollywood
Bus Stops and Bus Shelters:
Kim Yasuda, Torgen Johnson, Noel Korten, Matthew VanderBorgh, Bus shelters. Detail of the metal and glass leaf overhead.
Peter Reiss, Pride in the Community, Bus shelter posters.
Beep Inc (Pae White and Tom Marble) and Suisman Urban Design. Seating at the Rapid bus stops and bus seat fabric.
Jim Isermann, Mid-Wilshire Metro Customer Center, exterior panels, 2006.
Removed in 2015 for the construction of Purple Line extension.
Christine Ulke, El Aliso de Los Angeles, Division 13 Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility.
This page is maintained by Ruth Wallach, USC Libraries.
9/2020