The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today announced the addition of two new public art pieces added to Western and Addison Blue Line stations and will serve as a finishing touch to station upgrades completed under the $ 492 million of dollars Your new blue O’Hare agency modernization program. These dynamic installations are the latest example of CTA’s continued commitment to expanding public art to bus and train installations throughout the city.
“We are always proud to expand our public art collection with the addition of stunning new works of art,†said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “These exciting and engaging pieces are not just to beautify the facilities, they are also there to inspire and bring a refreshing burst of energy to our runners and the surrounding communities.
CTA’s public art collection has nearly doubled over the past decade to include more than 70 permanent works of art spread across eight railway lines and several bus facilities. This vibrant and immersive collection of public art includes mosaics, art glass, sculptures and interactive installations created by nationally and internationally renowned artists, many of whom are local.
Addison Blue Line
The replacement of 40 clear glass window panels throughout Addison Station is the dynamic art glass installation known as, Constant flow in multitudes of specific forms, by Francesco Simeti (Palermo, Italy). To create this flowery and organically lush scene, the artist combined illustrations of native trees, plants and wildflowers. Woven into the landscape, fragments of architectural ornamentation designed by Louis Sullivan in homage to the work of the legendary architect near Addison Station.
The title of this work is a sentence taken from An architectural ornament system, Sullivan’s collection of masterpiece designs and ideas, released as his final statement on the geometry underlying natural and man-made forms.
Western Blue Line
Known as Remains | Eating, this art installation was created by the Chicago-based artist team of Edra Soto and Dan Sullivan. Intended to be a “functional sculpture” (piece of furniture), this work of art was made of poured concrete with blue terrazzo embellishments and is instead secured with galvanized steel brackets. The rooms are now a permanent feature of the outer plaza at the west entrance to the station. In collaboration with the artist team, CTA also added floor lighting in the square and moved a bicycle rack to better function of the outdoor space.
The artists say the sculptures feature recognizable architectural forms and forms that celebrate the culture and heritage of adjacent communities, including Bucktown, Wicker Park and Humboldt Park.
CTA launched a Call for Artists in 2014 for the Western project, and in 2016 for the Addison project. Both artists were selected from a competitive group of other artists based on their artistic merit, qualifications, professional recognition and written expressions of interest. Federal Formula funds provided by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) were used to pay for the two station art projects valued at $ 270,000, which covers the costs associated with artists’ fees, to design, materials, manufacture, delivery, etc.
For more details on these new installations, visit transitchicago.com/art.