The Red Line Project

79th Street: The South Side Weave” mural by Stephen Marc combines
African-American landmarks and life. (Photo by Rima Thompson)

By Rima Thompson
The Red Line Project
@chitownstories

Posted: Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011

Through colorful artwork tailored to each train station, the Chicago Transit Authority and the Chicago Cultural Art Center try to bring identity to Red Line El train stations and their corresponding neighborhoods.

From vibrant tile mosaics to suspended artistry and detailed sculptures, the permanent pieces of the CTA Art in Transit Program and the temporary pieces of the Adopt-A-Station Program showcase the work of a diverse group of artists.

Joseph Iacobucci, manager of the CTA Department of Strategic Planning and Policy, handles all long-range initiatives for the organization.

“Each large transportation project receives federal funding of which one percent of the total budget can be used toward [visual] improvements,” he said. “When CTA looked at the dozens of stations that had to be reconstructed over the next seven to eight years, the agency made a choice to use the [one] percent to implement the CTA public art program.”

The selection committee got started with funding for the public art program that ranged from $40,000 to $100,000, depending on the overall budget of each Red Line El train station.

“CTA’s first step in choosing the artwork was to look at the station design with architecture at CTA, and determine a safe and visible place for the artwork,” Iacobucci said.

Once the site was determined, community residents appointed by the CTA and their aldermen met to discuss ideas about what type of artwork people would like to see at their stations.

After the type of artwork was chosen, the Cultural Arts Center took on the task of commissioning professional artists who can best express the identity of the station and its community through their artistic specialization.

Howard: “24/7,” a circle within a circle traveling through a space pattern,
was created by artists Carla Arocha and Stephanie Schraenen. (Photo by Rima Thompson)

The search for artists covers local, national and global talent, said Elizabeth Kelley, director of the Department of Cultural Affairs. Kelley is also a member of the selection committee for the majority of the Red Line projects.

 “We start with a request for qualifications from artists worldwide through advertisements in national and international art magazines, the Chicago Artist Resource and other websites,” added Kelley.

After the artists submit their resume and a copy of their work, narrowing the list is the most difficult part of the process, Iacobucci said.

“The chosen artists are then asked to participate in a paid proposal. CTA will pay the artist to make an example of the artwork and the concept,” he said.

“At that point, we review all of the different proposals to make sure they meet the guidelines of longevity, safety, size, low maintenance rugged materials and they must also be non-offensive or violent in content.”

After the samples are submitted, the CTA, community representatives and the Cultural Arts Committee meets and presents their final recommendations. Those recommendations are then presented to the President of the CTA who completes the final sign-off on the projects.

“Each station dictates what kind of art should be selected,” Kelley said. “The art in the CTA collection, especially the Red Line, is culturally diverse. [It’s] a nice mix of art that is just for art sake, that is sort of abstract [and] tells the story that relates to the station. It is a really nice balance because of community input, about what [the] community wanted and matching [an] artist to bring [out] the communities uniqueness.”

At Fullerton, the “Landslide” sculpture by Derick Malkemus was made with traditional bronze materials and has detailed handy work displaying elements of the stations 19th century history.

Fullerton’s other artwork, an abstract prairie landscape made of Venetian glass, marble and stone mosaic, tells of something that was obvious about the neighborhood and DePaul University.  Crafted by Michal Dinges, the elements of the mosaic are meant to be a representation of the experience of CTA passengers walking up the stairs and seeing the lights of an oncoming train.

Belmont: “We All Ride the Train Together,” by David Lee Csicsko, 
celebrates the diversity in neighborhoods. (Photo by Rima Thompson)

The sculpture and portraits at the Belmont station are centerpieces for the gay, lesbian and transgender community. Its artist, David Lee Csicsko, involvement in the community allowed him to bring their vision to life.

“In a nice subtle way, the artwork talks about the history of CTA, which carries a vast diversity of passengers,” Kelley said.

“Belmont’s sculpture, “Space Junction of Energy” by Jerald Jacquard, was welcomed by the community after being relocated from the Kimball Brown Line station,” Kelley said.

At the Howard Street station, Carla Arocha and Stephanie  Schraenan,“24/7” stainless steel suspended sculpture in the main lobby area “are a natural deterrent for rousing birds, but an appealing work greater than the sum of its part,”  said Kelley. “It’s a different piece reflected by the activity in the station, which is never the same thing every two minutes.” 

Howard’s other piece, a hand painted ceramic tile by Amy Cheng’s called ”Destination Points Unknown,” invites commuters into boundless destinations.

At the Red Line Addison station, Steve Musgrave’s “Cubs Legend” murals of legendary players greet visitors to Wrigley Field.

The “Hopes and Dreams” glass ceramic mosaic displayed at the Roosevelt station was originally slated for Millennium Park, explained Kelley.  But when those plans fell through, Juan Angel Chavez and Corinne Peterson, the artists, decided to form a patchwork quilt effect along the walls of the station.

The Red Line Sox-35th station features contemporary art of the 21st century: a hieroglyphics celebrating the team’s 103 years history, various uniforms colors, jersey numbers of significant players, World Series victories, and the year the bat was perfected.

At 47th Street station, the committee chose to bypass representing the surrounding area’s famous jazz history and went with Jo Hormuth’s interpretation of “what it would feel like standing in the middle of the Dan Ryan expressway, in the summer, in the heat of the sun with cars flying by,” said Kelley.

Using different hues of a red pattern at the beginning and end of each bay to represent the Red Line, alpha lighting was used to create a garden in the middle of the highway.

Bernard Williams created a suspended sculpture of circular shapes that were inspired by tribal Mayan and Incan symbols which lined the retaining walls of the Garfield station, Kelley said.

Williams continued the pattern by placing medallions of the same shape along the stationhouse windows.

63rd Street: “A Red Line and a Cloud,” by Sabina Ott, captures
the view north along the Red Line route. (Photo by Rima Thompson)

Sabina Ott’s artwork at the 63rd street station mimics the route of the Red Line running north through Chicago’s cloudy landscape.

Located on the platform at 69th street, Preston Jackson’s sculpture depicts African American culture. 

The aerial view at 79th combines historical and current photographs of the Southside, from artist and former resident, Stephen Marc. 

“Marc’s artwork honors the memory of Emmet Till whose murder brought to light racial issues in the South, while incorporating the art of hair braiding throughout the piece,” explained Kelley.

The male and female figures swimming in the schools of fishes reach out to touch each other as strangers might in their daily journey represents the commuting population in the traditional stain glass mural at the 87th street station. 

“Everybody is sold on the value,” Iacobucci said.  “Public feedback on the CTA Public Art Program has been extremely positive.”  

“Even if you are not a resident, even if you are a first time visitor, the artwork at each station is your first introduction into the neighborhood [and] it gives you a sense of the area,” Iacobucci said.

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