{The Hive, recently installed at the Delmar Metrolink Station}
I think it’s important that Metro spend its limited funds judiciously. It’s incredibly important that the mass transit service they provide be efficient and well managed. I think Metro does an excellent job in a very tough funding environment.
I also believe that mass transit, the train cars, buses and stations should be more than rudimentary. As a society we decorate what we value. Elaborate and highly designed cars are the signature of wealth and demonstrate the value we place on that appearance. Our city parks are legacies of moments in time when public realms superceeded private development. And while commercial buildings across time have sought to impress, their methods highlight societal values; from the intricate and beautiful detail of the Wainwright Building to the Imperial glass of the current GM headquarters.
So when Metro celebrated the installation of an $85,000 sculpture at the Delmar Metrolink Station I celebrated as well. Whatever the financial accounting details, the presence of the Hive is one more sign that we value Metrolink, that we value mass transit. Of course The Hive isn’t the first artwork Metro has been responsible for, click over to Art in Transit to learn more.
{Linear Accelerator – installed at Big Bend Metrolink Station}
{art at Maplewood Station over Manchester Avenue}
{art installed on sound barriers along Forest Park Parkway}
