Here We Are

A suite of artworks tell the history of the neighborhood, which includes a historic Phoenix Indian School. Given the complex history of the site, the project included hundreds of hours of research in cooperation with community groups to ensure a broad and balanced telling of the stories that make up the area’s history. The project consists of three parts:

Fifteen sets of enamel panels based on oral histories about the area are installed on the platform columns. Each set consists of 3 to 5 panels, which feature a black-and-white historic photograph of a place near the station, with text and silhouettes printed on top. A long arrow connects each series of panels, and points in the direction of the memory’s location.

Near the ticket machines at the north and south entrance to the station, two 8 ft. x 10 ft. terrazzo panels are installed in the ground. The murals feature photographs of Central Avenue as it looked before the light rail.

Twelve porcelain enamel panels are mounted in a fence that runs along side the entry ramps to the platform, with historic photographs documenting the area around the station. On the street side, panels featuring a design based on a creosote bush are installed, signaling the desert that was there before us, and will be there after we leave.

Date: 2008
Location: Indian School Light Rail Station, Phoenix, AZ
Commissioning Agency: Valley Metro Rail
Details: Terazzo, baked enamel, stainless steel arrows, powder-coated steel frames, and glass with image interlayers.
Fabrication: Magnum Companies, KVO Industries, Advance Terrazzo.
Awards: 2009 Public Art Network Year in Review