The Metro Art Docent Council in conjunction with the Orange County/Long Beach Chapter of Great Outdoos presents:
Docent Led Tour of the Art of the Metro B (Red) Line, starting at the Westlake-MacArthur Park Station
June 19, 2022, 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
You may register for the trip beginning May 22, 2022. If after registering, your
plans change, please cancel so the next person on the waiting list can register.
Contact: Frederick Brown E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 562-754-1838
For people going from Long Beach, we will meet at the Willow Station at 9:00AM and ride on the 9:20AM (Blue) Line train arriving at the Westlake-MacArthur Park Station at 10:28AM after changing to the B (Red) line at the 7th and Metro Station. There are coffee places near the station. (But remember, there are not places to use the bathroom, until we get to MacArthur Park Station.)
For those who are driving, meet on the street level outside the station on the East side of Alvarado just North of 7th Street in Los Angeles.
Click here for the map for the Willow Station parking garage and click here for the map for the Westlake-MacArthur Park Station area.
The art in the stations of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system reflects the neighborhoods and history of each location. While the majority of Metro's budget goes towards construction and transit operator programs, the Metro Board policy mandates that 0.5% of Metro Rail construction costs go towards funding public art.
We will start at the Westlake-MacArthur Park Station. On the mezzanine level are a series of tiles which represent the scene in and around the park. Suspended from the ceiling under the skylight is a sculpture painted with light. At the ends of the station are two ceramic tile murals titled La Luna and El Sol.
Our next stop will be the 7th and Metro Station. On the mezzanine level on both sides of the station are tiles. On the Figueroa Side the tiles represent a film strip of Fantasy Movies, and on the Hope Street Side Spectacle Movies. At the Hope Street entrance is a triptych made of ceramic tiles titled Heaven to Earth.
Leaving 7th and Metro Station, we will stop at Pershing Square to see the Neon Art from the platform. Outside, we will look at the neighborhood which has the historic Bradley Building, Angel's Flight and the Grand Central Market.
Then, we will proceed to the Civic Center Station. Here we will see the mosaic "In the Living Rock" outside the station. Inside the station, we will view 52 glass mosaics that reflect the history of the area with themes of sports, art, performance and fashion. On the station platform, we will look up to the celling and ponder over the art titled "I dream of flying."
This will mark the end of the official tour.
Click here for tips on riding Metro.
Because Metro Art tours have not fully resumed since the pandemic started, this will not be an office Docent Council of the Art of the Metro tour.
1) The tour will take about 2 hours and will be approximately 90% walking.
2) Members will need to purchase a day pass on their TAP card. If you don't have a TAP card, you can purchase one at the station where you join us for $2 and load a day pass on to it.
3) There are no public restrooms in the station, but there are restrooms at MacArthur Park, in Macy's at 7th and Metro, in the Grand Central Market at Pershing Square, and at Union Station.
