Photo courtesy Metro Light Rail

METRO Light Rail brings public displays of art to on-the-go train passengers.

Light rail riders who frequent the station at Thomas Road and Central Avenue have likely noticed the series of granite sculptures that run the length of the platform. Only the more observant may have realized the sculptures depict the evolution of the desert into a modern urban landscape. At Osborn Road and Central Avenue, riders looking down might see a series of cast bronze shoe prints scattered about the platform. (There are 100 sets of prints in various styles of shoes, boots, and other footwear.)

These pieces, and more, all are part of the public art program that was integrated into the design of the METRO Light Rail system. The public art, which comprised $6.3 million of the light rail’s $587 million budget, was created by 31 different artists, including 11 from Arizona. “As light rail expands throughout the Valley, public art will be a feature and an important asset,” says Hillary Foose, a spokeswoman for METRO Light Rail.