In 2023, Metro Art L.A. hosted a 2-day special event called Mapping Performance: 10 Years of Metro Art at Los Angeles Union Station. It put a spotlight on the rich cultural diaspora of immigrants who have influenced Los Angeles and included dancers, musicians, and other performers.
I attended on Day 1 which focused on Southeast Asian traditions. The event took place on the North Patio and Ticketing Concourse. Day 2 featured Afro-Brazilian traditions such as capoeira, which is a blend of music, dance, and aerobatics as well as samba-reggae.
The purpose of the gathering was to bring the community together in the heart of Los Angeles and at the heart of the L.A. Metro transit system.
About Metro Art
Art encourages ridership and Metro Art LA is responsible for the beautiful murals, sculptures, and performance events seen at Union Station, its L.A. Metro stops, and on trains and buses.
Four art buses bring art to the streets as well as to L.A. Metro passengers and passersby. They are immersive experiences with 16 large-scale portraits of Metro riders on the exterior of each bus and 41 art cards lining the interior. The buses serve L.A. County as part of Metro Art’s multi-site exhibition We Are…
Art is also displayed on TAP cards, is viewable in the Union Station Passageway Art Gallery, and on digital displays at each of the A Line (Blue) and E Line (Expo Stations)
Metro Art also presents free arts and cultural experiences at the historic Union Station. Past events have included film noir screenings of classic films, jazz, swing, folk, and salsa band performances in the station, magic shows, and even a dessert giveaway celebrating Thanksgiving and Hanukkah.
To learn about future events, go to metro.net/art and click on Events.
Permanent and temporary exhibits
Artwork is integrated throughout Union Station as well as its satellite stations from prominent artists and more is in progress. Each station is unique and reflects the area it is located in. There are also temporary exhibitions such as the Metro Art Lightbox Series which presents rotating photography exhibitions at select stations.
Colorful posters that celebrate transportation have been designed by Metro-commissioned artists for its Through the Eyes of Artists Series and are displayed on Metro trains and buses. The community can also take part in poster-signing events to meet the artists.
Poetry in Motion/LA often presents live readings at various rail stations during April featuring the works of prominent poets such as E.E. Cummings, Octavio Paz, and Langston Hughes.
Other projects include Art Tours led by docents and youth programming.
Mapping Performance Highlights
These are some of the performers from the Mapping Performance: 10 Years of Metro Art at Los Angeles Union Station event.
Nkauj Hmoob Dance Team
This is a young dance performance group that presents dance routines from Thailand.
Sookjai Ensemble
Music from Thailand.
Ho Chan’s Pin Peat Ensemble
Cambodian Classical music.
Bo Razón
Bo Razón a multi-instrumentalist, composer, recording artist from the Philippines, and educator who plays music from indigenous world cultures.
Read more about Union Station, here.
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