Local residents, businesses are encouraged to attend and provide feedback on original artwork that will be created for Wilson by world-famous artist and engineer Cecil Balmond
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will host a community meeting on Tuesday, May 12, to allow local residents and businesses to provide input on new public art that will be installed as part of the historic Wilson Station Reconstruction project. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to meet Cecil Balmond, the internationally acclaimed artist, designer and engineer hired to commission the artwork.
The $203 million reconstruction of the Wilson Red Line station is now under way. The Wilson project includes the construction of a new, modern, more spacious and accessible station with three entrances; the replacement of signals and century-old supporting infrastructure; and making the station into a new transfer point between the Red and Purple Express rail lines. The new artwork will be installed following the completion of construction work, which is expected by the end of 2017.
Local residents are encouraged to attend the following meeting, which is intended to engage and promote dialogue between the artist and residents about the surrounding Uptown community:
Tuesday, May 12
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Brightview Healthcare Centre*
4538 N Beacon St, Chicago, IL 60640
*This facility is accessible to people with disabilities.
Public feedback will be considered by the artist as he develops artwork project plans and renderings, which will be shared with the public at a future date.
The CTA has a growing collection of more than 60 works of art by local, national and international artists, which are currently installed at nearly 50 stations along all eight rail lines. This collection will continue to expand with additional works of art planned for installation over the next few years as part of the Your New Blue, Wilson Station Reconstruction and 95th Street Terminal Improvement projects.
Mr. Balmond, who is Sri Lankan-born and resides in London, is known for his large-scale public art installations around the world. He was selected from a pool of more than 200 artist submissions for his artistic merit and qualifications. His past projects include the design of
Weave Bridge for the University of Pennsylvania,
Ito-Balmond Serpentine Pavilion in London
and the CCTV Tower (with architect Rem Koolhaus). His current project is the
Gretna Landmark, an architectural-scale illuminated sculpture that marks the Scottish and English border crossing.
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