The DART Art & Design Program was established in 1987 to achieve the following goals:
- Recognize that art is an important component in the creation of public spaces
- Integrate art as an important component of public transit
- Involve the community in the design of stations and related artwork
- Create opportunities for maintenance savings through reduced vandalism
DART's Silver Line Art & Design Program includes the art and design of 10 Stations along the 26-mile Silver Line Corridor. Under this program, a team of architects, artists, engineers and neighborhood advisory committee members collaborate on each station's design from station concept to completion. This includes determining architectural elements such as paving and column cladding, site elements, landscaping and site specific artwork.
Addison's City Council appointed the following members to the DART Cotton Belt Art and Design Committee (Committee) on April 25, 2019 to provide input on the Addison station:
- Patricia Adkins
- Judy Barrett
- Jon Birney
- Kim Boyle
- Barbara Daseke
- Margie Gunther
- Jay Ihrig
- Yasue Kulhanek
- Harriet Mellow
- Robin Moss
- Barbara Papas
- Derek Underwood
- Allen Weatherford
- Ron Whitehead
DART staff, the Committee, and artist Eric McGeheraty met over the course of several workshops to:
- Hold a kick-off meeting
- Conduct a site tour of art in Town
- Discuss artistic value statements and brainstorm (materials, colors, patterns)
- Discuss options and estimates presented
- Prepare a final report and station renderings
The Committee selected a theme to promote the idea of sophisticated fun by use of traditional and easy to maintain materials such as stone, bronze and brick pavers, windscreens engraved with artist depictions of sculptures around Addison, enhanced fencing along ramps at the entrance to the station that resemble fireworks, and fiber optic lights embedded in ramps.
Once DART started construction, it was determined that the fiber optic lighting in the ramps could not be constructed. DART and Archer Western Herzog worked together to give the Committee their second option which was to illuminate all the columns of the station and fully light them. This would illuminate the capital “A” and the blue polycarbonate strip in each column. It was also recommended that the committee consider using the diamond cut pattern in the concrete ramps to match the pattern in Addison Circle.
On September 30, 2021 the Committee met with DART and voted to move forward with the removal of the fiber optic lighting in the ramps, illuminating the 24 columns at the station, and using the diamond cut pattern in the ramp areas without objection. |