News
September 10, 2024
Art at Amtrak Program Expands in Philadelphia at Cira Skybridge, Gray 30th Street Station
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Nearly a year after Amtrak launched Euphonic & Chromatic Drift, a large-scale vinyl mural gracing the windows at William H. Gray 30th Street Station, America’s Railroad is continuing its celebrated Art at Amtrak public art program in Philadelphia. In partnership with Brandywine Realty Trust, Amtrak has commissioned a new site-specific art installation entitled Flourish, by Philadelphia based artist, Roxana Azar. Flourish is featured on the Cira Skybridge, the glass pedestrian bridge over Arch Street, connecting the Cira Centre office building to Gray 30th Street Station.
“The Art at Amtrak program vision to spark surprise and engagement through art in public places proudly continues with our newest public art installation in Philadelphia,” said Art at Amtrak Director Sharon Tepper. “By showcasing the work of a local artist, Amtrak is transforming and enhancing the Cira Skybridge, enriching the daily lives of the many travelers, locals and employees who utilize it, and provoking thought and emotion through this dynamic visual experience.”
The newest art installation at Gray 30th Street Station also follows several free public performances by PHILADANCO!, which delighted customers and station guests alike this past spring as a special presentation by the Art at Amtrak program. As the third busiest station in Amtrak’s national system, Gray 30th Street Station serves over 4 million Amtrak rail passengers and over 12 million SEPTA and NJ TRANSIT rail commuters annually. On an average weekday the station complex welcomes well over 100,000 people. Together, Cira Centre and Gray 30th Street Station serve as a gateway to Schuylkill Yards, a $3.5B development and innovation ecosystem master-planned by Brandywine in partnership with Drexel University.
“As longtime partners with Amtrak since the inception of Cira Centre almost two decades ago, we are thrilled to collaborate once more to offer a dynamic art experience for our building tenants and station visitors,” said Brandywine Executive Vice President and Senior Managing Director Jeff DeVuono. “This installation captures the vibrant energy and momentum of our evolving Schuylkill Yards neighborhood, one of the most exciting master-planned developments in the country, greatly enhanced by its prime location just outside the historic William H. Gray 30th Street Station."The art installation will open in September. In addition to the Art at Amtrak program at PHL, Amtrak is in the midst of a large-scale restoration and renovation project to modernize the station.
About the Art
Azar focused on how a greenhouse creates and sustains the conditions for botanical transplants to flourish, despite the plant’s change in location and climate. For this project, the artist created two digital compositions and worked with them in layers, starting with photographs taken of plants from greenhouses across the country. The artist abstracted the photos with digital manipulation, bold colors and simple gestures to construct playful compositions.
Azar chose to activate the space, which elicits a glasshouse/greenhouse structure, with botanical-inspired works to evoke the vitality of a thriving, lush environment where there is constant movement and transportation with people from all over the country. A dynamic visual experience of both the image and object is created where there are color shifting shadows, transparency and reflections all at once.
As part of the design, the artist also considered how plants move water and nutrients from their roots to their leaves in connection with how transportation allows cities and communities to flourish and grow.
See photos of the art installation here.
About the Artist
Roxana Azar is a Philadelphia-based artist whose light art, digital compositions, and dichroic plexiglass sculpture work utilizes photography, digital collage and manipulation, and sculpture. Their work includes holographic vases, mobiles, furniture and florals with images of collaged greenhouses and gardens.
About Art at Amtrak®
Art at Amtrak, the official public art program of Amtrak, presents diverse, unique and memorable art projects to enhance, invigorate and humanize the travel experience at Amtrak stations. Featuring rotating exhibitions from contemporary artists, Art at Amtrak reflects and celebrates each region's creative preeminence.
Amtrak has engaged Debra Simon Art Consulting to curate and produce Art at Amtrak. Simon was Director of Public Art at the Times Square Alliance created Arts Brookfield, the largest privately funded public art program in the United States; and co-founded the River-to-River festival.
More information about Art at Amtrak can be found here.
About Amtrak®
For more than 50 years, Amtrak has connected America and modernized train travel. Offering a safe, environmentally efficient way to reach more than 500 destinations across 46 states and parts of Canada, Amtrak provides travelers with an experience that sets a new standard. Book travel, check train status, access your eTicket and more through the Amtrak app. Learn more at Amtrak.com and connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Brandywine Realty Trust
Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE: BDN) is one of the largest, publicly traded, full-service, integrated real estate companies in the United States with a core focus in the Philadelphia and Austin markets. Organized as a real estate investment trust (REIT), we own, develop, lease and manage an urban, town center and transit-oriented portfolio comprising more than 150 properties and 22 million square feet. Our purpose is to shape, connect and inspire the world around us through our expertise, the relationships we foster, the communities in which we live and work, and the history we build together. For more information, please visit www.brandywinerealty.com.