BART Irvington Station Art Program Public Art Design Development Presentation Recording Now Available
In late 2020, Rebeca Méndez was selected by a panel consisting of members of the Bay Area art community as well as City of Fremont and BART staff to develop the artwork for Irvington Station. Since then, Rebeca and her team have been researching the area’s rich history to better inform the artwork. This engagement has included meetings with the Ohlone community to learn about the region’s Native American historic and contemporary culture, as well as visits to the U.C. Berkeley collections and the Washington Township Museum of Local History to gather more insights into the area’s past, including the fossil finds from the nearby Bell Quarry by the “boy paleontologists” whose discoveries in the 1940’s through 1960’s gave rise to the slice of time in the early Pleistocene known as the Irvingtonian North American Stage. In addition, visits to Coyote Hills and other nearby parks have provided insights into the flora and fauna of the region. Rebeca recently presented her artwork design to the selection panel and in this video describes how it weaves together all of these diverse elements of the Irvington area’s story.
The Irvington design effort is made possible by 2014 Measure BB funding allocated by the Alameda County Transportation Commission, as well as Regional Measure 2 funding provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
Irvington Station Final Design: Architecture & Art - Click here for more information
Irvington Station Art Program March 22, 2021 Webinar Recordng Now Available
On March 22, 2021, BART and the City of Fremont held a webinar to get community input on the Irvington BART Station Art Program. The recording of that webinar can be accessed here.
BART Selects Rebeca Méndez as Artist for Irvington Station
An artist selection panel, which included representatives from the City of Fremont, BART and members of the Bay Area art community, recently selected Rebeca Méndez as the artist for Irvington Station. Examples of her previous work can be found at https://rebecamendez.com/.
As Ms. Méndez begins to develop concepts for the station artwork, BART and the City of Fremont will host a virtual meeting to provide an opportunity for the community to “meet” Ms. Méndez and to share feedback about the Irvington/Fremont community.
Announcements for the community meeting will be posted on the City of Fremont and BART’s project websites. Feedback from the meeting will allow Ms. Méndez to develop a greater understanding of the function and use of the station and its connection to the community; consider any physical, social, cultural, biological or geographic aspects of the site and/or the community that may inspire the theme, content or concept of the artwork; and provide the community and stakeholders with information about the artist and her approach to art making.
Irvington Station: Project Background
The Irvington BART Station will be located at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Osgood Road, approximately halfway between the existing Fremont BART Station and the Warm Springs/South Fremont BART Station. The Irvington Station will be a neighborhood-friendly station which prioritizes pedestrian, bicycle and shared mobility access, including integration with the East Bay Greenway. More information about the Irvington Station project can be found at https://www.bart.gov/about/projects/wsx/news and https://fremont.gov/2977/Irvington-BART-Station.
Warm Springs / South Fremont Station and Fremont Station Art
In keeping with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) guidelines to incorporate art into mass transit projects, BART commissioned artwork from professional artists for the Warm Springs / South Fremont Station and for the concrete seating areas at the Fremont Station. The goals of the BART Warm Springs Extension (WSX) Art Program are to provide a unique identity for the new station and to attract riders by creating more vibrant and welcoming stations.
Warm Springs / South Fremont Station - "Sky Cycles" by Artist Catherine Widgery
Catherine Widgery's "Sky Cycles" weaves images from differing times of day, times of year, and points of view into large expanses of art glass in the entrance rotunda. The artist's goal is to create artwork that is never the same from any place or time of day. Patrons will find different details and combinations of colors and light each time they visit the station. Fremont's lakes, hills and city skyline serve as the inspiration for the abstract images in the station's concourse curtain walls. Learn more about artist Catherine Widgery.
The Warm Springs / South Fremont Station was recognized as one of CodaWorx Top 100 Design Projects in 2018. Learn more about the award here.
Fremont Station - "Tile Benches" by Joe Kievitt
Two arrays of benches near the west entrance of the Fremont Station have undergone decorative treatment as part of the WSX Art Program. The Fremont Station bench artwork consists of glass tile mosaics installed on the walls, columns, and roof undersides of the seating area. The artist's goal is to create a positive first image of the station and to provide a cheerful welcome to the City of Fremont. The bench array artwork was dedicated on July 23, 2014.
For more information about the BART Warm Springs Extension project visit www.bart.gov/wsx.
Art Program Archives
Irvington BART Station Art Program Webinar Scheduled for March 22, 2021
New Irvington BART Station Call for Artist RFQ
Irvington Station Art Program Community Input Opportunity
Updated September 2022