Pictured left to right: Charles Egan, San Francisco State University Professor of Chinese; Joseph Leung, Singtao Newspaper Chief Editor; Carin Mui, long time San Francisco local and winning author of the Chinatown Plaza Couplet Contest; Terry Luk, Calligrapher; and SFMTA Central Subway Project Director John Funghi.

In April, the search began for a couplet, which is a pair of prose that is similar in meaning that phonetically rhymes, to be turned into art that will adorn the entryway of the Chinatown Plaza at the Chinatown Station of the T Third Line Central Subway extension. A panel of three judges reviewed the 120 entries that were submitted from various places such as San Francisco, neighboring Bay Area cities, Southern California, East Coast, and overseas.

Mui’s winning couplet reads, “In the past, we traveled across the Pacific to mine for gold; Now, we break through earth to form a silver dragon.” The expression reflects on the great sacrifice of Mui’s ancestors and the first Chinese sojourners who labored to create a better life. It also alludes to the Central Subway trains, which will provide important transportation connectivity, as the silver dragon.

In true tradition, if placed outside of a door, the couplet blessing or idiom is meant to greet and welcome visitors. Mui’s couplet will be transcribed into calligraphy by Terry Luk, and imprinted onto red opaque glass with black lettering outside of the Chinatown Plaza to greet visitors of Chinatown.

When open for revenue service in 2019, the Central Subway will provide an important service linking the northern and southern parts of the city to community, the arts and commerce.

Artwork was selected in accordance with the Central Subway Public Art Program Goals:

• To commission vibrant high quality works of art to reflect San Francisco’s enduring commitment to the exceptional design of civic spaces
• To enhance the quality of transit riders’ experience through a range of high quality, signature public artwork by both local and national artists
• To create a unique visual identity for each station, architecturally and culturally, by commissioning artworks that dramatically enliven the station interiors and reflect the diverse history and vitality of surrounding neighborhoods
• To develop artworks that will remain in a busy underground transit environment for many years through the use of durable materials and fabrication methods that allow for easy maintenance and are resistant to vandalism
• To engage new artists and maintain a fresh and lively environment in the Central Subway following the completion of construction through art installations at each station

Here’s what you will see at the different stations:

Chinatown

Artist Yumei Hou’s Yang Ge Dance of Northeast China will be installed in the ticketing hall

Traditional Chinese paper cut artist Yumei Hou will create two large-scale laser-cut metal artwork installations for the Chinatown Station based on the Yang Ge (Sprout Dance). This piece depicts a popular outdoor folk dance performed to celebrate happy occasions that originated in the northeastern provinces of China. The artist’s design emphasizes the spirit and the most iconic figures of the dance along with scenes of country life. The cut metal panels will be painted a vibrant red and installed so that they stand slightly off from the wall to allow for shadow casting. The artwork will be located in the mezzanine level and in the ticketing hall.

Tomie Arai’s design, Urban Archeology on the façade of the station

Urban Archeology, designed by Tomie Arai, illustrates the history of Chinatown through large scale photographs that will be translated into architectural glass panels. Upon approaching the station, people will come upon images of the contemporary Chinatown community on the façade along Stockton Street and Washington Street. Inside the station, Arai’s work will continue to the platform level with historical images dating back to the 19^th century.

Artist Clare Rojas’ A Sense of Community will be located on the concourse level cavern wall

Artist Clare Rojas created a two dimension piece for the cavern wall at the concourse level of the Chinatown Station. Her piece entitled A Sense of Community uses imagery obtained from Chinese textile samples which have been translated onto tile and arranged in a pattern reminiscent of Cathedral Quilting. Each colorful swatch will be framed within in small circle closely connected to the other circles.

Union Square| Market Street

Erwin Redl’s Lucy in the Sky will create light effects along the underground connection corridor

The artwork by Erwin Redl for the Union Square|Market Street Station titled Lucy in the Sky is an illuminated installation composed of hundreds of translucent 10 x 10 inch light panels, each containing an array of color LEDs. The light panels, suspended along the entire length of the concourse level corridor’s ceiling in a diamond-shaped pattern, will be computer programmed to slowly change color and display simple patterns and animations, creating a dazzling spectacle for commuters.

Illuminated Scroll by Jim Campbell and Werner Klotz will wind through the ceiling struts at the platform level

For the platform level of the Union Square|Market Street Station, artists Jim Campbell and Werner Klotz are creating a site-specific stainless steel sculpture titled Illuminated Scroll. This artwork is in the form of a ribbon which is comprised of highly polished steel disks, and will be installed overhead, winding its way through struts along the length of the platform. The sculpture will reflect the passengers and trains passing below.

Hughen Starkweather’s Convergence Commute Patterns will create interesting light effects

For the station entry on Geary and Stockton, Hughen Starkweather (Amanda Hughen and Jennifer Starkweather) will integrate a design into the glass deck and the front faces of the glass elevator enclosures. Their artwork titled Convergence: Commute Patterns is based on the dynamic and diverse pathways, commute patterns and arterial structures that exist above and below the streets of the Bay Area. The visual impact of this design treatment to the station’s exterior would shift from subtle during the day to backlit and more vibrant at night.

Yerba Buena|Moscone

The history of the construction of the Moscone Center will be incorporated in Catherine Wagner’s artwork

For the Yerba Buena|Moscone Station, Catherine Wagner will translate photographs she took in the late 70s documenting the construction of the George Moscone Convention Center into six large-scale photographic sculptural reliefs sandblasted and laser etched onto granite stone panels for installation on the concourse level. For the surface level at the station entry, a photograph from this series will be translated into art glass for installation at the glass curtain wall.

Leslie Shows’ Face C/Z will be installed in the ticketing hall

For a prominent wall in the ticketing hall on the concourse level of the Yerba Buena|Moscone Station, Leslie Shows will create an integrated two-dimensional artwork. This artwork, titled Face C/Z, is based on photographic images of iron pyrite rock captured by a flatbed scanner. Working with a glass fabricator, the artist will translate this imagery into a durable artwork fabricated in mirrored, painted, and engraved glass; sheet metal; gravel; and other permanent materials. Because of the reflectivity of its elements, Face C/Z will shimmer and appear to change in color. By using pyrite, also known as “fool’s gold”, the piece speaks to the history of California’s Gold Rush and ever-changing economy.

4^th and Brannan Surface Station

A kinetic sculpture, Microscopic, will be installed at the surface station

The surface station at 4^th and Brannan Street will feature a dynamic, kinetic sculpture, Microscopic. Designed by Moto Ohtake, this piece will measure at 14 feet by 17 feet and will be installed on the upper portion of the 40 foot marquee pole on the platform. Thirty one rotating points will allow the sculpture to interact with different wind conditions, creating various visual patterns depending on the direction and fluctuation of wind patterns.

For more information about the Public Art Program, check out the San Francisco Arts Commission website.

Tomie Arai

Artist Tomie Arai met with some of the San Francisco community on August 7 about her art installation for the future Central Subway Station in Chinatown. More than thirty people attended the event produced in conjunction with the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) and hosted by the Chinese Culture Center (CCC). The presentation was done both in English and translated into Chinese by Cathie Lam of Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC).

Mary Chou (SFAC)

Abby Chen, curator and artistic director of CCC, welcomed the artist Tomie Arai and introduced the SFAC public art representative Mary Chou.

Ms. Chou (SFAC) described the comprehensive public art program and how it will reflect the rich cultural and historical contexts within this area (see Central Subway Arts Master Plan). As explained by Chou, the purpose of this gathering was for the artist to receive input from the community.

The location of this installation will be a wrap around the outside top entrance of the station and two platform level pieces.

Arai’s work will be at locations #1 (outside wraparound), #3a (platform level), and #3b (platform level).

The public informs the artist about their preferences for the station artwork.

Arai took the group through a series of slides that represented some of her previous art work. Much of her work has dealt with cultural identities. Her work tends to highlight and celebrate a community’s shared history. Arai’s goal is to tell a story about San Francisco’s Chinatown and her concept for her installation is “Urban Archeology.” Her vision for this art piece is to represent both the past and the present of the Chinatown community. A commemorative group photo of this important gathering can be seen below.

      Some of the community members with the artist Tomie Arai.

Construction is progressing at the site where tunneling will begin next year. Download our summer 2012 newsletter to learn more.

Hot off the presses: It’s the summer 2012 edition of the Central Subway newsletter. Download it in English or Chinese to learn about the latest project news and to gain insight into construction progress, the public art program and community outreach events.

This edition of the quarterly project newsletter features:

• A project update from SFMTA Director of Transportation Edward D. Reiskin
• Insight into featured artist Yumei Hou’s artwork for the Chinatown Station
• A Central Subway construction update
• And more…

The Central Subway newsletter is also available via email. To have future newsletters delivered directly to your inbox, subscribe to our mailing list here.

The Union Square/Market Street Station will connect residents and visitors to the heart of Union Square and downtown.

The contract to construct the Central Subway Union Square/Market Street Station has gone out for bid, marking the latest advance in this major improvement to San Francisco’s public transportation system.

The centrally located station will connect residents and visitors to San Francisco’s vibrant Union Square and downtown, home to the city’s highest concentration of jobs and an outstanding array of hotels, entertainment venues and restaurants.

The Central Subway and the Union Square/Market Street Station will significantly speed up travel through this busy area and improve connections to local and regional transit options – all while enhancing the aesthetic of this world-renowned destination:

• The station, a subway station, will have entrances in Union Square Plaza and at the corner of Market and Stockton streets.
• The station will connect directly to the existing Powell Street Station via an underground concourse-to-concourse walkway, allowing for easy transfers to BART and the other Muni Metro lines.
• The station’s main entrance, to be located at the corner of Stockton and Geary streets, will complement and enrich Union Square Plaza by blending into the existing landscape and emulating the aesthetic of the plaza. Two major art installations will adorn the interior of the station.

Bids on the estimated $210 million contract are due July 11. A pre-bid conference will be held May 16 at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library.

More information about the Union Square/Market Street Station is available in our station fact sheet and in this press release from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA).

Parties interested in this contract should e-mail Bernie Ancheta (bernie.ancheta@SFMTA.com) or call 415-701-4278. Please visit SFGOV.org to access the advertised bid document.

Mayor Lee spoke about the benefits of the Central Subway today at a press conference in Chinatown.

The Central Subway will improve public transportation in San Francisco, create thousands of jobs and enhance the quality of life of residents and visitors alike. That’s what Mayor Edwin M. Lee and other local leaders and community members said at a press conference today at the site of the future Chinatown Station, hailing the Central Subway as an essential and much-needed investment in the city’s infrastructure and economic future.

“Once the Central Subway is built, this new light-rail extension will be an engine for job creation and economic growth in our city, connecting our vital neighborhoods and diverse communities,” said Mayor Lee. “This important investment in our city’s infrastructure will improve transportation options, reduce emissions and enhance the quality of life of residents and visitors.”

Mayor Lee, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors Chairman Tom Nolan, San Francisco Board of Supervisors President David Chiu and others gathered to unveil a decorative vinyl wrap installed at the site of the future Chinatown Station. The wrap, which features renderings of the station design, a mural provided by the Chinese Historical Society of America and artwork by students from the Chinatown YMCA, will protect and enhance the appearance of the now-vacant building at 933 to 949 Stockton Street until it is demolished later this year.

The building has been acquired by the SFMTA, and, with SFMTA assistance, all residential and commercial tenants have successfully relocated.

Top: 933-949 Stockton Street with the artistic wrap. Bottom: The building before the wrap was installed.

The station, a subway station to be constructed at the southwest corner of Stockton and Washington streets, will feature an open, contemporary aesthetic that emphasizes transparency and simplicity. Light-colored and reflective surfaces will maximize lighting efficiency and create a bright, welcoming atmosphere even when customers are below ground. Artwork selected through the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Public Art Program will adorn the station and provide insight into local culture and history.

These renderings depict the design of the Central Subway Chinatown Station.

The Central Subway Project has achieved major milestones in recent months, and more progress is on the horizon this year:

• The contract for the Chinatown Station has been advertised. Bids on the estimated $235 million contract are due May 8.
• Contracts for the other three Central Subway stations are on track for advertisement this spring and summer.
• Work to prepare the project alignment for the construction of a 1.6-mile tunnel is on track to commence this spring.
• In his budget proposal for fiscal year 2013, President Obama included a recommendation for $150 million in funding for the Central Subway Project.
• For the fifth consecutive year, the project received a strong positive rating from the Federal Transit Administration in its annual New Starts review. This indicates that a Full Funding Grant Agreement for nearly $1 billion in New Starts funding may be forthcoming.

To find out more about the Chinatown Station and recent progress on the Central Subway Project, check out this press release (PDF) from Mayor Lee’s office.

• The status of our grant application with the Federal Transit Administration
• The major project milestones we expect to accomplish this year
• The dazzling public art installation planned for the Union Square/Market Street Station
• Recent progress we have made on the Chinatown Station
• The reroutes of Muni lines 30 Stockton and 45 Union/Stockton

You can also find information about our next Community Advisory Group meeting, which will be held on February 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church at 925 Stockton Street.

Two of the winning artists/artist teams will be commissioned to create two original works at each of the stations: a landmark and a wayfinding artwork. The landmark project will serve as the identity for the station and will be located in a prominent area such as the entryway or the large wall expanses on the concourse level. The wayfinding artwork will extend through two or three of the station levels, providing a visual thread for pedestrians to follow through the station.

At the Union Square/Market Street Station, Erwin Redl’s landmark artwork, Lucy in the Sky, will span the entire ceiling of the station’s main concourse. The ceiling’s long

Erwin Redl

expanse will be covered with hundreds of proprietary, translucent 10” x 10” light pixels aligned in a diamond grid. Each pixel will be lit by RGB-LEDs that will cause the small panels to shimmer and shift in color creating an ever-changing and dazzling spectacle for transit users. The wayfinding artwork commission for the Union Square/Market Street station was awarded to the artist team of Jim Campbell and Werner Klotz. Their installation, Reflected Loop, will circumscribe sections of the concourse and platform levels to create a unifying circuit of light and ambient reflections throughout the station. Made of highly polished stainless steel discs supported from above by thin steel rods, the band will wind its way through the station in a sectional loop.

Jim Campbell and Werner Klotz

Tomie Arai

For the Chinatown Station landmark artwork, artist Yu Mei Hou’s installation, Yang Ge Dance of Northeast China, is based on traditional Chinese paper cut art depicting a popular outdoor folk dance from the Northeastern provinces of China. The folk dance is a form of storytelling, and the artist’s work includes imagery from a number of popular legends as well as scenes from everyday life. Tomie Arai’s wayfinding artwork illustrates the history of the area surrounding

Yu Mei Hou

the subway station through architectural glass elements. As riders move through the different layers of the station, they will be able to experience this narrative in much the same way as an archeologist might sift through layers of history to uncover the past.

For the Moscone Station landmark project, local artist Catherine Wagner will transform photographs she took in the late 1970s documenting the construction of the Moscone Center into large-scale photographic drawings that are experienced as sculptural reliefs.  The images of the Moscone Center construction in process will be sandblasted and laser etched onto a grey stone or metal panel that will be set, slightly recessed, into the walls spanning the concourse level. For the wayfinding artwork, Tom Otterness will create a series of humorous sculptural vignettes featuring his signature bronze characters as transit riders, which will be placed throughout the station.

Catherine Wagner

Tom Otterness

For more information, please visit the San Francisco Arts Commission Public Art Program.

Chinese Cultural Center
750 Kearny Street
Operating hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

 The following are the artist proposals displayed for the CTS station:

Landmark Proposals

Gold Mountain Sequoias (金山青松)

Artist: Ming Fay
Title: Gold Mountain Sequoias (金山青松)
“Staged at the first landing of the subway escalators, the mural welcomes visitors as they ride the escalator down into the station, reminding them of the natural beauty that surrounds their urban environment and an important historical time in California’s history. The escalator trip towards the mural allows the viewer to engage the mural and be drawn into the illusive quality of the mosaic’s colored glass pieces. Measuring approximately 14’h x 40’w, the wall of the mosaic feels like a section in a long scroll, allowing the viewers to experience the piece as they move across the platform into and out of the station.  The mosaic’s vibrant colors will definitely light up the subterranean space.”

Yang Ge Dance of Northeast China

Artist: Yumei Hou
Title: Yang Ge Dance of Northeast China
“The mural on the arch wall depicts some of the more popular dances, such as the well known folk tale of the Monkey King, the tale of the White Snake, the story of the four monsters, and pictures of daily life such as a couple’s harmony, wife visiting her family, dancing crowns, young and elderly ladies.  The arch trimming in red tells the tale of Manchurians driving evils out, and the part in green tells of the celebration of one’s 60th birthday.”

An Ocean to Cross/A Land to Build

Artist: May Sun
Title: An Ocean to Cross/A Land to Build
“The focal point on the wall is a long photographic panorama of vintage photos of Chinatown taken by German immigrant photographer Arnold Genthe at the turn of the century. The images show street life – men gathering around a letter writer, pedestrians, vegetable sellers and other workers as well as a Chinese typesetting facility.  Above the long panoramic photo panel is a group photo of revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Chinese Republic, taken with his supporters in San Francisco.  A fugitive on the run, he traveled to California to raise funds from the overseas Chinese for his cause – to overthrow the corrupt Manchu Dynasty in China.  The Chinese in San Francisco were instrumental in its success.”

Wayfinding Proposals

The Chinese Underground Garden

Artists: Carl Cheng
Title: The Chinese Underground Garden
“Three elements of Chinese gardens will be used throughout the station to provide continuity to the cultural community: the moon gate, the window lattice grill designs and the natural vistas, all inspired by the Tang and Sung Dynasty.  The artist will take images of contemporary garden vistas, fruits and vegetables displayed in the local shops and combine them into original artworks to be constructed into the window boxes. Contemporary shadow outlines and silhouette patterns will be used in fabricating the grill designs.”

Urban Archaeology

Artist: Tomei Arai
Title: Urban Archaeology
“In this urban narrative, passengers will be presented with a visual timeline that begins with contemporary images of the Chinatown community at the subway entrance and ends on the Platform Level with life before the city was founded.  Moving from level to level, passengers will be invited to experience the artwork in much the same way as archeologists sift through layers of history to discover clues about the past.”

The Garden

Artists: Yun-Fei Ji
Title: The Garden
“For this project, I will use the Chinese hand scroll as my point of departure. I envision a contiguous scroll that wends its way through the three levels of the subway station, with occasional breaks, as dictated by the architecture.
The subject of the scroll will be the building of a classical Chinese garden, an ideal place of harmony and fulfillment that reflects the dreams and desires of the community. This garden will be populated with contemporary Chinese Americans, young and old, going about their everyday business of working, playing and socializing, as they do in Chinatown’s parks. These characters will be approximately 14 inches tall and will be situated at eye level.”

Inception, Confluence and Flow

Artists: Faye Zhang
Title: Inception, Confluence and Flow
“In this series of works, I play with the varying forms and movement of water. My initial inspiration for these pieces came from the unifying quality of water. Not only is San Francisco nestled by the Bay, but early immigrants traveled thousands of miles on waterways, coming together and settling down to make communities within the city. The powerful and beautiful motion of water truly connects us all.”

For more in-depth proposal information and images please visit the display at the Chinese Cultural Center or visit the San Francisco Arts Commission Web site and email your comments on the proposal to Zoe Taleporos, Program Associate (zoe.taleporos@sfgov.org).

 Contemporary Jewish Museum
736 Mission Street
Operating hours: Monday-Tuesday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.;
Wednesday, closed; Thursday, 1-8 p.m.;
Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

 The following are the artist proposals displayed for the MOS station:

 Landmark Proposals

(Untitled)

Artist: Brian Tolle
Title: (Untitled)
“Passengers ebb and flow through train stations, not unlike the fog that rolls in and out of San Francisco each morning and night. I propose the creation of landmark artworks that celebrate these phenomena. Using computer generated models and state of the art CNC router technologies, molds will be generated to create unique works that depict single moments of a surface seemingly in motion. The works proposed will be cast in translucent fiberglass.”

Flocking

Artist: Joyce Hsu
Title: Flocking
“The average commuter may spend up to five hours a week in a transit station for their daily migration. For me, these spaces are hardly inspiring of dreams. But what if commuters were presented with a flock of jet-pack flying devices (ornithopters) with bird-like wings against the backdrop of a dreamlike sky? The artwork would be the embodiment of both the imaginative (flying) and natural landscape (marshland) into the constructed environment (station). It will become a strong icon for the station, offering commuters a reminder of their dreams and an opportunity to dissect that eternal problem up close. The installation will be aesthetically intriguing, and become synonymous with the vibrancy of South of Market.”

Arc Cycle (working title)

Artist: Catherine Wagner
Title: Arc Cycle (working title)
“In the late 1970s I photographed  the beginning of the construction of the Moscone Center. My interest was not in the convention center as it stands today, rather it was the process of construction that speaks to the idea of change, a common denominator in all of our lives.  For the new Moscone Central Subway Station, I propose to transform images from the series George Moscone Site into large-scale photographic drawings that are seen as sculptural reliefs.  These would span the concourse wall from the turnstiles to the elevator shaft (concourse end, concourse side wall).  The images of the Moscone Center construction in process would be sandblasted and laser etched onto a grey stone or metal panel that would be set, slightly recessed, into the wall.  Having the opportunity to transcribe this imagery onto the subterranean façade, close to the site of their creation would highlight the cyclical nature of dynamic urban change.”

Wayfinding Proposals

(Untitled)

 Artists: Tom Otterness
Title: (Untitled)
“My initial ideas show the movement of life from above ground to the track level – using figures and buildings that are a cross between early constructivist abstraction and simple children’s building blocks. People are represented by four essential geometric forms: the sphere, the cone, the cube and the cylinder.  These abstract concepts can symbolize differences in race, class, culture and gender. The project will demonstrate the intermingling of all these different people on the platform of the subway, commuting to work, shopping with their families, carrying things here and there, and tourists with cameras on the way to museums. Like the city, the subway is a place where all types are welcome, where everyone converges and everyone is on equal footing.”

Untitled

Artist: Mildred Howard
Title: Untitled
“Waiting for a train to arrive, you may daydream of people or events that happened at this site in the past or even some you just saw last week. Subway stations are an allegory of modern life, with movement, fleeting glimpses of people and random relationships, mysteriously acceptable. To capture these ideas and help people navigate through the space, I would install related art pieces at all three levels of the station, as if leaving bread crumbs as clues to find your way to and from a particular place. This method would incorporate an art piece repeated in different shapes and locations within the station. This led me to the idea of the grid of glass at various locations that reveals imagery, telling the rich history of the site and the diversity of people who use the station. It conveys the mystery of the experience of walking down into the earth to catch a train that will disappear into a black hole while I am on it!”

Radiant Rays

 Artist: Michele Oka Doner
Title: Radiant Rays
“Monolithic concrete, the primary construction material of the station, is by far the most potent factor to consider when responding to the mission statement. With this in mind I propose a work of art based on light.

Beginning with the glass curtain wall of the head house an expanding radiant pattern, evoking the sun’s rays, will dominate the entrance. This radial motion is designed with an actual vanishing point in mind. It establishes palpable tension in the visual surface of the head house glass wall, and serves to extend the sense of space to an imagined plane.

The lines themselves will be sandblasted into the glass curtain wall and tipped lightly with gold leaf, adding a high note of brilliance to the site.”

For more in-depth proposal information and images please visit the display at the Contemporary Jewish Art Museum or visit the San Francisco Arts Commission Web site and email your comments on the proposal to Zoe Taleporos, Program Associate (zoe.taleporos@sfgov.org).