Each of the 19 stops along the ION light rail transit line will include an anchor wall, featuring materials and colour patterns unique to that station.
At about half of the stops, that won’t be the only artistic feature.
The region has unveiled the 10 public art projects selected to be installed along the line. They were selected from more than 60 proposals.
A total of $875,000 has been set aside for selection, development, installation and maintenance of the projects.
Here are the 10 public art projects approved by the region, from north to south along the line:
Continuum (by Catherine Paleczny, for the Conestoga stop)
Two very different aspects of life in Waterloo Region are on display in Continuum – one
Network (by Ken Hall, for the Research and Technology stop)
Network contains “intricate structural connections” and programmed lights, which people can walk under and around. It is intended to reflect the idea of connectivity.
The Passenger (by Brandon Vickerd, for the Research and Technology stop)
At first, this sculpture looks like a person waiting for transit to arrive. On a second look, it becomes apparent that there’s much more going on.
Spinal Column (by Sandra Dunn, for the Grand River Hospital stop)
A piece of light rail track was used to create Spinal Column, a bench sculpted in a shape that reflects both the hospital near the stop and the idea of Ion as a spine of Waterloo Region.
Because Cats Can’t Fly (by Veronica and Edwin Dam de Nogales, for the Kitchener Market stop)
Inspired by the gears of local industry, bicycles and clocks, Because Cats Can’t Fly captures the region’s past and present. Its creators have created dozens of public art pieces across North America and Spain.
Tall Tales of Mill Street (by Terry O’Neill and Tara Cooper, for the Mill stop)
From apples to sausages to Oktoberfest, the Mill Street area has plenty of connections to the history of Waterloo Region – and many of them will be on display in Tall Tales of Mill Street.
Three Sisters (by Lindsay Lickers and Katharine Harvey, for the Block Line stop)
Six Nations artist Lindsay Lickers is collaborating with Katharine Harvey for this project, which will be digitally printed on a glass wall. It depicts the story of the Three Sisters and the Young Iroquoian Boy.
Shaping Residency (by Stephen Cruise, for the Fairway stop)
In Shaping Residency, two large sculptures of birds will be designed to reflect birds common to Waterloo Region, with inspiration from local drawing traditions.
Arras (by Lauren Judge and Elena Chand, for the transit drivers’ facility at the Fairway stop)
Two local artists are getting some help from local community members for Arras, which creates a patchwork out of recognizable fabric patterns to represent the social fabric of the surrounding neighbourhood.
Fabric of Place (by Lilly Otasevic, for a pedestrian barrier at a spot along the line yet to be determined)
Members of the community will be asked to help select fabric-inspired designs forFabric of Place, which will represent the connectedness of the community and traditional textile-making techniques.
