STA STATION ART
Browne’s Addition is a historical neighborhood near downtown Spokane. It is a mashup of architectural styles, of business and residential, of nature and man-made structures, of new and old. I wanted my designs to reflect this eclecticism— the possibility and aliveness born out of these juxtapositions.
The challenge was to create artwork that reflects the historic elements of the neighborhood while honoring its youthful nature, all while keeping the stations cohesive. To this end, each station follows the same basic setup, using the windscreen design as a jumping-off point for the other pieces: each windscreen is made of a dark-framed element with a patterned piece in the middle. The flag, bins, and railings are built off the frame elements and pattern pieces. All the stations draw from the same bright color palette, focusing mainly on different shades of greens and blues.
See below for the images of the final artwork. Pictures of installed art will be up in the summer of 2023.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
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WINDSCREEN: Each windscreen has a black frame around the top and sides (at 67% opacity). The frames are inspired by the many styles you’ll find in Browne’s, including Tudor, Victorian, Arts & Crafts, Art Deco, and so much more. You will see influences from the Patsy Clark Mansion, Coeur d’Alene Park Gazebo, The Campbell House, The Fotheringham House, and from various wrought-iron fences and other architectural details in the neighborhood. Inside of the frame is a pattern, inspired by the surrounding trees and plants. With the exception of Cannon and 4th, which draws from the chestnut tree, each pattern corresponds with the tree-named street on which the station is located. These original patterns are built from fresh repeating motifs inspired by vintage wallpapers, like you might find (or have found) in many of these homes.
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FLAG: Each flag draws from the frame elements in its corresponding windscreen. They are color-blocked in a style reminiscent of arts and crafts stained-glass windows. The colors are drawn from the colors used in that station’s pattern. Each flag also has ROYGBIV representation to honor the LGBTQ+ community in Browne’s, signifying the accepting/forward-thinking attitude of the neighborhood.
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BINS: The waste bins are all different shades of blue, featuring the pattern that matches the windscreen at that station. The recycle bins are all different shades of green, also with the pattern that matches the windscreen at that station.
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RAILINGS: The railings are built off the coordinating windscreen frame elements, and are all in black and white, referring to the beautiful wrought-iron fences that are ubiquitous in Browne’s.
Details by station:
1 - Cannon & 4th: Pattern is inspired by the Chestnut Tree, frame is inspired by Patsy Clark Mansion windows and art nouveau elements in the neighborhood.
2a - Spruce & 2nd: Pattern is inspired by the Spruce Tree, frame is inspired by the Tudor style of the Campbell House. Both 2a and 2b are the same frame design, but the patterns are in different color ways to help differentiate between stations.
2b - 2nd & Spruce: Pattern is inspired by the Spruce Tree, frame is inspired by the Tudor style of the Campbell House. Both 2a and 2b are the same frame design, but the patterns are in different color ways to help differentiate between stations.
3 - Pacific & Hemlock: Pattern is inspired by Hemlock, both the tree and the plant. This pattern also has nods to local businesses, the river, and the wildlife in the area. The frame refers to the gazebo in Coeur D’Alene Park. The windscreen groupings are in two (2) different color ways, one for the eastbound bus station and one for the westbound bus station. NOTE: Because this delicate design contains a higher proportion of transparent area, the pattern is at 60% opacity.
5 - Pacific & Oak: Pattern is inspired by the Oak Tree. The frame is inspired by the Victorian shingles and details of the Fotheringham home and similar homes in the area. The windscreen groupings are in two (2) different color ways, on for the eastbound bus station and one for the westbound bus station.