An iconic sculpture reflects this station’s title and location, near the Clark Planetarium. Adams arrived at a modified sphere to communicate a version of our universe, beautifully crafted of stainless steel and resting on a base of Utah sandstone. The sphere has represented the Universe to many peoples in many eras. Adams’ version includes elegant details of the fabricated stainless mesh with the support bars adapted into the sculpture itself. As a crowning element, the rim of the sphere sports cast bronze stars, completing the allusion to our planet and its relationship to the endless sky above.

Old Greek Town TRAX Station given its name, in part, to recognize the Greek immigrants, the largest population of people who lived and worked in the neighborhood for years. The underlying design used by the artist is based on machine gears; serving as symbols of progress and relating to the industrial and railroad history of this area.

Konopasek designed the tree grates, a painted metal element running across the upper portion of the glass windscreens and a freestanding sculpture, all tied together by this image of gears. In a broader sense, Konopasek extends the concept of the gears to represent how the universe is made from small individual parts that work together in unison. The work is fabricated metal, some of it deliberately rusted to lend a sense of time past, some of it painted for a more contemporary look toward the future.

 

A graceful and powerful welcome to the University of Utah campus, Flame Figure blends an ideal sense of the human form with the elemental energy of fire. Light, air and woven bronze alloy define a space that is both internal and external – massive, yet yielding.  The towering figures reaches skyward, an inspired representation of human endeavor.

The sculpture at this station is conceptually tied to the fractal geometry and the mathematics of what the eye cannot visibly see in the daily journey of coming and going. The “mechanical still life” represents the journey and the enormous effect the wheel has had upon the world and Salt Lake City. It is the notion of the wheel defining “the place” along the way, or the final destination of the traveler. The psychic relationship between the “box of air and the tension of its jumbled wheel contents are the overlaid images of a daydream – the inner workings of the brain . . .” 

The neighborhood is at the foundation of the artwork integrated into all elements of the Trolley Station. The artists used ideas and images generated from a series of workshops they conducted with Central City youths and seniors. They were translated into mosaics, granite pavers, glass art and more. The Central City community is rich in history and the art workshops provided the opportunity for residents to share that history – and their dreams for the future –  and see them transformed into permanent and colorful works of art.  

Working with the richness of the written word and balancing the concepts of order and chaos results in a number of elements at the Library Station. Stacks of oversized cast bronze books are placed on the platform, with particular attention paid to their titles. The viewer is left to determine why each stack contains the titles it does. The book stacks were first modeled in wax, then cast in bronze, and finally colored with a chemical patina.

Etched into the windscreen glass are the images of library shelves bearing books, organized by their subject area. The books are marked with quotes along their spines, rather than book titles, providing some thought-provoking reading material for TRAX passengers.

Celebrating the people who make this place a neighborhood, the artists showcased diverse techniques in cast glass to bring color and vitality to this TRAX station. Each of the glass tile patterns inset in the benches represents one of the many ethnic groups in our community and the faces that look out from the colorful towers serve to remind us that we all contribute to the character of the neighborhood. Special thanks to the members of the Glass Arts Guild of Utah for their assistance on this project.

A group of 11 people, including artists, writers and architects, collaborated to create the artwork at the Ballpark Station.

The Ballpark Station in the People’s Freeway neighborhood is rich with history and local pride. Artwork reflecting this richness includes colorful painted images on railing panels, color tile insets in the platform and etched images in the windscreen. The tree grates follow the history of the ballpark, a keystone of this community. An extensive photo frieze, capturing the essence of the neighborhood, stands as a reminder of the people in the community to whom we are indebted.

Queue, a corten steel sculpture by Utah artist Cordell Taylor, represents the riders who use the TRAX light rail system. It is prominently installed at the entrance to the parking lot.