Trolley riders now can enjoy one of three planned murals celebrating “diversity, culture and unity” in southeast San Diego along the Orange Line.
The Metropolitan Transit System unveiled the first of the works, “Heartline,” by community artist Maxx Moses, Friday. He aimed to create his design “through the lens of urban surrealism, encapsulating the cultural identities of the people who live in these vibrant neighborhoods,’ according to MTS.
The three murals are expected to be completed by May. Each design has different culture and lifestyle-oriented themes:
- “Heartline” – Massachusetts Avenue Transit Station; the 200-foot-long mural presents public transportation as the heartbeat of the city, feeding and fed by the circulation of people from the community, while also hinting at the opportunity of connection and economic inclusion from the city to the suburbs.
- “Blossom” – Euclid Avenue Transit Station; an in-progress mural that depicts marigolds, a flower that symbolizes the life of the community, while acknowledging the stories and culture that set the foundation of the city.
- “Seamless” – 47th Street Trolley Transit Station; an in-progress mural inspired by connectivity and the fusing of communities through transit.
Moses said he was inspired to create the designs while exploring the city on the 2019 MTS Free Ride Day. Another Moses mural for MTS can be seen at the Encanto/62nd Street Trolley station. He completed it in 2010.
Elected officials and MTS representatives hope the murals inspire more tourism to the area.
Monica Montgomery Steppe, a San Diego City Council member who also sits on the MTS board sees the murals encouraging “foot traffic for businesses surrounding the area, and economic growth.”
Sharon Cooney, MTS’s chief executive officer, said the agency wants “to inspire people from all parts of San Diego to come explore these neighborhoods, help businesses nearby and enjoy the meaningful art that will beautify these walls.”