METRO Rededicates Art Installation by Renowned Artist Floyd Newsum

Story by Style Magazine Newswire

8/3/2023

On Wednesday, METRO leadership, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, former State Rep. Garnet Coleman, State Rep. Jolanda Jones and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis along with community members celebrated the rededication of an art installation by renowned artist Floyd Newsum.

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The Tower

"The Tower" was originally installed in 2014 at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Griggs Road along the METRORail Purple Line.

After receiving feedback from Coleman and the Third Ward community, the sculpture was relocated to a more prominent area near that intersection and additional lighting was added to ensure the public can enjoy the piece at any time of day.

"METRO's commissioning of 'The Tower' is an example of how public art can enhance the overall experience of public transportation, contribute to the identity of the transit system and the community that it serves," said METRO Board Chair Sanjay Ramabhadran.

The installation is part of The Authority's commitment to urban design which focuses on the look, feel and function of public spaces to shape quality of life in the region.

METRO's Arts in Transit Program aims to bring character into transit spaces with imagery that reflects community identity and the region's unique diversity.

"Art deals with the human condition and public art makes sure that people know that their community is something they can embrace," said Coleman. "This enhances our city and it enhances our quality of life."

A plaque was added to the platform of the piece, which reads:

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"This sculpture was created and installed as part of METRO's Arts in Transit program for the METRORail Purple Line. It embodies the spirit of rebirth and heritage. Pyramids are used to reflect a sense of revival and growth in the community."

Along with commissioned sculptures near METRORail lines, METRO also built art into the structure of rail platforms and continually collaborates with the community to create a vision for new and existing transit surroundings.

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METRO Celebrates Art Installation by Renowned Artist Floyd Newsum | Full Press Event

Check out "The Tower" along Martin Luther King Blvd and Griggs Road! 🚈 On Aug. 2, 2023, METRO leadership, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, former State Rep. Garnet Coleman, State Rep. Jolanda Jones and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis along with community members celebrated the rededication of this art installation by renowned artist Floyd Newsum. Read more here: https://bit.ly/45a9LAO You can read more about METRO's Arts in Transit program here: https://www.ridemetro.org/ArtsInTransit #Art #Artist #HoustonArt #HoustonMETRO #METROHouston _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ METRO is the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas – serving the Houston region with safe, clean, reliable, accessible and friendly public transportation services. We operate: • Local buses • METRORail (light rail) • METRORapid (bus rapid transit) • Park & Ride buses* • curb2curb (neighborhood shuttles) • HOV/HOT lanes • METROLift (paratransit service in City of Houston and most of Harris County) • METRO STAR Vanpool (in portions of an eight county region) * There are more than 25 Park & Ride locations throughout the Greater Houston Area, making it easy for you to park your car and get on board with METRO. For more about METRO, including fare information, schedules, maps, and how to ride – please visit: https://www.RideMETRO.org You can also subscribe to receive service alerts for the route(s) of your choice. We’ll send real-time, personalized route information direct to your phone or email for free. It takes just seconds to subscribe: https://www.RideMETRO.org/subscriptions If you have questions or need additional information, contact METRO Customer Service at 713-635-4000. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ For everything you need to ride METRO bus and rail services, download the RideMETRO app from your App Store (for iOS) or Google Play (for Android). Using the RideMETRO app, you can learn how to ride bus and rail, with information about: • Services we offer • Fares • Fare payment methods • Where to buy fares • How to pay when boarding You can also: • Plan a trip • Track your bus • View current alerts • Connect with METRO Police • Submit a comment And with a prior download of our companion Q Ticketing app, you’re just one tap away from where you can purchase mobile tickets – a contactless fare payment option to ride METRO bus and rail services. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Follow and engage with METRO on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.RideMETRO.org/facebook Instagram: https://www.RideMETRO.org/instagram Twitter: https://www.RideMETRO.org/twitter LinkedIn: https://www.RideMETRO.org/linkedin YouTube: https://www.RideMETRO.org/youtube Subscribe to @METROHouAlerts on Twitter for up to the minute information #HoustonMETRO #METROHouston

Check out "The Tower" along Martin Luther King Blvd and Griggs Road! 🚈 On Aug. 2, 2023, METRO leadership, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, former State Rep. Garnet Coleman, State Rep. Jolanda Jones and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis along with community members celebrated the rededication of this art installation by renowned artist Floyd Newsum. Read more here: https://bit.ly/45a9LAO You can read more about METRO's Arts in Transit program here: https://www.ridemetro.org/ArtsInTransit #Art #Artist #HoustonArt #HoustonMETRO #METROHouston _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ METRO is the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas – serving the Houston region with safe, clean, reliable, accessible and friendly public transportation services. We operate: • Local buses • METRORail (light rail) • METRORapid (bus rapid transit) • Park & Ride buses* • curb2curb (neighborhood shuttles) • HOV/HOT lanes • METROLift (paratransit service in City of Houston and most of Harris County) • METRO STAR Vanpool (in portions of an eight county region) * There are more than 25 Park & Ride locations throughout the Greater Houston Area, making it easy for you to park your car and get on board with METRO. For more about METRO, including fare information, schedules, maps, and how to ride – please visit: https://www.RideMETRO.org You can also subscribe to receive service alerts for the route(s) of your choice. We’ll send real-time, personalized route information direct to your phone or email for free. It takes just seconds to subscribe: https://www.RideMETRO.org/subscriptions If you have questions or need additional information, contact METRO Customer Service at 713-635-4000. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ For everything you need to ride METRO bus and rail services, download the RideMETRO app from your App Store (for iOS) or Google Play (for Android). Using the RideMETRO app, you can learn how to ride bus and rail, with information about: • Services we offer • Fares • Fare payment methods • Where to buy fares • How to pay when boarding You can also: • Plan a trip • Track your bus • View current alerts • Connect with METRO Police • Submit a comment And with a prior download of our companion Q Ticketing app, you’re just one tap away from where you can purchase mobile tickets – a contactless fare payment option to ride METRO bus and rail services. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Follow and engage with METRO on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.RideMETRO.org/facebook Instagram: https://www.RideMETRO.org/instagram Twitter: https://www.RideMETRO.org/twitter LinkedIn: https://www.RideMETRO.org/linkedin YouTube: https://www.RideMETRO.org/youtube Subscribe to @METROHouAlerts on Twitter for up to the minute information #HoustonMETRO #METROHouston