UNION AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Location: Metrolink Station, Santa Clarita, CA
Client: City of Santa Clarita
Collaborator: Precision Metal Crafts
​Media writeup: Click here

September 5, 1876 marked the “wedding of the rails”, when the northern and southern rail lines met at Lang Station, in what is now the City of Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County. Located at a new train station not far from the former one, the proposed artwork is inspired by this significant historical event, notably the considerable contributions of Chinese workers. Their story has often not been told. The artwork has three components or stories: 1) Rails - the literal and the symbolic lines that connect people, communities, and places; 2) mountains - the San Gabriel Mountains are such a prominent defining feature of Santa Clarita and of the “wedding of the rails” story. Mountains also symbolize barriers that people face; and 3) union - the “wedding of the rails” is about the union of north and south, of east and west, of the contributions of many people from different cultures who worked together.​