Art in transit

Discover visual treats at ‘Secaucus junction’

In the hectic hustle and bustle of daily life, art can slip through the cracks between business meetings, carpools, and grocery shopping. But those who are willing to slow life’s frenetic pace for even a few moments can discover art, and artistic flourishes, almost anywhere: a pair of fish and frog sculptures near the Secaucus Municipal Center waterfall; collectable Barbie dolls near the library entrance; paintings on a platform at the train station.
In fact, the Frank R. Lautenberg Rail Station in Secaucus offers a bounty of visual art, though much of it is easy to miss when running to catch a train. Four paintings by Valeri Larko at the north end of the station outline the early history of railroads in the region.

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It’s little-known fact that federal law requires all transit projects to have some artistic flourish, no matter how small.
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“Three Weeks in September,” a series of 32 painted murals by Hoboken artist Tim Daly, grace the station’s south mezzanine. The acrylic paintings are meant to evoke real-world images found throughout the NJ Transit system.
Twin mosaics, titled “Wetlands,” by British artist Mac Adams, depict the Meadowlands in winter and summer and span two walls above the station’s escalators.
And the station’s signature “Cat Tail” sculpture, which occupies the center of the atrium, was created out of aluminum, titanium, glass, and steel by Cork Marcheschi, who has been creating art for public spaces for 23 years.
It’s little-known fact that federal law requires all transit projects to have some artistic flourish, no matter how small. So the next time you have free time at the station – say, right after you’ve missed the 8:35 train – spend a few moments looking for your tax dollars at work.
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.

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