CalArts alums selected for installations
Two California Institute of the Arts alumnae will soon create site-specific art installations for Metro’s Regional Connector Project in Los Angeles.
Audrey Chan and Andrea Bowers (Art MFA 92) were two of seven artists chosen from a pool of more than 1,200 individuals to create art for the Metro expansion.
Both graduated from CalArts with Master of Arts degrees; Chan in 2007 and Bowers in 1992.
Chan and Bowers were selected by a panel of nationally recognized curators, arts professionals and community members who considered each artist’s professional qualifications and past work in their decision-making process.
Metro’s Regional Connector Project will add a 1.9-mile underground light rail system to extend Metro Rail’s Little Tokyo/Arts District station to its 7th St/Metro Center station in downtown Los Angeles.
The $1.55 billion project, with an expected 2021 opening, will allow passengers to access the Gold, Blue, Expo, Red and Purple lines and will allow commuters to easily travel from Azusa to Santa Monica and from East Los Angeles to Long Beach.
Chan’s art installation at the new 1st Street and Central Ave. station in Little Tokyo is called “Will Power Allegory.” Her piece is inspired by “the intersectional indigenous and immigration narratives of Little Tokyo and greater Los Angeles.”
Throughout her career, Chan has held exhibitions throughout the United States and Europe to showcase her research-based projects on political and cultural identities.
In spring 2017, Chan will act as a visiting faculty member at CalArts to teach a workshop on ethics and advocacy in political art-making and a seminar on funerary art, death and mourning, according to CalArts.
Bowers’ installation will sit at a new station at 2nd and Broadway streets. During her career, Bowers has used drawing, installation, photos and video to address contemporary political and social issues.
She has held exhibitions around the world that tackle topics like feminist concerns, immigration, environmental activation and sexual and gender discrimination.