1st Ave and Jefferson

Stephen Farley / Tucson, AZ

Tucson artist Stephen Farley is one of three artists tasked with creating art for two stations separated by a city block. Working with historical photographs of the community, Stephen explored an array of issues relevant to both sites while maintaining a cohesive look. The two overall themes are Downtown Justice at the Jefferson Street station and Downtown Work and Play at the Washington Street station.

In Downtown Justice porcelain enamel panels depict scenes from historic events that happened in or around the old courthouse. Examples include African American and Latino pioneers; segregation, gambling, motherhood (birth certificates & marriage licenses), police officers. The pictures are severely and unusually cropped to suggest a point of view different from how we usually view historic imagery, an insertion of contemporary perspective into images of the past.

On the ground are three large terrazzos depicting two iconic figures in Arizona justice, attorney John Frank and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, as well as a medallion that includes municipal and court references.

At the Washington Street station, porcelain enamel panels depict scenes of people working, shopping and playing in Downtown Phoenix in more recent history. In addition, glazed tiles framed in the entryway railings show tightly cropped images of people’s hands working downtown, primarily in corporate life, and eating and drinking downtown.