Last Updated on September 22, 2023
Amtrak is expanding its year-round public-art program to Washington Union Station with work from multidisciplinary visual artist, Tim Doud. Art at Amtrak will offer a variety of visual works through rotating exhibitions at the transportation hub.
Doud, a District resident and professor at American University, has created the first site-specific installation titled, “A Great Public Walk,” transforming the wall along the station’s customer waiting areas between Gates A and L, and on the 30 windows in the hallway leading to the lower-level platforms.
The art installation opened in September and will remain on display until winter 2024. Art at Amtrak is among several projects underway at Washington Union Station. Other projects include upgrading the men’s and women’s restrooms, and the Metropolitan Lounge.
“Bringing contemporary art to Union Station will brighten the atmosphere and continues our ongoing commitment to enhance the customer experience in our stations,” Jina Sanone, Amtrak Vice President, Northeast Corridor Service Line, said. “Art at Amtrak is a great opportunity to provide artists a significant platform and showcase the region’s vibrancy.”
Amtrak launched Art at Amtrak in June 2022 in Penn Station New York, and has been commissioning installations for the station by New York and New Jersey based artists including Saya Woolfalk, Dahlia Elsayed, Dennis RedMoon Darkeem, Ghost of a Dream, and, most recently, Derrick Adams. Adams was also the first artist to create original digital work for the four large screens in Moynihan Train Hall. The Metropolitan Lounge at Moynihan Train Hall features new work from multidisciplinary visual artist Karen Margolis.
Amtrak has engaged Debra Simon Art Consulting to curate and produce Art at Amtrak. Simon was Director of Public Art at the Times Square Alliance; created Arts Brookfield, the largest privately funded public art program in the United States; and co-founded the River-to-River festival.
More information about Art at Amtrak can be found here.
