Art In Transit

​​Shaun Cassidy

Rock Hill, SC
Track fencing
7th Street Station, mosaics and windscreens
Light rail vehicles, seating fabric and ceiling art
2007

Cassidy continues the corridor thematic focus on Charlotte's tree canopy with his 40 sculptural leaves for the track fencing, shelter designs for the 7th Street Station, and seating fabric and ceiling art for the light rail vehicles.   

Track Fencing
Ten stations feature four sculptural metal leaves welded into the standard station fencing between the light rail tracks. Each station highlights a different species of tree found in the area. The natural vein pattern of each leaf is replaced with a neighborhood street map indicating the station location. The top of each leaf is painted bright green, introducing color to the inert area between the tracks. The leaves are positioned along the fence as if blown across the platform, bringing a sense of movement and activity to the static track barrier. Cassidy designed the 40 metal leaves and welded each leaf into standard fencing sections while in residence at McColl Center for Visual Art in Charlotte.


The fencing is installed at Woodlawn, Scaleybark, New Bern, East/West, Bland, Carson, Brooklyn Village, 3rd Street/Convention Center, Charlotte Transportation Center/Arena​, and 7th Street stations.

​7th Street Station

Cassidy's leaf motif is repeated in the windscreens and column cladding at the 7th Street Station. The windscreen corresponds to the gingko leaf design and neighborhood map featured in the art fencing. The 1"-square mosaic column cladding features a four-color overlapping leaf pattern. 


Light Rail Vehicle Ceiling Art & Seating Fabric

Cassidy adds to the unique interior of Charlotte's light rail vehicles with his overlapping leaf designs for the seating fabric and ceiling art. The artist-designed thread pattern adds contrast and interest to the blue seating fabric. Cassidy uses color and line in the ceiling art to convey the changing of the seasons and a sense of motion.

 


Artist Bio
Shaun Cassidy abstracts the familiar and creates art that is interpreted and experienced differently by each viewer. In addition to an extensive exhibition record, Cassidy has created numerous works of permanent and temporary public art throughout the US and abroad. For the CATS Blue Line he transformed the fencing at ten light rail stations and designed the art for the ceilings and seating of the LYNX Blue Line trains. Cassidy earned his MVA at the University of Alberta, Canada, and earned a BA with honors from Norwich school of art in the UK, also serving as studio assistant to Sir Anthony Caro. He is currently a professor of sculpture at Winthrop University.