Center City Stops
Artists, Jim Hirschfield & Sonya Ishii

Jim Hirschfield and Sonya Ishii read and take to heart the Center City Vision Plans when they state:
"The inspiration for determining a 'Charlotte way of doing things' can be found in the community's history and people as well as its culture and tradition. (2010 Plan) And, Center City Charlotte is a modern diversified and vibrant urban center comprised of many distinct neighborhoods . . . each with their own distinct character. These historic areas surround a core of nearly all modern buildings and new cityscape. This mix of bold new development with traditional neighborhoods makes Center City truly unique. (2020 Plan)"
Their designs for the West Trade Streetcar Stops begin with the community's history and people and uniquely reaches out to people using the transit system, or just passing by. And like the young Conrad Reed who in 1799 found the first gold nugget of the region on his family's farm, their art utilizes the allure of and metaphorical richness of gold and its prominence throughout human history. They link the importance of gold in the early growth of Charlotte, and its symbolic connection to Charlotte's contemporary status as a banking center. Simultaneously their designs intertwine Charlotte's significant industrial textile history. Yet, ultimately their intent for the shelters is to create a poetic work of art that that tie some of Charlotte's history with principal truths about the city's current growth and character.