NextStop Blog

The design of a new mural to be installed at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station will be revealed tomorrow, Thursday, July 23, at a special event at the Regional Arts Commission.The local artists who created the mural, Con Christeson and Catharine Magel, will share how the creative process involved community input which helped shape the final mural design.

The July 23 reception runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Regional Arts Commission located at 6128 Delmar Blvd., and it’s free and open to the public. The exhibit of the creative works generated during the design process will be on display during the reception, and can be viewed at the Regional Arts Commission through Aug. 30.

The exhibit will highlight the process Magel and Christeson went through to create the design for the mural. The artists met with residents of the neighborhoods near the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station and with students from Crossroads College Preparatory School to gather their insights and incorporate their input into the design process.

“What makes this project truly unique is the level of engagement the community has had throughout the entire design process,” said David Allen, Director of Metro Arts in Transit.

Crossroads Preparatory School Student Charlotte provides ideas for a new Metro artwork.

Magel and Christeson both live in St. Louis and have studios in St. Louis. Magel is best known for her work with large-scale murals and mosaic sculptures, including the tree sculpture at the UMSL-South MetroLink Station. Christeson has collaborated on several projects for Metro Arts in Transit, creating artworks for the agency’s North Broadway and Gravois-Hampton Transit Centers.

The mural will be installed later this year on a concrete retaining wall at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station, next to the eastbound tracks and fully visible from the station platform. The wall area for the mural is about 40 feet in length and 12 feet in height.