Overview

From bus stops to rail stations, streetscapes to bus interiors, construction fences to poetry works, art creates a sense of place and engages transit riders.

With that in mind, Metro's Art Department was created in 1989 and over the past two decades has commissioned more than 300 artists to incorporate art into a wide array of transportation projects throughout Los Angeles County. Artists are selected through a peer review process with community input and all works are created especially for their specific transit-related sites.

Praised for organizing “one of the most imaginative public art programs in the country," Metro has received numerous design and artistic excellence awards and is renowned for its unparalleled interdisciplinary approach to melding art and the transit experience.

Currently, one half of one percent (0.5%) of rail construction costs are allocated to the creation of original art works, while strong support has been demonstrated by municipal and corporate contributions of over $1.5 million.

To join our mailing list, click on the Artist Opportunities tab above.

Art Tours

Metro offers regularly scheduled as well as special request group tours of the artwork in the Metro Rail system. Tours are led by trained Metro Docent Council volunteers.

The Metro Docent Council is committed to increasing awareness of the broad range of art in the Metro Rail system through public tours that provide insights into the artworks, the artists who created them, the processes it took to make them, and the communities they enhance. While docent programs are commonly found at museums around the world, Metro is the first transit agency to benefit from such a program.

Docents Wanted

We are expanding our program and recruiting a new class of docents. Passionate about art in public transit? Email us with your letter of interest. 

Scheduled Tours

Free tours are offered the first Thursday, Saturday and Sunday of every month. The tours are roundtrip and last approximately 2 hours. No reservations are required!

First Thursday - Meet promptly at 7 pm at the street level entrance to the Hollywood/Highland Metro Rail Station on Hollywood Blvd. near the corner with Highland Ave. If driving to Hollywood/Highland station, park at the Visitors' Center at the Hollywood/Highland shopping center complex to obtain partial parking validation.

First Saturday - Meet promptly at 10 a.m. at the street level entrance to the Hollywood/Highland Metro Rail Station on Hollywood Blvd. near the corner with Highland Ave. If driving to Hollywood/Highland station, park at the Visitors’ Center at the Hollywood/Highland shopping center complex to obtain partial parking validation.

First Sunday - Meet promptly at 10 a.m. at the information booth inside the entrance to historic Union Station at 900 Alameda St. in Downtown Los Angeles. There is pay parking at Union Station and metered street parking, and pay lots in the immediate area.

Special Request Tours

Free art tours for groups of 15 or more are available by special arrangement. More information is available by calling 213.922.2738 or by clicking Art Tours.

General Information

The tours are approximately 90% walking; there are elevators and escalators in all the stations.

The docents distribute date-stamped badges that allow you to ride the entire Metro Rail system for free on the day of the tour. Docents carry voice amplifiers and wear bright orange vests for easy identification.

Children at or above a 5th grade level may participate on the scheduled and private group tours.

There are no public restrooms available in the stations but there are restrooms available to the public at Union Station and the Hollywood/Highland shopping complex.

Art Guide

The Art Guide was updated in July 2011 and includes images of all of the artworks in the Metro transit system. It is a perfect complement for self-guided tours and features a system map, artist information and brief descriptions of the artworks.

Download the Art Guide here.

A hard copy of the pocket-sized brochure is available by request. Please call 213.922.4ART or email us, and include your name and mailing address in your message.

Artist Opportunities

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive updates and information about public art opportunities and workshops for artists.

Metro Art shares its mailing list, on a carefully selected basis, with other programs seeking to inform artists of public art opportunities.