Arcadian Zephyr (2016) 

Michael Davis

DESCRIPTION: Station art consisting of
  • 22-foot weather vane sculpture of 16 movable weather vanes with peacock and horse-racing images
  • perforated stainless steel handrail fence panels
  • black granite and metal benches with horse-racing images
  • colored glass station canopy panels


The themes for Michael Davis' station art for this downtown Arcadia Metro station come from the nearby Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden and the Santa Anita Park racetrack.  Images of peacocks and racehorses are depicted on the large weather vane, on fence panels, and on bench seating.  Peacock feather colors and designs are also reflected by the colored glass of the platform canopy.  
Peacocks were brought to Arcadia by Lucky Baldwin in the late 19th century, and have naturalized so successfully in the last century that they are now common in other Southern California communities (Malibu, Glendora).  They are the City of Arcadia's official bird.
Artist's Statement:  “The images are a curated collection inspired by Arcadia’s history and lore, and a short tale of my own. My grandmother had a secret drawer. As a boy, I opened it and found a book filled with dried flowers, letters and an iridescent eye from a peacock feather.”  - Michael Davis
LOCATION:  station platform, Metro L Line (Gold), Arcadia Station, northwest corner of First Avenue and Santa Clara Street, Arcadia, California, USA
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