(no subject)

[spatch]

So which of the children's art tiles on the upper wall of the Davis T stop is your favorite? I know the skunk (with cloud of stinky skunk stink) on the way to the College Ave exit is a local favorite, and it's the one I invariably show out-of-town guests, but in recent times I've become quite fond of the drawing of Batman close to the skunk. He's smiling and his arms are outstretched, so I've dubbed it "Batman Needs A Hug."

Course, it's also interesting to note that those kids are now getting into their late 20s. (I wonder if any of 'em are still around, and walk by their tile on a regular basis. I wonder if one of them is you!)

Comments

[nowalmart.livejournal.com]

I actually really like the poem on the floor of the station, about watching people in their cars on the bridge, going to work.

"Not me
I'm not going to work today"

(or something like that)

[yangelina.livejournal.com]

There is a flower that is made up of perfect circles. The colors are bright, the lines are clear, there is no coloring outside the lines for this little girl. Everytime I see it I think - She was a little neat freak! It's totally what I would've done at that age. But does she feel slightly restricted and can't express freely from time to time?
I also wonder where they are now...just how organized is she today?

[bds.livejournal.com]

I enjoy the trees. All of them are fat at the base and narrow at the top. It's a reminder that each of us once held a very different perspective. And that who we are shapes what we see.

hmmm...

[cthulhia]

I think those kids are past 30 now.
those tiles were done in the 70s or 80s.

Re: hmmm...

[cos]

The Davis Square T station opened in the late 80s, IIRC.

Re: hmmm...

[spatch]

There's a plaque among the tiles which I believe sets the date of the installation at 1986. I could've misread the number, tho.

Re: hmmm...

[cos]

That sounds right. I remember all the T maps in the late 70s and early 80s had the red line past Harvard Square as a dashed line with "projected complete in 1984", but I'm pretty sure it slipped behind schedule somewhat.

Re: hmmm...

[spatch]

The art could've also been added after the station opened, now that I think about it.

Davis Square station history

[ron_newman]

Davis Square station opened in December, 1984. Here's an interesting Somerville News article about its 20th anniversary, based on an interview with Somerville's mayor at the time, Gene Brune.

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

I'm a sucker for the snowman. I don't know why, but it gets me every time.

[maclou.livejournal.com]

I don't have a favorite but I do always wonder about the kids who made them, what school they came from and if they're still around now. I even look at their names to see if I recognize any of them.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I met one of tile kids. She's now 32. Apparently they were done by several grades of kids, so there's about a 5-year range in their ages. I don't know if they all went to the same school or several schools.

The skunk is my favorite, too. :-)

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

The skunk is my favorite (I had no idea it was known to be a local favorite) for sure. I love his cloud of stink. My other two favorites are (1) one of flowers in which the artist had obviously just learned about perspective because the "far" ones look relatively normal but the "close" ones look like trees and (2) one of balloons, where the strings are just hanging. I like the balloon one because it makes sense -- when I was a kid I always drew balloon strings squiggly, but relaly, they are straight, hanging limply. My favorites are all on the College Ave exit though because that's the way I always left the station. I've recently tried to examine the ones on the other exit, and I must say that I like the T section of tiles as a whole.

[dominika-kretek.livejournal.com]

Check this. (http://www.livejournal.com/community/greatpoets/1308700.html)

I'm not so impressed with the poem, but it really is the best of all the tiles.

[spatch]

The volcano is indeed a great one. But I'd sure be embarassed if I were John Spindler and I came across that poem.

[simonbillenness.livejournal.com]

For some time I've had an idea for a Davis Square T-stop website. It would have a page for each of the tiles with a profile of the kid who made it.