POMONA >> The auditorium of the Palomares Park Community Center was filled with maps and boards with facts and dates about the Foothill Gold Line Azusa-to-Montclair light-rail project.
In the middle of the auditorium was a display that explained the public art component for the line’s Pomona station to be carried out by artist Stephen Farley.
The Pomona station would be built west of Garey Avenue and north of the Metrolink station in North Pomona.
“The most important thing about Pomona is its diversity and how people help one another,” said Farley between conversations with residents who attended Thursday night’s project open house.
His public art proposal aims to showcase Pomona residents who have inspired and made a difference in other people’s lives, he said.
Residents can nominate people and submit a picture of their nominee — a person such as a family member, a teacher or figure in the city’s history — and in a few words describe how the nominee had an impact on their lives.
Each set of photos and description will be turned into a pair of tiles that would decorate the station, Farley said.
Each of the six stations in the Azusa-to-Montclair portion of the Foothill Gold Line would have its own artist and its own theme.
Groundbreaking on the light-rail line extension, projected to cost $1.18 billion, is expected to take place in late 2017, said Lisa Levy Buch, spokeswoman for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority. Completion is expected to take about five years.
At this point, about $36 million has been set aside for the first phase of construction, she said.
Not everyone was pleased with the artist’s vision, among them Mickey Gallivan, president of the Historical Society of Pomona Valley.
Farley’s vision does not take advantage of Pomona’s rich history, and its diverse ethnic makeup and architectural styles, she said.
Rubio Gonzalez, a member of the city Historic Preservation Commission, said he and some other residents had concerns that people without direct ties to Pomona could become part of the art installation but Farley has assured them that won’t be the case.
He and other residents will submit photos of figures from across the city’s history to include in the artwork, Gonzalez said. The installation provides an opportunity to share the city’s history with both visitors and residents, particularly youth, he said.
“It’s an educational opportunity we don’t want to miss,” Gonzalez said.
