Public art missing from Phoenix light rail station

Posted on 17. May, 2009 by Tony Arranaga in Featured, News

UPDATE:  LINK TO MORE NEWS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORK OF MICHAEL MAGLICH

Three pedestals used to display public art at light rail stations are standing alone at McDowell and Central Avenue.  Some may assume the absence is the work of vandals, but instead what happened here was in God’s hands.  In the background in the pic below…a missing piece of art.

What happened?  The back story starts during the early stages of light rail construction.  Valley artists like Michael Maglich were commissioned to create public art displays for the stations.  Maglich, a skilled craftsman, built his career turning random ordinary objects into extraordinary attention grabbing pieces.  For this project, Maglich decided to celebrate both literature and arts as one to reflect the nearby points of interest.

“Michael was in love with the library,” Susan Carrick says (above), explaining why this project and location were significant in her husband’s body of work and contributed to the irony in his sudden death.  Maglich, 62, passed away in August of 2007 with only three designs at the station to complete, which is why the pedestals mentioned earlier stand empty.

Carrick says Maglich had been diagnosed with cancer awhile back and was doing well until he had a bout of pneumonia.  That’s when one visit, Carrick remembers leaving his hospital room.  There were no visible signs of his rapidly deteriorating health.  Carrick got home and the hospital called to tell her what happened.

“He was very generous, very kind,” says Carrick, who during our interview, always spoke about her husband with a smile on her face and admiration in her eyes.  “He did consistently beautiful work.”

Commuters and transit passengers are probably familiar with the Maglich legacy.  His pieces are at bus stops in Scottsdale and along a major roadway on the East side of Phoenix.

“He’s all over the place,” says Carrick.  His work can even be also be seen at the Convention Center in Downtown Phoenix.  Check out the wall of bollas on Washington.

Carrick has now agreed to help complete the project, a difficult request to fullfill shortly after the death when emotions were still too raw.  Picking up the work her husband left behind would be too painful a reminder that her best friend was gone.

I felt compelled to tell this story because it really speaks to a recent passion of mine – walkable communities.  The people who create dynamic and vibrant livable streets in our urban core.

Experimenting with a carfree lifestyle has made me more aware of my surroundings, the stories in my community, and the people we call our neighbors.  We are always in such a rush.  Even in death, Michael Maglich taught me to stop and take in the sights.  Putting a smile on your face can put a much needed skip in your step, and possibly make some tough times not so bad.

For those of you planning to use the light rail on your visit to Phoenix, be sure to pay attention to the public art displays mentioned here.  Many of them speak to our rich history as well as display great local talent.  News and information on how to ride the light rail can be found on the official site here.

Find out more information about Valley artist Michael Maglich by clicking here and here.

Tags: MIchael Maglich