NRH Public Art Installed at Smithfield and Iron Horse TEXRail Stations­­

 

Visiting both the past and future of North Richland Hills, artists Rebecca Zook and Pam Summers have created unique and beautiful visuals on acrylic paneling placed within the NRH TEXRail station passenger waiting enclosures.    

 

The work of two outstanding North Texas artists is on permanent display at North Richland Hills’ Smithfield and Iron Horse TEXRail commuter stations. Artists Rebecca Zook and Pamela Summers were commissioned by TEXRail to create eight works each to adorn wind guard panels in the passenger waiting enclosures located along the rail lines. The art was printed onto acrylic sheeting which has been mounted onto the metal frame of the seating structures. Saturated with bright colors that catch light and cast colorful shadows, the translucent paneling reflects contrasting styles that match the individual design of each station. The City of North Richland Hills worked in collaboration with TEXRail and Fort Worth Public Art to select both gifted artists, who are recognized for their exceptional talent within the North Texas creative community.

 

Artist Rebecca Zook’s project, designed specifically for the Smithfield Station, presents a detailed history of the Zion-Smithfield-North Richland Hills area. The installation, which Ms. Zook has entitled “Our Story” has combined 8 paintings with historic annotations that complement the station’s traditional-style architecture. “My goal was to create a dynamic, attractive and engaging display that not only told a story of the past,” she says, “but also highlighted the best features of North Richland Hills today through both visuals and text.” By conducting extensive research and writing informative paragraphs matched with engaging and illustrative art, Ms. Zook has produced a remarkable timeline of our City and the people who contributed to establishing the vibrant and growing community that North Richland Hills is today.

 

Pamela Summers is widely recognized for her functional and decorative ceramics and dynamic paintings that feature bold, geometric patterns with vivid colors. Ms. Summers’ crisp, modern compositions are a perfect fit for TEXRail’s Iron Horse Station, with its contemporary architecture and forward-feeling ambience. Her work, titled “Origins,” stands as a paired homage to state-of-the-art commuter rail transportation and the rich agricultural history of North Richland Hills. Within each panel she has designed bold, colorful strokes representing both rail lines and furrows made by a farmer’s plow.  “Furrows and railroad tracks are similar and visually relate to one another,” says Ms. Summers, “they both follow the contour of the land and enjoy a symbiotic relationship.” 

 

Both the Smithfield and Iron Horse TEXRail stations are open seven days a week and commuters and visitors are encouraged to view and enjoy the latest works in the NRH Art in Public Spaces Program. For more information, please contact Sarah Green, Cultural Arts Coordinator, at sgreen@nrhtx.com or (817) 427-6614.