A new film has been produced to celebrate the proud history of public art on the Tyne and Wear Metro.
Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Metro, commissioned the 18-minute feature to give people a virtual tour of some of the most iconic exhibits on the network.
The film, which was premiered at the opening of the Jesmond Community Festival via a Zoom call on May 27, is the first in a series that will delve into the Nexus Art on Transport Programme. Watch it here: Metro: Art on Transport - YouTube.
It forms part of the events which are being held to mark the Metro’s 40th anniversary year.
Customer Services Director at Nexus, Huw Lewis, said: “Art can bring a smile to a familiar journey or excite and surprise you. On Metro we are lucky to have a legacy of great art works spreading back over 40 years some of which are showcased in this new film.
“It gives people the chance to take a short tour of the art you can see in and around some of our stations – and will hopefully inspire people to go and explore, or see their Metro trip in a new light.
“Our art on transport programme has many nationally-recognised exhibits, and it has also given local artists the chance to showcase their work.
“This first film focuses on a Metro journey from Regent Centre, taking in everything from Bob Olley’s Famous Faces at Monument, the iconic Parsons Polygon on Blackett Street to more contemporary pieces like that of the American street artist Shepard Fairey.
“It’s fitting that we celebrate these artworks in Metro’s 40th year and we are looking forward to featuring more of the art in other parts of the network over the next few months.”
The film focuses on ten art installations on Metro line that heads north between Central Station and Regent Centre in Newcastle.
Nexus plans to commission more films to showcase more of the public art on the public transport system through Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and North Tyneside.
There are more than 30 pieces of permanent art on the Metro system and other public transport infrastructure across Tyne and Wear.
This unique collection has been built up over 30 years by Nexus and varies from pieces designed by local communities to work by internationally acclaimed artists.
Find out more at www.nexus.org.uk/art