The angels on towering columns at the Southwest Museum Gold Line station are both beautiful and whimsical. And they are not easily visible from within the Gold Line cars. You have to get out on the station platform and look up to see them. (Don’t worry if the train leaves while you are looking at the art; another one will be by in 15 minutes or so.)
Created by artist Teddy Sandoval, he called the figures “Guardians”, rather than angels and said they were to protect the residents of this Highland Park neighborhood, as well as the riders on the Gold Line.
The angel’s bodies are tile, the wings aluminum. I wonder if the artist decided to put them high up on columns so they wouldn’t be tagged by graffiti — although he probably wouldn’t admit it if that was part of his decision-making process.
Sandoval also had responsbility for the seating at this station and came up with some odd solutions: the top of a column, a dice, and an ornate cast iron chair. It’s whimsey once again!
Now about the Southwest Museum which gave this station its name. You can see it on the hilltop at the top of this page.
After decades of uneven management, this museum which housed a significant collection of Native American arts and crafts was taken over by the Gene Autry National Museum. (The Autry Museum is located in Griffith Park.) And I say “Thank Goodness” for that.
The Autry museum focuses on the American West and it now incorporates the Southwest Museum collection in its exhibitions. Cowboys and Indians are finally getting together and both being honored.
One time when I visited the Southwest Museum, decades ago, I remember going up an elevator inside the hill to reach a museum on the top. That was quite cool! And the elevator to the museum still exists. It is now open only on Sundays and you should check before you plan to visit.
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