Amtrak continues its celebrated Art at Amtrak public art program with new work from multidisciplinary visual artist Tim Doud. On display through the winter of 2024, the installation transforms the wall along the Washington Union Station’s customer waiting areas between Gates A and L, and on the windows in the hallway leading to the lower-level section of the station.
The artwork considers the local, national, and international spectrum of those who pass through the station, as well as the historical significance of Washington D.C.
Doud, a Washington, D.C., based artist took into consideration French engineer Pierre Charles L’Enfant’s plan of our nation’s capital. The centerpiece of L’Enfant’s plan was a great “public walk” in the form of wide avenues, public squares, and inspiring buildings. Doud took that template and then inserted cropped images of clothing patterns, logos, and textiles worn by people he observed moving through Union Station and throughout the city.
The resulting mural is a tapestry created through the lens of style preferences that directly reflects the identities, demographics, and personalities of those who frequent the station, all arranged within L’Enfant’s plan for Washington, D.C.