Union Station Exhibition Highlights Wildlife Data Through Art in LA
New Exhibition at Union Station Explores Human and Wildlife Connections
A new exhibition titled “LA on the Move” has opened at Union Station, highlighting the interplay between human activities and wildlife movement throughout Los Angeles. The exhibition emphasizes the critical role animals play in maintaining a healthy regional ecosystem.
Developed by Metro Art in collaboration with ArtCenter College of Design, Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy, and Data Vandals, “LA on the Move” features five animal species: the coyote, mountain lion, red-tailed hawk, monarch butterfly, and California kingsnake. These animals are depicted traversing the city in search of food and shelter.
The concept for the exhibition emerged following ArtCenter’s participation in the Getty initiative PST ART: Art & Science Collide, where the exploration of creativity and scientific inquiry was a focal point. Concurrently, ArtCenter established a partnership with Data Vandals, a company specializing in transforming data into artistic representations. This collaboration eventually led to a joint project with Metro Art.
“They felt that it spoke to some of the things that they were also considering for their exhibition program,” said Julie Joyce, vice president of exhibitions and director of ArtCenter Galleries. “We talked to them about doing a project that would be in conjunction with our PST show.”
Recognizing the potential intersection with its Designmatters initiative—focused on social justice and ecological issues—ArtCenter incorporated this theme into the exhibition. This included a class titled City Animals: Data Visualization for Urban Wildlife Conservation, where students collaborated with Data Vandals to analyze wildlife movement data from the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy.
The students developed designs for applications aimed at raising awareness about the impact of new developments on local wildlife. One such app allows users to identify native plants in their backyards that support local wildlife.
“The premise of their class was how to create ways to bring awareness about urban wildlife to the larger public,” said Christina Valentine, curator of exhibitions at ArtCenter Galleries.
Visitors to the exhibition will find it presented across five walls. One wall features artwork and designs from ArtCenter students, while the others showcase work by Data Vandals artist Jen Ray and data expert Jason Forrest, highlighting the integration of data visualization in both art and science. Ray and Forrest transformed wildlife migration data into engaging visual narratives that depict animals’ travels throughout the city.
With high foot traffic at Union Station, the duo aimed to facilitate public engagement with the exhibition. “We saw a group of young boys all crowded around looking for their houses on the map, and they started saying ‘Oh look, there are more coyotes over here… or more snakes over here…,’” Forrest noted. Ray emphasized that their use of data serves as a conversation starter to connect users with the topic.
“LA on the Move” will be on display at Union Station for one year, encouraging visitors to consider the parallels between human and animal movement. Ray expressed, “We wanted people, especially in Union Station… to kind of understand their role and the animals’ roles at the same time. We wanted people to see themselves in the exhibition—and in some cases, literally through the map that Jason designed.”
Exhibition Details:
Where: Waiting Room Gallery at Union Station, 800 N. Alameda Street, Los Angeles
Cost: Free
Info: art.metro.net
