Client: Christine Vaillancourt, Artist

Overview

Ball Square Station is part of the multi-year Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line Extension (GLX) project completed in December 2022. The GLX Integral Art Program selected different artists to create a unique design for each of the seven new stations. Well-known for its Alice® direct-to-glass printing, GGI was chosen by the artist, Christine Vaillancourt, to recreate this colorful abstract in large decorative glass panels for the elevator tower. Vaillancourt’s paintings were incorporated into 10 large glass panels approximately 36″ x 126″ using GGI’s Alice® direct-to-glass printing technology. The safety glazing configuration consist of 6MM (1/4″) Low Iron Tempered – .060 PVB Interlayer – 6MM (1/4″) Low Iron Tempered, for a 12 MM (1/2″) OA thickness.

Goals

The intent of the public art displays was to humanize the environment and to create a unique experience at each station to be enjoyed by the riders and the various communities.

Process

The "Tour Jeté" series marks Christine Vaillancourt's inaugural venture into large-scale public art. A local to the area, Vaillancourt drew inspiration from the mechanical forms and silhouettes of cranes and building rooftops, which she perceived as abstract sculptural elements. Motivated by this vision, she embarked on creating a series of abstract paintings, each measuring 90"x 45", that echo the hues of the shingled houses in her surrounding neighborhood. These paintings became the blueprint for the elevator's glass motifs.

Her artwork was transformed into ten expansive glass panels, each approximately 36" x 126", utilizing GGI's cutting-edge Alice® direct-to-glass printing technology. The panels were crafted with a safety glazing configuration of 6MM (1/4") Low Iron Tempered glass, a .060 PVB Interlayer, and another layer of 6MM (1/4") Low Iron Tempered glass, culminating in a total thickness of 12 MM (1/2").

The meticulous process of color matching—incorporating blues, yellows, greens, oranges, grays, and blacks—formed the core of the elevator design and represented a significant, yet rewarding, collaboration between Vaillancourt and GGI's design team. Vaillancourt describes the installation as seamless. The design spans multiple glass panes, akin to assembling a puzzle,

Additional Information

GGI was also selected to fabricate the glass artwork for Randal Thurston, who was awarded the public art project for the MTBA Lechmere Station in Cambridge, MA. These MBTA public art projects are among many public art displays GGI has supported over the years yielding glass artwork that is both functional and inspiring.