Rosa Parks/Wilmington/Imperial Station
Hide-n-Seek, 1995
JoeSam., artist
Working with local children, artist JoeSam. created Hide-n-Seek, a giant figural game located amid the numerous freeway supporting columns at the site. Throughout the two levels of the Wilmington/Imperial Station (which is the intersection of the Metro Blue and Green (D) Line (D Line)s), large vibrantly colored metal cutout figures appear to be playfully engaged in this universally recognized game.
Over a period of three years, JoeSam. worked with over 1,000 children from the community to realize this project. To initiate the project, young people from the Watts/Willowbrook Boys and Girls Club worked with the artist to produce cutout figures of themselves playing hide-n-seek.
Together with Metro, JoeSam. then developed a coloring book featuring their designs. The coloring book was distributed to local elementary school students. Using their illustrations as guides, the artist has vividly captured their work in his creations.
"People all over the world play hide-n-seek. We can all relate to the warmth which the game generates and the importance of shared friendships. I want to bring the fun and humor of the game into the station. I hope this project evokes those deep feelings of joy and glee that we've all experienced at times."