Under Davis, an aesthetic upgrade

The arrival of an MBTA stop in Davis Square in the 1980s helped create this quirky Somerville community. But many people feel the art hung deep inside the brick station -- ceramic panels showing such images as the back of a trolley car and a man walking down a dark set of stairs -- don't reflect the neighborhood much.

Those tired images are about to be replaced by Somerville-themed art produced by local artists, under a program spearheaded by Alderwoman Rebekah Gewirtz.

After being approached with the idea by a Tufts University student, Gewirtz, who represents Davis Square, assembled officials from the city, Tufts, and the MBTA early last year to talk about sprucing up the place.

"I thought it would be a terrific opportunity to showcase Somerville artists," she said.

After 18 months of meetings, the university, city, and T agreed to solicit work from Somerville-based artists, including Tufts alumni and students, and to pitch in $9,000 each to manufacture and install nine 4-by-4-foot panels.

The MBTA, which has said it has the oldest art collection of any public transit agency in the country, formalized its art program in 1967. It now boasts a collection of more than 90 artworks, including an array of murals, benches, and carvings. Last year, the agency acquired the "Partisans" sculpture of five downcast Polish patriots on horseback after it was removed from Boston Common and placed in storage.

The MBTA's general manager, Daniel Grabauskas, said the agency is always looking for an opportunity to dress up its stations. "With art, we cannot only beautify the stations, but connect the stations with the communities where they're located."

He said he hopes the new art will make the Davis Station a more attractive destination and starting point for commuters.

The city announced the collaboration this month and put out a call for artists to submit photographs of their work. The Somerville Arts Council is putting together a panel to judge the entries, which are due in September.

"It's a great opportunity for the arts community," said Gregory Jenkins, the council's executive director. "They'll get a lot of exposure."

Approximately 10,900 people enter the Davis Station turnstiles every day, T officials said.

Jenkins said he expects some of the submissions will be street scenes and images of historic architecture, but he's eager to see what else artists will submit.

He's had a handful of inquiries since the announcement was made, he said. Each artist whose work is selected will be paid a $100 honorarium.

Barbara Rubel, director of community relations for Tufts, said the school has talked about ways to visually connect Davis Square to the campus. She said she hopes some of the images selected for the T stop will reflect Tufts.

"We see it as a way to highlight the partnerships that exist between the campus and the community."

The new ceramic panels will replace existing ones, which were installed when the station opened in 1984. But the smaller ceramic panels of children's art will be left in place, as will the gigantic modern art sculpture.

Gewirtz said she hung posters announcing the project in Davis Square businesses before last weekend's ArtBeat festival. She said she's looking forward to sitting on a jury that will select art for the new panels. "We're going to be looking for art that enlivens the space."

Constituents have approached her to tell her how excited they are about the project. "People think it's terrific," Gewirtz said. "This is a city of a lot of artists.

"Once it's done and the art panels are installed, people will feel a lot of pride in the fact that we're showcasing Somerville artists."