Located at Valley Metro Lightrail Stop in Phoenix, Many Names, Many Hats honors the families who lived in this neighborhood before this station was built. The station panels and towers are covered by 1379 family names associated with this neighborhood beginning with the census of 1940.

 

The extension of the Valley Metro line to his neighborhood in 2023 brought change to the neighborhood and a chance to reflect on history. To many long-term residents, it was important that their family name not be forgotten even if they no longer lived in the neighborhood. In the simplest and most powerful way possible, we covered the station panels and two towers with the family names of everyone who has lived in this neighborhood. Discovering those names entailed an extensive research and community outreach project.

 

We hope that the names give residents something concrete and permanent to remember their history. We hope that new people moving into the area see that this place that has been loved, worked in, and lived in by many before them. The hats hovering over the platform tell another history of this neighborhood. They are the hats worn by different generations to express their individual style and group membership. A family name is given to us, but a hat is something we choose to wear.

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Date: 

2025

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Location: 

Valley Metro Lightrail Stop at Lincoln Street and Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ​

 

Dimensions: 

Towers are approximately 118” tall x 46” square; Hat brackets are 8' long, Hat sizes vary

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Medium:

Steel, LED lighting

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Artists:

Joseph O’Connell + Creative Machines