The following interview excerpt appeared on the Streetsblog Los Angeles podcast SGV Connect on September 26, 2023. To listen to the full interview, click here. For a full transcript of the interview, click here.

SGV Connect 117: Chris Greenspon Interviews Pomona Station Artist Steve Farley

One portrait that is part of Steve Farley’s Hall of Gratitude public artwork for Pomona A Line Station. See additional portraits at The Power of Pomona is People.

September 26, 2023

[excerpt]:

Chris Greenspon: What do you think is going to be maybe some people’s feeling when they see these pieces? And why? Why do these pieces matter? Who are these people that you’re depicting in this hall of gratitude?

Steve Farley: There are so many different people, the one thing they’re not is a lot of famous people. They’re not a lot of political leaders. They’re basically people who are everyday folks who have made a difference in the lives of somebody. Sometimes it’s just one person, sometimes its many people. They’re from all throughout time in the Pomona area. But I mean, in some cases, it’s… there was one of the most moving ones was there’s a kid who was sent in and it’s a picture of him, a wonderful picture of him to sort of screaming like a banshee. But the story is so moving because the kid was killed in a drive by shooting. And his dad sent it in and said how much his son talking about courage. There’s incredible things about people who have been spending their whole lives working in other communities to help them in different ways. We’ve had a little open house that was in La Verne. And they did sort of a golden spike ceremony for the last spike for the, for the rail. And some of us as artists were there and a number of people came up and said that they had been chosen and they were so excited about what they were doing and so excited they were being honored because it was people honoring their mentors, those were the people who sent in these images. It wasn’t people sending in themselves, but there was people they felt were important for them. And the way this is set up it’s a picture of them, one of the pictures that was sent in by the person who submitted it, right next to another two foot by two foot tall mural that has what I call a power statement. And they’re always in the form of “so and so taught me the power of” something. And where those came from the people who submitted it also. So there’s a lot of things that are sort of powerful lessons in there. And it’s an it’s an incredible variety of all different types of Pomonans and how powerful they have been to be able to serve their community in big and small ways.

To listen to the full interview, click here. For a full transcript of the interview, click here.