The Valley Metro Rail Board of Directors approved contracts with 14 artists for public art elements on the South Central Extension. Many of the artists are from the metro Phoenix area:
- Adam Vigil, Phoenix
- Blessing Hancock, Tucson
- Diego Perez, Phoenix
- Fortoul Brothers, Phoenix
- George Bates, Brooklyn, New York
- Hugo Medina, Phoenix
- Isaac Caruso, Phoenix
- Javier Cordova, Phoenix
- Mark Reigelman, Brooklyn, New York
- Martin Moreno & Emily Costello, Phoenix
- Therosia Reynolds, Phoenix
- Thomas Marcus, Scottsdale
- Priscila De Carvalho, Long Island, New York
- Zarco Guerrero, Mesa
The artists will work alongside Valley Metro, the city of Phoenix and the community to integrate art along the South Central Extension that captures the history and culture of local neighborhoods. The art will be featured at stations and power facilities along the five-mile extension on Central Avenue between downtown Phoenix and Baseline Road.
In January 2016, the Phoenix City Council approved acceleration of the South Central Extension along with other segments of the future high-capacity/light rail transit system in the Regional Transportation Plan. With passage of Transportation 2050, a 35-year, multi-modal transportation plan approved by Phoenix voters, the South Central Extension will open in 2023 rather than 2034.
