Citrus College Professor Michael Hillman is an accomplished local artist with a solid history of public art. His artwork will be featured in the upcoming Glendora L Line station as part of Metro’s Foothill L Line extension.
The Metro L Line was previously called the Gold Line.
The extension will run from Glendora to Montclair. The construction authority said “ Major construction began in mid-July 2020 and is expected to be completed to Pomona in 2025, and Montclair in 2028.”
Hillman’s love of art was first inspired by his high school ceramics teacher, and he later pursued a career in art. He holds a master’s degree in art and two bachelor’s degrees in art and ceramics.
Hillman has been teaching art for 35 years. He has taught at Citrus College for 22 years, inspiring his students in public art.
Hillman chooses the concrete and colors for his design. He said he hopes people will admire the artwork he creates.
Hillman’s design plan for the Glendora station landmarks is to build large glass oval columns topped with embellished dazzling glass tesserae, like stained glass art.
He named his work “A Slice of Sunshine,” reflecting how he feels about Glendora.
Glendora’s station fact sheet said that Hillman’s theme for the station “refers to a brand of citrus that was grown and packed in the Glendora and the company’s slogan.”
He also plans to use colored tiles to evoke imagery of citrus, orange groves, the foothills, bougainvillea, the brodiaea filifolia flower and water.
Hillman works, teaches and lives in the city of Glendora. He knows the city’s history and landmarks well.
Hillman said he’s been working on this project for years,
“It can take one year to create the handmade tiles and mold them to the correct shape and size while the columns take about another year to complete,” he said.
Every city with an L Line station stop selects artists through the city-appointed station design and art review committees, known as SDARs. In 2015, the SDAR committee of Glendora reviewed the resumes of the five applying artists and selected Hillman for the Glendora station.
The SDAR committee consists of one city member, one planning commissioner and three residents who work with the selected station artist.
The funding assigned for station art is in the Foothill L Line project budget, providing funds for materials and compensation to the artist.
He is still working on the project but is almost finished with his work. He is waiting for the station’s structure to officially finish so he can start putting his artwork in place.
He enjoys taking the L Line to theaters and to view public art.
“I always liked the idea of public art,” he said.
The station art inspired him to gather a school trip for his students to study public art by taking on walking tours.
“Each stop has its own unique art of representing the city,” Hillman said.
Since Citrus is closed due to COVID-19, Hillman has had to work from home.
“I had to create an art studio in my backyard,” he said.
He initially wanted to involve his students with this historic project. Hillman said his plan was to “be the artist who creates the artwork and have the students be the advocates.”
He said he hopes the students can still be a part of the project somehow.
Hillman is excited and “incredibly honored” to interpret themes in his station art and show people the beauty of Glendora.
