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Coloratura consists of a suspended sculpture and high-relief wall sculptures. The brightly painted art installation of aluminum geometric and organic forms adds a welcome splash of color against the cement backdrop of the parapet wall. Stainless steel tubing weaves sinuously through the yellow, magenta, blue, green, and orange painted shapes and winds around the staircase like a wave, creating a feeling of motion. The stainless-steel tubes also complement the staircase handrails and other architectural details. A large bright yellow star suspended above the staircase adds another dimension to the piece.

"The star form suspended over the staircase will be visible as customers enter the station, drawing them to the stairway," Mary Ann Mears said. "As they go down the stairs, they will be surrounded by the sculpture on the parapet. For people entering the station from the platform where the trains are, the experience will be reversed. In either case, I hope it will create an engaging moment in the viewer's day and lift their spirits."  This was the intent of the community representatives who assisted Metro with selecting the artwork wanted art in their station.

The forms in the sculpture are abstract but allude to natural forms and manmade structures. "The images suggested may be multiple, offering rich play for the viewer's imagination. For example, the overlapping linear elements could be seen as a visual metaphor for transit, referencing layered and intersecting modes of transportation among varied destinations," Ms. Mears explained.

The title Coloratura captures the exuberant and lyrical feeling of the work while alluding to its colorful nature. The flow and interplay of the lines and forms in the piece evoke a musical quality.

The primary focus of Mary Ann Mears' work from the beginning of her career has been creating sculpture for specific sites. The impetus for her work has emerged from an intense conviction about the powerful role of art in a variety of social/cultural settings, public and private. She enjoys the challenge of responding to the physical and spatial qualities of new sites, whether architectural -- interior or exterior -- or natural.

Ms. Mears has created public art that is located in numerous locations in the United States.

Commissioned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.