HOME OF THE STARS (2009)

Yankee Stadium’s motto may be “the Home of the Stars” but in the busy streets of the Bronx where the city lights drown out the sky, it’s easy to forget the real stars. In this mosaic, as passersby walk towards Yankee Stadium, the sun sets and the stars come out to welcome them.

The hand-made mosaic consists of eleven panels showing the sky changing, starting at 6.30pm (the time most fans would arrive at the train station for an evening game) and ending at 9 pm. The sky depicted is based on photographs of a spectacular Bronx sunset and the location of the sun, moon and stars are those that viewers would have experienced in April of 2009 (the completion date of the new stadium) absent the city’s ever-present light pollution.

Commissioned by MTA Arts for Transit for Metro North’s new Yankee Stadium Station. Fabricated and installed by Valerio Lenarduzzi for Franz Mayer of Munich.

Home of the Stars, Ellen Harvey, 2009. Hand-cut glass mosaic, 11 panels, each 6’ 9” x 18’ (2 x 5.4 m). Photography: Ellen Harvey Studio.