When I take public transit to work I typically pass through South Station and exit up the stairwell just east of Summer and Atlantic street. On the wall is a gorgeous tiled mural showing the region overlaid with waterways, railways, roadways, and the deep blue ocean stretching out to sea. The only splash of color is a gold dot on South Station, the “you are here” marker. The cartographic and geographic nature of it is originally what caught my eye. There’s more though.

The artwork is titled Network and is by artist Ellen Harvey. A description online notes that the piece “reveals a not so distant past where Boston Harbor and its rivers were the primary means of transportation” and is meant to remind us that this transition from natural to artificial networks is the result of human decisions and actions. “We all travel within a hidden history of engineers, architects, surveyors, builders, and politicians…” In addition, the network refers not just to the transportation network, but also by the hidden network of women making contributions to the field – the artwork was commissioned by WTS-Boston to celebrate the contribution of women to transportation. At first, I didn’t really understand how women were represented in the artwork. But apparently there are hidden mermaids in the mural working to survey the land and the sea. Despite walking by this mural regularly, I never looked closely enough to see them. I get it now.

If that isn’t enough, the mural was handmade by artisans in Italy and transported to the US. I normally don’t get a chance to appreciate this wonderful piece of art, rushed as I am by the morning commuters, but I always take a quick look and sometimes wonder how many people walk by and don’t even notice it there. Next time, I’ll be looking for the mermaids.