Life and Continued Growth

1999 Franklin Avenue (C, S) New York City Transit

In “Life and Continued Growth,” Eric Pryor's 29 faceted glass windows use both traditional African and contemporary African American images. Antelope horns signify movement and are a symbol for material prosperity. Butterflies signify the life cycle, from gestation to birth to the change into adulthood. The importance of music and rhythm are shown through African drums, a saxophone, and trumpets, rendered in vivid red, gold, and purple in contrast to the receding shades of green, blue and turquoise. "The Franklin Avenue-Fulton Street area's rich African American heritage is being reborn," says Pryor. "Change and opportunity are arriving and the shuttle line both encourages and reflects how the community's new optimism. ‘Life and Continued Growth’ emerges from a spirit that is rooted in traditional African-American culture and the new energy that is making it soar again."