Boat House Buggy

2021 Port Jervis (Port Jervis) Metro-North Railroad

Inspired by the carefully curated displays of Victorian dollhouse cross sections, "Boat House Buggy" by Armando Veve showcases prominent symbols, objects, architectural forms, and industries of Port Jervis. This glass menagerie of natural and mechanical scenes serves as a vibrant entrance and point of inspiration for visitors and the community.

The artwork is composed of two large drawings, fabricated into the glass panels by Tom Patti Design, and installed facing each other in the station’s platform shelter. On the track side, the drawing reveals the cross section of the Victorian boat house interior. Intricate machinery calls to mind Port Jervis’s glorious history as an industrial hub. A cargo ship in a glass bottle commemorates the Delaware and Hudson Canal, while stoneworkers prepare bluestone for shipment. Blossoming natural forms represent the community’s love and care for the environment. A diversity of native plants and animals populate the scenes.

On the ramp side, visitors encounter the busy and colorful facade of the fun and hybrid architecture: part home, part boat, part parade float. The artwork plays with light. Transparent windows of all shapes and sizes frame scenes on the opposing side. These windows become peepholes for viewing, generating playfulness and interactivity.

For Veve, “Play in transparency and windows of various shapes and sizes add dimension and an interactive element throughout the work. For the curious visitor, the historical and imaginative scenes in the artwork will illuminate a complex and brilliant portrait of the city.”