You may recall that when the new fleet of Metro trains were being designed there was a call for artwork to be included, and now some of these pieces are being displayed in an exhibition at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.
Blazing Trails is by local artist Sofia Barton and is on display as part of the Pop-up shop takeover which is running from 18th April until 27th September 2026.
Sofia commented: “It’s surreal and fantastic to have my artwork from the new Metro trains on display at Baltic. When I secured that commission from Nexus in 2021 I never thought it would get to this point, where my work is on show at one of the country’s most prestigious art galleries.
“When I was asked by the team at Baltic to be part of the pop-up shop exhibition I thought it would be great to put my Blazing Trails work into that space. It’s got that connection to the hidden heritage of the North East and to the Metro – where people see this artwork on board the new trains each and every day. I remain really proud that my work is part of everyday life on the Tyne and Wear Metro.”
Cathy Massarella, Managing Director of Nexus, added: “It’s fantastic to see Sofia Barton’s artwork from our new Metro train fleet on display at this new exhibition at Baltic.
“All four pieces that we commissioned for the new trains are a striking feature of them when you get on board, capturing what it means to live in North East England.
“They have become a treasured part of the new Meto trains, which have been transformative for our customers since the roll out began.
“Nexus has a long tradition in commissioning public and community art across our stations, but this project was the first in Metro’s 46-year history that we have commissioned major works on board the trains.
“We hope that people enjoy going to see the Metro artwork at Baltic.”