This article was contributed by Dariela Heredia.

Aside from the usual holiday décor, this month you can expect to see some additional beauty around our system. As part of the Art in Motion campaign, VTA is pleased to present our December Artists of the Month: photographer Stephen Ly & poet Yosimar Reyes!

Stephen Ly studies photography at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. A San Jose native, Ly has taken his fair share of rides on VTA. In his work, Ly explores themes of commercial and editorial portraiture inspired by his daily voyages.

Yosimar Reyes has spent much of his time turning his life experiences into art. He started writing poetry when he was young and now travels across the country as a public speaker and performer. In fact, he recalls writing some of his earliest work while riding Route 522 from Eastridge. Now, he explores themes of immigration and sexuality in his work.

Here is Yosimar performing in one of his latest pieces: “Praise to the Workers”.

VTA would like to thank everyone who has been a part of the Art in Motion campaign. We hope you, our riders, enjoyed these artists’ work and are excited to see what the campaign has in store for 2020.

If you are interested in participating in VTA’s Art in Motion campaign, post your work online with the hashtag #ArtistsOfVTA for a chance to be featured.