MTA: In addition to having works in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection, each of these artists has representation in a different local collection, known as New York’s “underground arts museum.”
The artists are a part of the over 400 artists that MTA Arts & Design has commissioned to create public art in subways, train stations, buses, and other locations across the transportation network.
The program regularly announces requests for artists on the MTA website, giving preference to those who have ties to the venue where the art will be presented. As a result, local artists complete many of the commissions.
MTA Arts & Design director Sandra Bloodworth stated, “The one criteria we give is to create work that speaks to a place, that speaks to people who use that station and those who live in the surrounding area.”
A $1,250 honorarium is awarded with each commission, and the expenses of creating and hanging the artwork are also met.
And for this generosity, New Yorkers can thank former mayor Ed Koch.
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The city enacted the Percent for Art program in 1982, mandating that public art get up to 1% of the funding for qualified civic construction projects.
This implies that art is typically included when a subway station undergoes renovations or installs a new accessibility elevator.
Established in 1985, MTA Arts & Design was created after a few years. The Milton Glaser mosaic at Astor Place and the Houston Conwill sculpture at the 125th Street and Lexington Avenue station were two of the first pieces it commissioned.
According to Bloodworth, there is a pool of artists who are frequently from the neighborhood surrounding the project, as well as representatives who are directly from the community, and the selection process is rigorous. The requests for new artwork are competitive.
The selection committee convenes once to refine the submissions until roughly four artists are left on the shortlist.
Following that, the finalists attend an orientation when the specifics of the program and the location are explained.
“We give a lot of information about the neighborhood, its history, its population, and the question, ‘Who are you making this work for?'” Bloodworth stated.
There are many well-known artists in the collection of work produced since MTA Arts & Design’s establishment, including Nick Cave, William Wegman, and Sol Lewitt.
Bloodworth joked, “We don’t exclude someone because they’re successful.”
Bloodworth suggested, “You could travel to New York and see artists in a museum.” Then visit the New York subway to view some of the same artists’ creations. It was not possible to say that forty years ago.”
