There’s plenty of permanent, public art to be seen on the Long Island Rail Road. More than 350 artworks have been commissioned by the MTA Art and Design program. These pieces are constructed in a variety of medium such as mosaic, glass, metal and more. You’ll find them installed throughout the MTA system. For for an overview of MTA public art, click the link below. https://new.mta.info/agency/arts-design/permanent-art/lirr

I’d like to give a shout out to a few of the artworks and artists who have created public works along the Port Jefferson to Penn Station line, a line I travel often. It’s easy to miss getting an in-depth look at these gems as the train speeds quickly from Port Jefferson westward to NYC.

David McQueen at PJ station https://new.mta.info/gency/arts-design/collection/vast-endless-sea

Joe Zucker at Huntington https://new.mta.infhttps://new.mta.info/agency/arts-design/collection/for-my-grandfather-noye-pride-locomotive-engineer

Roy Nicholson at Hicksville https://new.mta.info/agency/arts-design/collection/hempstead-plain-morning-evening

Sandra Leitchfield at New Hyde Park https://new.mta.info/agency/arts-design/collection/forestation-syncopation

Tom Fruin at Syossett https://new.mta.info/agency/arts-design/collection/sail

Traveling into the city this month has afforded us to see lots of interesting art work in unexpected places, both above and below ground level.

One unexpected spot to see public art is at the new Grand Central Station Shuttle, often dubbed “Grand Central Madison”. This brand spanking new underground connection from LIRR Jamaica station to mid town Manhattan is immaculate. According to the New York Times “…it’s the largest rail terminal built in the U.S. since the mid-1950”. It runs underground for 5 blocks, parallel to the street grid above, from East 43rd Street to East 48th Street. It’s a station within a station as it’s part of the original Grand Central Station terminal. https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/see-inside-the-new-grand-central-madison-lirr-station-080822

There’s lots of public art to see at Grand Central Madison. Kiki Smith and Yayoi Kusama were commissioned by the MTA Art and Design to create floor to ceiling murals that grace the walls. Murals are fabricated by Miotto Mosaics Art Studios and Mayer of Munich, Germany. Click on the two links below to get more first hand information. https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/a-giant-yayoi-kusama-mosaic-will-decorate-the-new-grand-central-madison-terminal-101822

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/14/arts/design/grand-central-madison-kiki-smith-yayoi-kusama.html?searchResultPosition=1

If you’re on the street and in need of seeing more Yayoi Kusama work, check out https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/a-yayoi-kusama-robot-is-painting-the-windows-of-the-louis-vuitton-store-on-fifth-avenue-010923

Hungry to see more public art? Here’s another link at a different location. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/arts/design/second-avenue-subway-art.html?searchResultPosition=1