“Inspiring Spaces: 25 Years of MTA Arts for Transit”

Even the crankiest commuter might feel a lift in their mood when faced with sea creatures at the 81st St–Museum of Natural History subway station, or a colorful zoetrope that can only be viewed on the subway between the DeKalb Ave station and the Manhattan Bridge. These projects—the collaborative For Want of a Nail, and Bill Brand’s Masstransiscope, respectively—are part of the MTA’s Arts for Transit program, which began in 1985. This exhibit provides a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the program’s 215 pieces.