transportation hub art {december 10, 2023}

One of New York’s newer subway lines, the 2nd Avenue Subway, opened on January 1, 2017 after significant delays and budget overruns. Construction originally began in 1972 but was placed on hold in 1975 because of the city's fiscal crisis, and didn’t restart again until 2007.  The new 2nd Avenue Subway runs under Second Avenue in the Upper East Side from 65th Street to 105th Street, with three new stations at 72nd Street, 86th Street and 96th Street.

Chuck Close is the mosaic artist who designed 12 separate mosaic portraits at the 86th Street station. Close created them to reflect the diverse subway riding population.

In the C Concourse at John Glenn International Airport, Columbus, Ohio-based Donato’s Pizza brought together more than two dozen artists to create a 42’ long mural to celebrate the region’s cultural diversity and to illustrate the belief that “Every Piece Is Important.”

Two different cities in two different states with different artists celebrating a common idea, their regions’ diverse populations. As the Donato’s mural says, “Bringing people together is a lot like bringing different ingredients together on the perfect pizza." Both add richness and flavor to our lives.

Photo: PMQ Pizza Magazine