Second Avenue Subway Stations to Be Beautified With Art

Here's some Second Avenue subway news that doesn't involve construction delays, toxic air levels, or angry neighbors: the line's stations in the Upper East Side will be decked out with permanent works from famous artists. According to DNAinfo, painter Chuck Close is creating $1 million worth of giant mosaics for 86th Street, and sculptor Sarah Sze is designing a two-block-long drawing on ceramic tiles to cover the walls of 96th Street. The station at 63rd Street is getting a site-specific work by Jean Shin, and one more artist will be chosen to beautify 72nd Street. The artworks are part of the MTA's Arts for Transit program, which gets 1 percent of funding for construction projects to create public art. Considering the $4.45 billion price tag for the first phase of the Second Avenue subway, 1 percent is a nice chunk of change.
· Famous Artists Tapped for Second Avenue Subway Station Installations [DNAinfo]
· MTA Arts for Transit [mta.info]
· Second Avenue Subway coverage [Curbed]