MTA Commissions Three Permanent Art Installations
Ivan Forde, Trevor Paglen, and Howardena Pindell will each create a permanent artwork for a station, with all three planned for completion by late 2027.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Fine Art
MTA Arts & Design has commissioned Ivan Forde, Trevor Paglen, and Howardena Pindell to create permanent art installations at three MTA stations. The commissioned works are planned for completion by late 2027.
Why it matters
The commissions place permanent public art in transit hubs used daily by riders across New York, bringing artwork into the routine experience of commuting. Each work is tied to its local setting, with Forde's installation intended to bring joy, bravery, and pride to young families in Brownsville.
Three permanent commissions have been awarded across three MTA stations, with all three planned for completion by late 2027. The source does not disclose commission budgets or a more specific completion date.
The players
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
The MTA is the New York state public authority that operates the region's subways, buses, and commuter rail, and its Arts & Design program commissions public art for its facilities.
Ivan Forde
Ivan Forde is an artist commissioned to create a glass and ceramic mosaic installation for Broadway Junction station.
Trevor Paglen
Trevor Paglen is an artist known for work exploring surveillance and perception, commissioned to create Perennial for the Metro-North Southeast station.
Howardena Pindell
Howardena Pindell is an artist known for her dot-motif work, commissioned to create a glasswork for the Metro-North Botanical Garden station.
The details
Forde's installation will be a glass and ceramic mosaic incorporated into three new areas of the Broadway Junction ACJLZ station, currently under construction. Paglen's Perennial will photograph native wildflowers near the Metro-North Southeast station and process the images through a computer-vision algorithm, with panels rendered in colorful laminates in the station's new parking garage and pedestrian overpass.
Timeline
Late 2027: Target completion for all three MTA art commissions
Legacy Ties
These commissions continue the MTA Arts & Design program's practice of placing permanent artwork in transit stations. Each new installation is commissioned as a site-specific work tied to its station's neighborhood.
Riders using Broadway Junction, Metro-North Southeast, and Metro-North Botanical Garden stations will encounter the new installations in their daily commutes once completed. The works are permanent, so they will remain at these stations rather than appearing as temporary exhibitions.
The takeaway
Public art in transit stations turns routine commutes into encounters with lasting work by established artists. Watch for the late 2027 completion of these three installations across New York's transit network.
Further reading
Explore more fine art coverage for context on public art commissions in New York.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Artdaily.
