SubArt

12/12/2021

https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/BART-art-basel-public-transit-prank-16682208.php

More than 100 people took part in the unsanctioned, roaming stunt.

01/11/2021

Visit Moscow's stunning subway stations without leaving your couch in this new series by journalist Frank Herfort.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/01/travel/soviet-era-metros.html?referringSource=articleShare

Between 2014 and 2020, Frank Herfort visited more than 770 metro stations in 19 cities, creating a remarkable archive of architectural and artistic splendor.

12/10/2021

This year’s route begins at Rikki Streicher Field in the Castro before heading to one of San Francisco’s newest neighborhoods, the East Cut. Participating artists include Babatunji & Charmaine, Joe Landini & Dancers, La Mezcla, Parangal Dance Company and Rising Rhythm, in addition to Epiphany Dance Theater. https://sf.funcheap.com/event-series/trolley-dances-sf/

Epiphany Dance Theater has announced the program for the 18th annual San Francisco Trolley Dances (SFTD), which will be offered both in-person as well as

06/10/2021

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2021/09/nick-cave-soundsuit-mosaic/

Spanning the 42 St. Connector between Times Square and Bryant Park in New York City is a troupe of dancing figures dressed in vibrant costumes of feather and fur. The ebullient characters are based on the iconic series of Soundsuits by Chicago-based artist Nick Cave (previously) and are the first pa

04/06/2021

https://www.sfgate.com/characters/article/2021-05-BART-wrestler-sf-bay-area-rapid-transit-16148429.phpNow with more people taking public transit again, maybe he will make a special in-train appearance!

From dancing on trains to wrestling in the ring.

01/10/2019

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2019/09/soviet-metro-stations-photographed-by-christopher-herwig/

After traveling to 15 cities in 7 countries and taking over 15,000 photographs, Christopher Herwig (previously) has compiled a new book that showcases the diverse architecture of every underground metro station in the former U.S.S.R. Soviet Metro Stations provides rare look at mansion-quality chande

29/03/2019

The City of Ottawa has put out a call to artists soon after Stage 2 of LRT construction got the green light from Council. The recently announced public art program is open to both Canadian and international artists. https://apt613.ca/call-to-artists-public-art-projects-for-stage-2-of-the-lrt-build/

15/07/2018

GaiaMotherTree, a conceptual art piece on the concourse of Zurich’s main train station. extends to the ceiling, while its base creates a temporary oasis in the middle of the bustling crowds. http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2018/07/65-foot-hand-crocheted-tree/

Brazilian Conceptual artist Ernesto Neto manifests sensorial experiences in highly trafficked public spaces, encouraging passersby to slow down their everyday movements to interact with, smell, and relax in his temporary installations. His most recent work was created in partnership with the Fondati

12/06/2018

A fascinating subway solution to a societal problem.
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/suicide-rates-at-japanese-train-stations-have-plummeted-by-84-thanks-to-simple-solution/

The astonishing results were observed over the course of 10 years – and they have since inspired other stations to implement similar fixtures.

19/10/2017

This weekend! The 14th annual SF Trolley Dances will take place October 20-22, 2017 traveling along the N-Judah MUNI line. Admission is FREE with the cost of Muni fare. More information on route and performances here: http://sf.funcheap.com/event-series/trolley-dances-sf/

Each year, Epiphany Productions transforms the city’s streets into stages through San Francisco Trolley Dances, a series of free contemporary dance performances along a Muni line.

22/09/2017

September 25 - October 1, 2017 is Transit Week-- a celebration of public transit and all those who ride it. Show that you’re a proud member of the rider community! Use the hashtag to share your story — and share why transit matters to you and how we can make it better. http://sftransitriders.org/transitweek/

28/07/2017

For the third year, Muni will turn its buses into mobile galleries for local artists! Vote for the art you’ll see on your ride. Voting for the third annual Muni Art contest (organized by the nonprofit San Francisco Beautifuland the SFMTA | San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency) opens today for the next month. The 2018 theme is “The Art of Poetry in San Francisco,” Cast your vote here! https://neighborland.com/muniart

16/06/2017

Art does exist in many BART stations but it's often easy-to-miss and ignored. In this piece, KALW talks with Jennifer Easton, BART’s first-ever full time art program manager, who wants to bring immersive art to stations to help build "community awareness and that cultural awareness that we need in cities.” http://kalw.org/post/putting-art-back-bart /0

Travelers at the Orinda BART station are in a hurry. They don’t seem to notice the abstract, multicolored, geometric shapes on each wall.

02/06/2017

San Francisco Beautiful and the SFMTA | San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agencypresent Muni Art 2018. Partnering with the Poetry Society of America and Supervisor London Breed, Muni Art 2018 will transform ordinary buses into art galleries and for the first time local poetry will be included. The 100 Muni Art buses will showcase this year’s theme, “The Art of Poetry in San Francisco”. Five preselected poems will be interpreted visually by this year’s winners. http://sfbeautiful.org/muniart/

24/05/2017

We know that Stockholm's metro system is stunning but this great new collection of photos from this underground art museum really show it off. https://www.dwell.com/article/explore-the-stockholm-metro-for-a-tour-through-5-decades-of-european-art-history-5f30d3b8

Descend underground into one of these curiously adorned subway stations scattered along 68 miles of the Stockholm metro—making it the longest art gallery in the world.

07/04/2017

The Toronto Transit Commission (TCC) chose to highlight and promote its new fleet of subway and streetcar with an elegant campaign with dancers from the National Ballet of Canada. "We wanted leisure users or those who maybe haven't used the TTC in a while to consider us for going out to attend all the amazing entertainment and arts events in this city. " Watch the videos and imagine the same could happen here! https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/04/the-worlds-most-elegant-public-transit-campaign/522189/

03/01/2017

MUNI is brightening commute times in 2017 with art contest winners. Look for "Teens of SF" and other art January through April. https://www.sfmta.com/about-sfmta/blog/these-five-winning-artists-work-will-beautify-muni-buses

21/12/2016

Thinking of quitting your day job and following your passion for music? John Bridenbeck opens up about what it's like to be a busker at San Francisco's BART stations in a new mini-documentary by Lauren MacNeil and Priscila Moreno. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/What-it-s-like-to-be-a-BART-busker-10807139.php

13/10/2016

This weekend! For the price of a Muni ticket, you’ll get a “hop-on, hop-off” Muni tour to experience an extraordinary lineup of Bay Area dance luminaries performing 8- to 15-minute pieces in response to the physical environment, architecture and history of the area. http://sf.funcheap.com/san-francisco-trolley-dances-sf/

06/10/2016

"Imagine an open, light-filled station, with no need even for doors, much like King’s Cross station in London (special shutters would deploy during inclement weather), instead of one reached only through dark passages. Commuters now languishing in a fluorescent-lit cave would see natural light and city views..." This article discussing the proposed "rebirth" of Penn Station and the Madison Square Garden station has lots of cool graphic overlays. Check it out! http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/09/30/opinion/penn-station-reborn.html?_r=0

29/09/2016

If only our BART journeys were really this tranquil! Berkeley artist Miwako Nishizawa's woodblock art depicting Orinda, Oakland, and Fremont have been transferred digitally onto posters and displayed throughout the BART system. http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/New-BART-art-manages-to-make-public-9308244.php

07/09/2016

How often do you get to say "WHEEEEEEEE!" during a commute? A few lucky folks did recently thanks to artist Hunter Franks. http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/SF-artist-adds-swings-to-BART-cars-hopscotch-to-9205570.php

28/07/2016

“New York Minute," a new installation from Gabriel Barcia-Colombo, features 52 slow-motion portraits of New Yorkers doing everyday things. "This subway installation points out the things we miss when we rush around the city at a frantic pace." http://blog.ted.com/brave-new-weird-inside-the-funhouse-art-experiences-of-gabriel-barcia-colombo/

19/07/2016

NY commuters will see more art underground in the future, thanks Governor Andrew Cuomo’s new five-year, $27 billion spending plan, announced yesterday. In addition to new “open gangway” style subway trains that allow passengers to move freely between cars, the plan also will bring new art to 31 stations across the system slated to undergo renovations.

Chuck Close mosaic mural, 86th Street-Second Avenue station. Courtesy of the Metropolitan Transit Authority and Arts for Transit.

01/07/2016

Mutoid Main bring their version of Tom Jones' "She's a Lady" to unsuspecting subway riders. (Not all of them seem impressed.) http://noisey.vice.com/blog/mutoid-man-tom-jones-on-the-subway

24/06/2016

Revisit Mark Rothko’s Subway Series paintings from the 1930s, depicting New Yorkers in transit. https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/rothko-subway-series/

18/06/2016

Photographer Matt Crabtree shoots London subway passengers as 16th-century paintings with beautiful results. http://www.boredpanda.com/secret-subway-portraits-16th-century-tube-passengers-matt-crabtree/

17/06/2016

SFMTA | San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency - jumps on the coloring book bandwagon with this transit safety activity book. The soothing powers of coloring for adults has gotten lots of attention. They should hand them out to ALL passengers to get involved with a simple kind of art creation and stress relief.

Children and hipsters, start sharpening your coloring pencils now.