PUBLIC

After a series of city wide competitions In 2001 The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Arts for Transit Program in New York City commissioned new public art works along the J/Z lines elevated subway stations in Brooklyn. Among those selected by a jury of art peers was Maria Domínguez. Sixteen original paintings from her Urban Series were transformed into dazzling stain glass jewels by the Willet Stain Glass Studios."El-Views", now a permanent installation for the Chauncey Street station, captures a slice of "daily life" from this Bushwick community. The motifs are those precious daily tasks so often overlooked be the heavy demands of a busy city life. Commuters and visitors alike can identify some of the local scenes in the area. Outside, on the platform level, they will find twelve glass panels while inside the mezzanine four panels add warmth to the enclosed space.

This work, among 16 others artists, received the "Excellence in Design" award in 2003 from the New York Municipal Society. The MTA has upgraded stations close to twenty years while enhancing them with more than 160 works of art. Maria Domínguez' award winning effort will continue to stand as a model for this vital program.

Author - Sandra Bloodworth and William Ayres
Name - Along the Way: MTA Arts for Transit Book
Foreword by Stanley Tucci
Pages 240
www.transitmuseumstore.com

Along the Way is a tour through New York's underground museum of contemporary art, works commissioned by MTA Arts for Transit for the subway system and commuter rail lines. Vivid murals by Roy Lichtenstein and Romare Bearden convey the energy of Times Square while Robert Wilson's Coney Island Baby captures the festive spirit of the city's playland. Among the many projects currently in development are a multi-dimensional installation by Mike and Doug Starn at the South Ferry complex and a large-scale
ceramic "wall drawing" by Sol Lewitt at Columbus Circle.

Initiated in 1985, this collection of site-specific public art now encompasses more than 160 pieces in mosaic, terra-cotta, bronze, faceted glass and mixed media. Artist represented include Elizabeth Murray, Faith Ringgold, Eric Fischl, Nancy Spero, Michelle Oka Doner, Maya Lin, Mary Miss, Tom Otterness and the Acconci Studio. More than fifty projects are currently under way, making the Arts for Transit program one of the most significant public art initiatives in the world.

Maria Domínguez' work appears on page 191.

Book Cover -
Latin American Research Review (LARR)
The Journal of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA)
Published by the University of Texas Press
Selected “Man Sitting” from Domínguez’ MTA collection (Urban Series)
For their November 2006 cover. Their journal is distributed to all the universities in the United States.

photos by Rachel Ortiz