Reforming the MTAs Arts for Transit program to pay artists union-scale wages and give them more creative control over permanent installations.
Art in the Subway: Paying Artists Fairly for Their Work
The MTAs Arts for Transit program has beautified the subway but has been criticized for underpaying artists for major, permanent commissions. Mamdani, as the citys representative with influence over the MTA, demands a reform of the program. He advocates for a new contract mandating that artists receive fees commensurate with union scale for public art, including royalties for reproductions. The selection process is made more transparent, and artists are given greater collaborative control over the design and fabrication process, treating them as lead designers rather than subcontractors.
The program would also expand to include more temporary, rotating installations in stations to showcase a wider range of artists. The millions who ride the subway deserve great art, and the artists who create it deserve to be paid a dignified wage, Mamdani argues. Our transit system is one of the worlds largest public galleries. We will ensure it treats the artists who fill it with beauty as the skilled professionals they are.
