WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Following the community backlash in January to the colorful 191st Street 1 train station tunnel getting completely painted over without advanced notice, the Department of Transportation has put out the call for artists to “beautify” the space.
The DOT is seeking submission of bold, colorful designs for beautification of the 191st Street tunnel that “reflect the local community and the rich cultural identity of Washington Heights.”
“The 191st Street tunnel is a community landmark, providing critical connection between Broadway and the 1 train for tens of thousands of New Yorkers,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, in a news release. “We are excited to find artists to beautify the tunnel with designs that reflect the rich cultural identity of Washington Heights and create a vibrant space for the commuters who use this major hub every day.”
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DOT Art will select up to four artists to develop design ideas to be painted within the tunnel. The selected artists will then work with DOT staff to develop a plan and material list, before assisting with the implementation of the design.
Submissions must be sent in through e-mail no later than Friday, April 14, at 11:59 p.m. All submissions should be emailed to [email protected].
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For more information on the design parameters and application process, you can find the English explanation, here, and the Spanish version, here.
The Backstory
On Jan. 20, the Department of Transportation painted over the colorful 191st Street 1 train station tunnel without advance notice.
Uptown Council Member Carmen De La Rosa and Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance Executive Director Nira Leyva-Gutierrez quickly released a joint statement at the time critiquing the way the city handled the paint project.
“The continual lack of transparency from city agencies has long damaged our community’s trust; we are angered and disappointed by the lack of notification and care employed by the Department of Transportation in painting the tunnel without community engagement or planning,” the statement read.
The Department of Transportation told Patch afterwards that the cleaning had to do with preparing a “new art project for the tunnel,” but did not speak to the lack of advance notice for the community.
It is now apparent what art project is.
Community members have long pushed for improvements to the troublesome conditions within the 191st street 1 train station and its pedestrian tunnel.
A photo of discarded needles in the uptown tunnel went viral in January 2022, prompting De La Rosa to lead a multiple agency walkthrough of the space to determine solutions.
Going back to nearly a decade ago, a 2014 article in DNAInfo outlined residents frustration with flooding, piles of trash, graffiti and safety worries within the tunnel because of the lack of lighting.
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Despite the well-documented issues with the uptown tunnel, community members were vocal about their dislike of the way the city decided to go about painting the space.
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