Arts for Transit on the MTA, New York City

Considering that I first found this New York Times article and the website it refers to back in 2007, I think that both are a testament to the longevity of information posted to the web, and the persistence of those who want to share art with the rest of the world.

The NYT article by David W. Dunlap is subject to the monthly limit of 10 free articles, but even if you don't subscribe to the newspaper, the article is still available, as long as you haven't already reached the limit. It has a link to a audio slide show by Dunlap which includes some very good images of the artwork he talks about.

Now for my critique of the MTA website. It starts with a main page with information relating to the art but also about the MTA so, unless you're looking for schedules, etc., stick to the links under the photo. The 'Permanent Art" link leads to photos of the artwork on the different branch lines and stations. These are zoomable, which is good. I can see that exploring this site could take up a lot of time. I did some exploring, and my favourite piece so far is by Wopo Holup at the Dyckman Street station on the New York City Transit. By the way, I'm not posting direct links to the parts of the website since half the fun of visiting art sites is rambling around after you find the main page.

The Lightbox link directs viewers to information and slide shows about photography exhibits at four stations. The exhibits are changed every 6 months and so far I haven't found an archive of earlier shows. Posters and Art Cards are for sale though one link, and, again, the images are zoomable, and there are archives on these pages. I really like the Art Cards, but they're a bit pricey for my budget, considering the postage.

There are even lengthy music samples found through the "Music" link, and some poetry posters on the "Poetry" page, although none earlier than 2012. "Podcasts" contains audio files and images of the artwork discussed. I'd advise opening one or other of the tabs in a separate window so you can look at the work being discussed. Under the Podcasts tab, you'll also find the Google Earth Tour. Once Google Earth is installed, you'll find yourself hovering over an image of  New York with a guide to the stops along the MTA lines. This is one of those neat little hidden marvels that has multiple tours along six different lines, where you can follow the tour, view the art, and then zoom in wherever you want to explore the city and environs. I even took the opportunity to zoom out and travel up to Nova Scotia, but since this is not a Google map, it was pretty hard to find my little village.

Finally, the index page has a list of art and artists, but I never did find the archive for earlier Lightbox works. There are a few broken and misleading links thoughout the site, but not too many, which is pretty marvellous for a site that has been around this long. One last page, with a direct link: the Grand Central Station 100th celebration.

Brooklyn Museum online

I have reviewed several exhibits at the Brooklyn Museum but I want to discuss, in this post, the wealth of material available throughout their website.

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/

Also check the rest of their website - treat separate from Sackler Museum, which is next)
and see under podcasts the large number of videos that can be downloaded from iTunes - some are on YouTube

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions has past exhibits (to at least 1999 are good) and listing back to 1800s. Look for blog, and does