Lesson 101: #ArtOnLink

It's been several months since I first posted my #ArtOnLink piece in my IG feed of a piece by friend and artist Ellen Korbonski and I continue to see the likes of Baron Von Fancy, Subway Doodle, Michael Steinbrick and many more on the kiosks-if only for 15 seconds. I loved the idea of having "public art" on the street and I felt the need to know more about the company behind the program. I wanted to learn and share their submission process but first I had to understand their actual mission. So I reached out to Amanda Giddon, Senior Consumer Marketing Manager at Intersection..

Since launching the #ArtOnLink program, the Link network has changed how people encounter art and discover artists in their city. Links in NYC, Newark, Philadelphia display artwork by local creators that depicts their unique perspectives on city life.

With Links live across these cities and more than 8 million Wi-Fi subscribers, Link has created a multi-city, on-the-go art gallery, showcasing over 100 artists and several hundred works to date, which are interspersed between other local content like city facts, transit updates, events, and beyond.

Some of the work featured in the #ArtOnLink campaign ranges from Mari Andrew’s ‘Magical Things I’ve Seen in NYC’ to Glossblack’s graffiti art in Philly and Kern Bruce’s ‘Women in Newark’ series.

The NYC Pride project included 25 New York LGBTQIA+ artists and was a curated by both Ben Wagner (@benfwagner) & Isabel Castillo Guijarro (@byisabel) . I remember noticing all of the brightly colored pieces throughout the city. Wonderful articles such as Working Not Working: This Project Showcases 25 New York LGBTQIA+ Artists on LinkNYC Screens and AIGA: No. 250: An Online Space for the Dreamscape, Pride Designs Dotting NYC + More gained press coverage, too.

Below are some images of the art that was on display during Pride in NYC by artists Shantell Martin, Pat King and Zipeng Zhu.

Not only does the program provide a way to promote local artists in the city they call home, it surprises and delights locals and visitors on the go by bringing art to public space.

There was also a clever series of train tips & tidbits from local Brooklyn artist Naomi Otsu. From pole-hogging to blasting music during a morning commute, Naomi has created artwork for the unspoken rules and etiquette of NYC subways. These designs, originally billed as a New York Train Tips & Tidbits, began as a public awareness passion project created in collaboration with Otsu’s filmmaker boyfriend, New York Nico @newyorknico. Distributed in subways, the survival guide served as a way of promoting friendly subway etiquette and mindful commuting.

I hope you are fully intrigued now. If you would like to submit to #ArtOnLink- please follow this link! To learn more about the program you can also go here. When asked about their goals for the upcoming new year I was told that reaching more people was very important to them. So now is your chance to submit to #ArtOnLink and maybe YOU will see your work on the public kiosks and be stopped in your tracks just as I was. Good Luck to all and make sure to follow @linknycofficial for more information..