NEW YORK, NY.- MTA Arts & Design has announced a new commission by graphic artist Shawna X titled Cyclical Everything at the newly opened overpass at the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Elmont-UBS Arena Station. A series of ten vibrant glass panels enliven the station overpass, and metal railings in geometric forms are located on the eastbound platform and in the ramp of the westbound platform. The first new LIRR station in almost 50 years, Elmont-UBS Arena provides service to and from events at UBS Arena and Belmont Park racetrack, as well as to the local community.

“We are delighted to have such lively artwork for the new Elmont-UBS Arena Station,” says Sandra Bloodworth, Director, MTA Arts & Design. “Shawna X’s bold imagery provides excitement and energy to welcome riders to Elmont. Whether arriving for the first time to support their favorite team or passing through on their daily commute, this artwork is for everyone.”

New York-based independent artist, illustrator & creative Shawna X is known for her rich image- making across mediums. She aims to create works that resonate with people using art as a universal language of communication that inspires connection. The artwork for LIRR Elmont-UBS Arena uses an oval motif referencing the nearby racetrack and arena. The form represents the evolving and transformative nature of Elmont, and the many distinctive cultures at home around this historic attraction.




“Cyclical Everything is about transformation and seeing from a renewed perspective, emphasized by multidimensional colors and varying opacities to create distinctions of different levels of light and scenery, and repetitive motifs in metal,” states artist Shawna X. “I hope these artworks will inspire LIRR riders to take in Elmont in a new way.”

Two sections of metal fabricated by KC Fabrications enhance the station platform with a 10-foot- tall screen on the south platform and a railing that lines the ramp to the north platform. The symbolic motif of the track is abstracted into striking rhythmic forms. The imagery alludes to the laminated glass artwork elsewhere in the station, while distinctive in its own way with bold lines rendered in black metal.

The variations of the main radiating motif represent the constant of the Belmont Racetrack in Elmont, a hamlet that has transformed significantly throughout its history, from farmland to the residential neighborhoods of a diverse community and nationally recognized education system. Ten panels of laminated glass fabricated by Tom Patti Designs line the walkway over the LIRR tracks. Each brightly colored glass section is connected by the grounding motif of the racetrack. Strong lines and shapes connect the different sections and provide portals to the surrounding area. The designs depicting bodies in motion, referencing the musicians, athletes, and performers at the nearby newly built UBS Arena.

Shawna X is an American artist of Chinese descent from Xiamen, China and Portland, Oregon, and based in New York City. The origin of Shawna’s artmaking began while learning English, utilized as a vehicle to communicate with her peers. Using art to communicate complex and simple emotions, she creates projects about cultural identity, the creative process, and motherhood. She has been invited to speak on these topics by Adobe Max, Us by Night, AIGA Keynote speaker, and Creative Independent. She creates experiences in music, fashion, and technology, collaborating with clients such as New Yorker, MINI, Academy Awards, Nike, Google, and Ghostly International.

MTA Arts & Design encourages the use of public transportation by providing visual and performing arts in the metropolitan New York area. The Percent for Art program is one of the largest and most diverse collections of site-specific public art in the world, with more than 350 commissions by world- famous, mid-career and emerging artists. Arts & Design produces Graphic Arts, Digital Art, photographic Lightbox exhibitions, as well as live musical performances in stations through its Music Under New York (MUSIC) program, and the Poetry in Motion program in collaboration with the Poetry Society of America. It serves the millions of people who rely upon MTA subways and commuter trains and strives to create meaningful connections between sites, neighborhoods, and people.