The final public commission by late Bronx artist Corinne Grondahl has been unveiled at the Mosholu Parkway subway station, building on an installation she first created nearly two decades ago.
The new works, “The Gyre/CHAOS” and “CHANGE”, consist of 78 glass panels that explore themes of environmental destruction and renewal in New York waterways.
MTA Arts & Design announced the completion of 78 new glass panels based on Grondahl’s artwork on August 31, which now surround the elevators on the station’s platforms and mezzanines.
“She had a remarkable ability to connect with people through color and motion, and expanding her installation at Mosholu Parkway lets that feeling reach even more riders,” said Tina Vaz, Director of MTA Arts & Design.
“The Gyre/CHAOS,” on the southbound side, depicts the North Pacific Gyre and the plastic waste that can make its way into New York’s waterways.
On the northbound side, “CHANGE” contrasts its grim counterpart, representing the ongoing renewal of polluted waters and reflecting the revitalization of the Bronx River.
“Her presence in the station is now even more inviting, and this growth of her work is a beautiful reminder of how generously she shared her imagination with New Yorkers,” Vaz said.
Grondahl, a Bronx-based textile artist, died in 2024 while the project was underway. Her work frequently incorporated recycled and repurposed materials while exploring the natural environment. Her “Water Warriors“ series, for example, included materials collected from the beach and was inspired by her life on the water in the Bronx.
Grondahl’s son, Chris, recalled the weekly trips he and his mother made to a Goodwill store in New Jersey. During one visit, Grondahl noticed that bags of donated clothing were tied with silk neckties and purchased several bags of them for $1 each. She later transformed the discarded ties into the distinctive “tie paintings” that inspired her artwork at the Mosholu Parkway station.
“She repurposed the neckties and utilized their texture, patterns and color palette as brush strokes,” Chris said.
“[They] reflect the way my mother found use and beauty in everything.”
The installation is an expansion of Grondahl’s original 2008 artwork for the station, “Metromorphosis/Birth of a Station,” which drew inspiration from the Algonquin translation of “Mosholu,” meaning “smooth” or “small stones.”
During her career, Grondahl exhibited work at institutions including Hostos Community College and Lehman College. She received a BRIO Award from the Bronx Council on the Arts and a Creative Artist Grant from ArtServe and the Michigan Arts Council.
The new glass panels were fabricated by Mayer of Munich with design support from Traher Design and installed as part of accessibility improvements at the Mosholu Parkway station.
Reach Marina Samuel at msamuel@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
