For the 86 St station, Karen Margolis created "Cerebration," a glass mosaic artwork that connects people and place. In her work, she captures commuters' thought patterns as they are planning their day, remembering a joyful memory, or perhaps simply daydreaming.  

Margolis visualizes thinking patterns in circular clusters of color, at times bursting like an internal display of fireworks. The colors flow abstractly from one panel to the next, connecting a narrative of thoughts and memories of travelers.  

"Cerebration" highlights commuter’s connection to the neighborhood. Margolis transcribed destinations of local area maps, and Mosaicos Venecianos de Mexico translated those into mosaic, combining them with her abstract imagery of thought patterns. This piece creates an opportunity for reflection as commuters experience dynamic combinations of color throughout the platforms. 

Karen Margolis is a New York based artist who is fascinated by the unseen forces that shape our every thought and action. Drawing upon her background in both Neural Psychology and Studio Art, Margolis approaches artistic creation with a scientific method. Maps also play a central role in her work. The artist breathes new life to maps by employing a modern interpretation of the ancient trephination practice, which involves boring circular holes in the skull to cure physical and mental ailments. A repetitive process akin to Zen Buddhism, the frenetic circles create visual movement and an aesthetic symmetry that flirts with imbalance. 

Margolis’ work can be found in public and private collections around the world. In 2004 she conceived and implemented a program to teach art to blind and visually impaired teenagers at The Lighthouse International. In 2015, she worked as a consultant for Art Beyond Sight, coordinating with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. Margolis also organized and implemented special events for the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. She created a public art installation for the Art on Paper Fair in New York City in March 2020.