Robert Blackburn's dynamic abstract patterns rendered in mosaic suggests the color and movement of the streets above that the artist shapes into beautiful artwork for the subway station. A master printmaker, Blackburn was a founding member of the Printmaking Workshop in Harlem. In 2001 MTA Arts & Design commissioned Blackburn to create a work for the 116 St subway station in Harlem. In failing health, he chose artist Mei-Tei-Sing Smith, a Bearden Fellow at the Printmaking Workshop to assist him on what would prove to be his last major project. Once completed, Blackburn’s maquettes were enlarged and manufactured into ceramic and glass mosaics. 

Renowned artist, printmaker, and educator Robert Blackburn (1920-2003) was a long time Harlem resident. The child of Jamaican immigrants, Blackburn moved to Harlem when he was seven years old and began taking art classes at thirteen. He was immersed in the Harlem Renaissance and built a strong network of relationships with fellow artists and writers. Blackburn quickly found his own preferred medium in printmaking and became an influential teacher, collaborator, and artist in the field – establishing his own studio in Chelsea, The Printmaking Workshop. For 55 years his shop served as a welcoming space for artists to learn, experiment, and exchange knowledge. Two years after Blackburn’s death, in 2005, the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts reopened the space as The Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. Under the Elizabeth Foundation, The Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop continues to foster an atmosphere of openness and diversity. There are over 4,000 artists with over 20,000 prints in the shop archives.