1. Home
  2. Agencies and Departments
  3. MTA Arts & Design
  4. When the animals speak...

When the animals speak...

34 St-Penn Station (1/2/3)

When the animals speak...

Elizabeth Grajales
Artwork in ceramic by Elizabeth Grajales showing animals and nature scenes.
“When the animals speak...” (1998) by Elizabeth Grajales at 34 St-Penn Station. Photo: Rob Wilson

About the project

In her series of mosaics, Elizabeth Grajales shows wild beasts in a pastoral setting, reminiscent of 19th-century paintings such as the "Peaceable Kingdom" by Edward Hicks. One features a pair of lions happily coexisting with birds. A nearby stream (representing the Hudson River) with cliffs behind (the Palisades in New Jersey) form the backdrop. In another mosaic, a bear contentedly watches a doe and her young. Other panels show birds in flight and nesting. "As a child on shopping trips," notes Grajales, "I found the station dull and colorless. I wanted to give people something cheerful but also calming — a refuge in the city. That's why I used gentle colors like golden ochre and pale blues and greens for these idyllic Garden of Eden scenes."

About the artist

Elizabeth Grajales was born in Brooklyn, New York. She earned a BFA in painting and drawing from Arizona State University, Tempe, and a BS in landscape architecture from City College of New York. As a practicing artist, her work has always been about nature. Grajales has been exhibited in institutions including the Philadelphia Art Alliance, Jan Weiss Gallery, John Jay College, and the Asian American Arts Centre in New York City. She studied ceramics at Parson School of Design and later established Elizabeth Grajales Architectural Ceramics. She received public art commissions from 1992 to 2000 throughout NYC. She currently serves as senior public art project manager for the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture Public Art Program.