Sandra Bloodworth, Principal
More than thirty years of responsible experience in arts administration; commissioning, installing, and conserving public art; and developing strategies for arts programs. Expertise in public affairs, studio arts, and arts education provides a diverse proven effective skill set. Strong verbal, written and interpersonal communications skills, and approaches problem solving proactively and diplomatically. Recipient of the Artist Fellowship Gari Melchers Award for and the 2015 American Institute of Architects George S. Lewis Award for helping to make New York City a better place to live and practice and the 2005 Alfred E. Sloan Award public Service by the Fund for the City of New York for exemplifying the best in public service.
Sandra Bloodworth served as director of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Arts & Design program which commissions public art that touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of city dwellers as well as national and international visitors. As the MTA rebuilds subway and commuter rail stations in New York City and its suburbs through its Capital Program, it uses a portion of the funds for the installation of permanent works of art. Through Arts & Design's award winning Permanent Art Program, artworks create visually unnique links to neighborhoods with art that echoes the architectural history and design context of the individual stations. Since 1985, 350 site specific projects have been installed with another 50 commissions in progress.
Experience
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York, NYProgressively responsible positions that have shaped and led to the largest underground collection of artworks in the world, garnering untold positive attention for the MTA as it rebuilds one of the oldest and complex transportation systems in the western hemisphere.
Director, Arts & Design (formerly Arts for Transit) 1996 – Present
Directs Arts & Design programs including: Percent for Art, Digital Arts, Photography, Graphics, Poetry in Motion and Music Under New York. Directs office with staff of nine, annual operating budget of $1 mil and ongoing commissions of 4 million annually. Spokesperson for MTA on all arts and urban design issues. Represents and adheres to Arts & Design’s mission by aesthetically improving the transit environment through public arts administration, design and preservation services. Serves as in-house consultant for seven MTA agencies and consulting architectural and engineering firms involved in station restorations to ensure the integration of art, high quality architectural design, durable materials, conservation and maintenance of artwork and historic mosaics, and implementation of MTA architectural philosophy and design guidelines. Leads industrial design initiatives including the street furniture to raise subway grates to prevent flooding, subway car design, the Help Point Intercom which was taken into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in 2007, and the MetroCard vending machine that was included in the 2011 MoMA exhibition, Talk to Me. Successfully organized national effort to create Best Practices for Art in Transit programs and continue to lead advocacy for design excellence in transit facilities and work to ensure that high quality art and design will continue to play a significant role in the rebuilding of the nation’s transportation system. Serves as the Chief Preservation Officer for the MTA in ensuring that historic properties are protected and restored where possible to value and save our heritage for future generations.
Deputy Director, Arts & Design 1992 - 1996
Managed Arts & Design’s Percent for Art Program, and its managers for the following: liaising with all MTA agencies and consulting architects and engineers, coordinating and developing sites, overseeing selection processes, procurements, contract negotiations, design and fabrication. Monitored and met construction schedules and installation of art. Managed documentation and conservation of MTA public art collection. Collaborated extensively on the creation of Station Design and Planning Guidelines for
Manager, Arts & Design 1988 – 1992
Managed temporary, high-quality art programs, reaching out to artists, communities and non-profit organizations to propose engaging artworks for subway and rail stations. Organized and conducted panel meetings to select artwork; consulted with artists to develop cohesive projects from concept through execution. Managed all phases of percent for art projects, artist selection through installation.
Studio in a School Association New York, NYDevelopment Associate 1987 – 1988
Generated $500,000 grants from major funding sources including the Morgan Guaranty Trust Company, New York Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts. Prepared correspondence and final reports for grants received. Monitored $1.5 million budget. Organized career development workshops for staff artists.
Mississippi Arts Commission Jackson, MSCommunity Arts Consultant 1975 – 1976
Organized community arts councils throughout the state. Lobbied successfully for funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, demonstrating the use of National Endowment for the Arts funds in rural areas. Assisted arts groups in obtaining charters as non-profit arts organizations. Assisted non-profit arts organizations in applying for funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission and the Federal C.E.T.A. program.
Teaching Experience· New York University Adjunct Professor 2000 – 2001
Graduate Program, Department of Art and Arts Professions
· Florida State University, Teaching Fellow 1978 – 1980
· Mississippi Museum of Art, Artist 1977
· University of Mississippi, Painting Instructor 1975 – 1977
· Jefferson Davis State Junior College, Ceramics Instructor 1973 – 1975
EducationM.F.A. Painting, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 1980, Honors: Teaching Fellow
M. A. Art Education, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, 1973
B.S. Ed. Art Education, Mississippi College, Clinton, MS, 1972
Awards
· Gari Melchers Memorial Medal, The Artists Fellowship, presented to a person or an organization that has materially furthered the interest of the profession of the fine arts, October 21, 2015.
· George S. Lewis Award, The American Institute of Architects, for helping to make New York City a better place in which to live and practice, 2015.
· Year in Review, Best Public Art, Americans for the Arts, Sky Reflector-Net, an integrated artwork at the Fulton Transit Center created in collaboration with James Carpenter Design Associates, Grimshaw, and Arup, 2015.
· Year in Review, Best Public Art, Americans for the Arts, New York Minute, created by new-media artist Gabriel Barcia-Colombo for MTA Arts & Design digital arts program, 2015.
· Honoree, Poetry Society of America, Annual Benefit, New York Botanical Gardens, 2013.
· Alfred E. Sloan Award for Public Service, Fund for the City of New York, for exemplary public service, 2005.
· Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award, New York Landmarks Conservancy, for New York City Architectural Artifacts, Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum Station, Arts and Design Collaborative, 2004.
· Excellence in Design, Art Commission of the City of New York, for WaveWall, at the West 8th Street- New York Aquarium Station, Acconci Studio, artist, 2003.
· New York City Masterwork Award, Municipal Art Society, for Bronx River View, Whitlock Avenue Station, Barbara Grygutis, artist, 2003.
· Brendan Gill Prize, Honorable Mention Award, Municipal Art Society, For Want of a Nail, 81st Street-Museum of Natural History subway station, MTA Arts & Design Collaborative, artist, 2001.
· Industrial Design Excellence Award, BusinessWeek/Industrial Designers Society of America, 2001.
· Excellence in Historic Preservation Annual Award, Preservation League of New York, 2001.
· National Institutional Award, National Conference of Artists, 2001.
· Design Excellence, NEA, Federal Design Achievement Award, 2000.
· Insight Award, Society of Environmental Graphic design, for the contributions of Arts & Design to way-finding through the commissioning of public art, 1997.
· Excellence in Design, Art Commission of the City of New York, Postcards for Sheepshead Bay, Deborah Goletz, artist, 1996.
· Design Excellence in Transportation, USDOT and NEA, 3 Honor Awards and a Merit Award, 1995.
Selected Presentations· Lecturer, New York’s Underground Art Museum, Lecture Series, Metropolitan Museum of Art, February, 2015.
· Moderator, New York’s Underground Art Museum, Museum of the City of New York, February, 2015.
· Keynote Speaker, New York’s Underground Art Museum, Annual Lecture for Volunteers, Open House New York (OHNY), New York, NY, 2015.
· Presenter, Fulton Center: A Vision Realized, American Institute of Architects, New York, NY, February, 2015.
· Featured Speaker, New York’s Underground Art Museum and the Best Practices that Built It, International Union of Public Transport Americans Institute of Architects, New York Chapter, New York, NY, 2015.t (UiTP), London, November, 2014.
· Moderator, Art in Transit: High Quality Art and Design Elevates the Transit Experience, American Public Transportation Association Annual Meeting, Houston
· Presenter, Best Practices for Integrating Art in to Transit Projects, International Union of Public Transport (UiTP), Hong Kong, 2012.
· Featured Speaker, Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government, Public Art, Mass Transit, City Image, Taipei, Taiwan, 2010.
· Presenter, Knowing Your Place, Annual Conference, Americans for the Arts, Philadelphia, Pa, June, 2008.
· Lecturer, MTA Arts for Transit, Sotheby’s Institute, New York, NY, February, 2008.
· Keynote Speaker, Along the Way: MTA Arts for Transit, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Glasberg Lecture, New York, NY, April, 2007.
· Panelist, ARTSlam, Crossroads Cincinnati Conference, International Sculpture Center, Cincinnati, OH, June, 2006.
· Presenter, The Art of Collaboration: Fulton Transit Center, American Institute of Architects, New York, NY, January, 2005.
· Keynote Speaker, A Museum Underground, New York Institute of Technology, , New York, NY, April, 2004.
· Presenter, Designing for Security, College Art Association, Seattle, WA, February, 2004.
· Featured Speaker, Association of Professional Art Advisors, Reports from the Field, New York, NY, 2002.
· Presenter, Public Art Panel, Christies, Education Department, New York, NY, May, 2002.
· Moderator, Public Art: The Economic Engine That Could, Rail-Volution Conference, Denver, CO, October, 2000.
· Presenter, Full Circle: Columbus Circle, Municipal Art Society, New York, NY, February, 1998.
· Presenter, Procuring Art, Federal Transit Administration, Region 3 Conference, , Philadelphia, PA, 1998.
· Featured Speaker, Public Art in the Subway The Cooper Union, , New York, NY, October, 1998.
· Guest Critic, University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Department of Architecture, Philadelphia, PA, 1996.
· Lecture, American Crafts Museum, Beaux-Arts and Crafts: The Ceramic Ornamentation of the New York Subway, New York, NY, 1994.
Publications
Bloodworth, Sandra, Ayres, William, New York’s Underground Art Museum, Monacelli Press 2014.
Allen, David; Bloodworth, Sandra, Emsden, Maya; Lombardi, Pallas; Priester, Mary; Best Practices for Integrating Art into Capital Projects, American Public Transportation Association, June, 2013.
Bloodworth, Sandra, Ayres, William, Along the Way: MTA Arts for Transit. Monacelli Press 2007.
Bloodworth, Sandra, Ayres, William, Art en Route: MTA Arts for Transit, exhibition catalogue, July, 1994.
Ayres, William; Bloodworth, Sandra, Nineteenth Century Magazine, Terra Cotta Incognita: Turn-of-the-Century
Ceramic Art in the New York Subway, 1992, Volume 11, Numbers 3 and 4, pages 23-28.
Professional Affiliations
UITP, Platform for Design and Culture, Vice President, representing North America.
American Public Transportation Association, Sustainability and Urban Standards Working Group, Member.
Association of Professional Art Advisors (APPA), Member.
Art Table, Member.
New York Transit Museum, Advisory Board Member.
More than thirty years of responsible experience in arts administration; commissioning, installing, and conserving public art; and developing strategies for arts programs. Expertise in public affairs, studio arts, and arts education provides a diverse proven effective skill set. Strong verbal, written and interpersonal communications skills, and approaches problem solving proactively and diplomatically. Recipient of the Artist Fellowship Gari Melchers Award for and the 2015 American Institute of Architects George S. Lewis Award for helping to make New York City a better place to live and practice and the 2005 Alfred E. Sloan Award public Service by the Fund for the City of New York for exemplifying the best in public service.
Sandra Bloodworth served as director of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Arts & Design program which commissions public art that touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of city dwellers as well as national and international visitors. As the MTA rebuilds subway and commuter rail stations in New York City and its suburbs through its Capital Program, it uses a portion of the funds for the installation of permanent works of art. Through Arts & Design's award winning Permanent Art Program, artworks create visually unnique links to neighborhoods with art that echoes the architectural history and design context of the individual stations. Since 1985, 350 site specific projects have been installed with another 50 commissions in progress.
Experience
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York, NYProgressively responsible positions that have shaped and led to the largest underground collection of artworks in the world, garnering untold positive attention for the MTA as it rebuilds one of the oldest and complex transportation systems in the western hemisphere.
Director, Arts & Design (formerly Arts for Transit) 1996 – Present
Directs Arts & Design programs including: Percent for Art, Digital Arts, Photography, Graphics, Poetry in Motion and Music Under New York. Directs office with staff of nine, annual operating budget of $1 mil and ongoing commissions of 4 million annually. Spokesperson for MTA on all arts and urban design issues. Represents and adheres to Arts & Design’s mission by aesthetically improving the transit environment through public arts administration, design and preservation services. Serves as in-house consultant for seven MTA agencies and consulting architectural and engineering firms involved in station restorations to ensure the integration of art, high quality architectural design, durable materials, conservation and maintenance of artwork and historic mosaics, and implementation of MTA architectural philosophy and design guidelines. Leads industrial design initiatives including the street furniture to raise subway grates to prevent flooding, subway car design, the Help Point Intercom which was taken into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in 2007, and the MetroCard vending machine that was included in the 2011 MoMA exhibition, Talk to Me. Successfully organized national effort to create Best Practices for Art in Transit programs and continue to lead advocacy for design excellence in transit facilities and work to ensure that high quality art and design will continue to play a significant role in the rebuilding of the nation’s transportation system. Serves as the Chief Preservation Officer for the MTA in ensuring that historic properties are protected and restored where possible to value and save our heritage for future generations.
Deputy Director, Arts & Design 1992 - 1996
Managed Arts & Design’s Percent for Art Program, and its managers for the following: liaising with all MTA agencies and consulting architects and engineers, coordinating and developing sites, overseeing selection processes, procurements, contract negotiations, design and fabrication. Monitored and met construction schedules and installation of art. Managed documentation and conservation of MTA public art collection. Collaborated extensively on the creation of Station Design and Planning Guidelines for
Manager, Arts & Design 1988 – 1992
Managed temporary, high-quality art programs, reaching out to artists, communities and non-profit organizations to propose engaging artworks for subway and rail stations. Organized and conducted panel meetings to select artwork; consulted with artists to develop cohesive projects from concept through execution. Managed all phases of percent for art projects, artist selection through installation.
Studio in a School Association New York, NYDevelopment Associate 1987 – 1988
Generated $500,000 grants from major funding sources including the Morgan Guaranty Trust Company, New York Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts. Prepared correspondence and final reports for grants received. Monitored $1.5 million budget. Organized career development workshops for staff artists.
Mississippi Arts Commission Jackson, MSCommunity Arts Consultant 1975 – 1976
Organized community arts councils throughout the state. Lobbied successfully for funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, demonstrating the use of National Endowment for the Arts funds in rural areas. Assisted arts groups in obtaining charters as non-profit arts organizations. Assisted non-profit arts organizations in applying for funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission and the Federal C.E.T.A. program.
Teaching Experience· New York University Adjunct Professor 2000 – 2001
Graduate Program, Department of Art and Arts Professions
· Florida State University, Teaching Fellow 1978 – 1980
· Mississippi Museum of Art, Artist 1977
· University of Mississippi, Painting Instructor 1975 – 1977
· Jefferson Davis State Junior College, Ceramics Instructor 1973 – 1975
EducationM.F.A. Painting, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 1980, Honors: Teaching Fellow
M. A. Art Education, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, 1973
B.S. Ed. Art Education, Mississippi College, Clinton, MS, 1972
Awards
· Gari Melchers Memorial Medal, The Artists Fellowship, presented to a person or an organization that has materially furthered the interest of the profession of the fine arts, October 21, 2015.
· George S. Lewis Award, The American Institute of Architects, for helping to make New York City a better place in which to live and practice, 2015.
· Year in Review, Best Public Art, Americans for the Arts, Sky Reflector-Net, an integrated artwork at the Fulton Transit Center created in collaboration with James Carpenter Design Associates, Grimshaw, and Arup, 2015.
· Year in Review, Best Public Art, Americans for the Arts, New York Minute, created by new-media artist Gabriel Barcia-Colombo for MTA Arts & Design digital arts program, 2015.
· Honoree, Poetry Society of America, Annual Benefit, New York Botanical Gardens, 2013.
· Alfred E. Sloan Award for Public Service, Fund for the City of New York, for exemplary public service, 2005.
· Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award, New York Landmarks Conservancy, for New York City Architectural Artifacts, Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum Station, Arts and Design Collaborative, 2004.
· Excellence in Design, Art Commission of the City of New York, for WaveWall, at the West 8th Street- New York Aquarium Station, Acconci Studio, artist, 2003.
· New York City Masterwork Award, Municipal Art Society, for Bronx River View, Whitlock Avenue Station, Barbara Grygutis, artist, 2003.
· Brendan Gill Prize, Honorable Mention Award, Municipal Art Society, For Want of a Nail, 81st Street-Museum of Natural History subway station, MTA Arts & Design Collaborative, artist, 2001.
· Industrial Design Excellence Award, BusinessWeek/Industrial Designers Society of America, 2001.
· Excellence in Historic Preservation Annual Award, Preservation League of New York, 2001.
· National Institutional Award, National Conference of Artists, 2001.
- Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award, New York Landmarks Conservancy, Marine Grille Murals, Fulton Street-Broadway Nassau Station, 2000.
· Design Excellence, NEA, Federal Design Achievement Award, 2000.
· Insight Award, Society of Environmental Graphic design, for the contributions of Arts & Design to way-finding through the commissioning of public art, 1997.
· Excellence in Design, Art Commission of the City of New York, Postcards for Sheepshead Bay, Deborah Goletz, artist, 1996.
· Design Excellence in Transportation, USDOT and NEA, 3 Honor Awards and a Merit Award, 1995.
Selected Presentations· Lecturer, New York’s Underground Art Museum, Lecture Series, Metropolitan Museum of Art, February, 2015.
· Moderator, New York’s Underground Art Museum, Museum of the City of New York, February, 2015.
· Keynote Speaker, New York’s Underground Art Museum, Annual Lecture for Volunteers, Open House New York (OHNY), New York, NY, 2015.
· Presenter, Fulton Center: A Vision Realized, American Institute of Architects, New York, NY, February, 2015.
· Featured Speaker, New York’s Underground Art Museum and the Best Practices that Built It, International Union of Public Transport Americans Institute of Architects, New York Chapter, New York, NY, 2015.t (UiTP), London, November, 2014.
· Moderator, Art in Transit: High Quality Art and Design Elevates the Transit Experience, American Public Transportation Association Annual Meeting, Houston
· Presenter, Best Practices for Integrating Art in to Transit Projects, International Union of Public Transport (UiTP), Hong Kong, 2012.
· Featured Speaker, Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government, Public Art, Mass Transit, City Image, Taipei, Taiwan, 2010.
· Presenter, Knowing Your Place, Annual Conference, Americans for the Arts, Philadelphia, Pa, June, 2008.
· Lecturer, MTA Arts for Transit, Sotheby’s Institute, New York, NY, February, 2008.
· Keynote Speaker, Along the Way: MTA Arts for Transit, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Glasberg Lecture, New York, NY, April, 2007.
· Panelist, ARTSlam, Crossroads Cincinnati Conference, International Sculpture Center, Cincinnati, OH, June, 2006.
· Presenter, The Art of Collaboration: Fulton Transit Center, American Institute of Architects, New York, NY, January, 2005.
· Keynote Speaker, A Museum Underground, New York Institute of Technology, , New York, NY, April, 2004.
· Presenter, Designing for Security, College Art Association, Seattle, WA, February, 2004.
· Featured Speaker, Association of Professional Art Advisors, Reports from the Field, New York, NY, 2002.
· Presenter, Public Art Panel, Christies, Education Department, New York, NY, May, 2002.
· Moderator, Public Art: The Economic Engine That Could, Rail-Volution Conference, Denver, CO, October, 2000.
· Presenter, Full Circle: Columbus Circle, Municipal Art Society, New York, NY, February, 1998.
· Presenter, Procuring Art, Federal Transit Administration, Region 3 Conference, , Philadelphia, PA, 1998.
· Featured Speaker, Public Art in the Subway The Cooper Union, , New York, NY, October, 1998.
· Guest Critic, University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Department of Architecture, Philadelphia, PA, 1996.
· Lecture, American Crafts Museum, Beaux-Arts and Crafts: The Ceramic Ornamentation of the New York Subway, New York, NY, 1994.
Publications
Bloodworth, Sandra, Ayres, William, New York’s Underground Art Museum, Monacelli Press 2014.
Allen, David; Bloodworth, Sandra, Emsden, Maya; Lombardi, Pallas; Priester, Mary; Best Practices for Integrating Art into Capital Projects, American Public Transportation Association, June, 2013.
Bloodworth, Sandra, Ayres, William, Along the Way: MTA Arts for Transit. Monacelli Press 2007.
Bloodworth, Sandra, Ayres, William, Art en Route: MTA Arts for Transit, exhibition catalogue, July, 1994.
Ayres, William; Bloodworth, Sandra, Nineteenth Century Magazine, Terra Cotta Incognita: Turn-of-the-Century
Ceramic Art in the New York Subway, 1992, Volume 11, Numbers 3 and 4, pages 23-28.
Professional Affiliations
UITP, Platform for Design and Culture, Vice President, representing North America.
American Public Transportation Association, Sustainability and Urban Standards Working Group, Member.
Association of Professional Art Advisors (APPA), Member.
Art Table, Member.
New York Transit Museum, Advisory Board Member.