Dear New York
https://vimeo.com/joemangrum/hony “Dear New York” at Grand Central Terminal
October 6–19, 2025 Grand Central Terminal, NYC @humansofny
I’m deeply honored to be part of Dear New York, a first-of-its-kind public art installation created by my longtime friend Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York.
Brandon has been photographing me since the very beginning of his journey — our friendship now spans more than fifteen years. I still remember the day he stopped me in Washington Square Park to take that first portrait. That image went on to be featured in the original Humans of New York book, and later, a glimpse of my sand painting process appeared in Episode 1 of the Humans of New York Facebook series.
Now, for this extraordinary installation, projections of my work will be shown inside Grand Central Terminal — part of a sweeping visual love letter to the people and creative spirit of New York City.
For the first time in living memory, Grand Central Terminal and its subway station have been completely cleared of advertising and transformed into an immersive public artwork that celebrates the city’s stories, faces, and art.
A close-up of my hands pouring colored sand — first published in the original Humans of New York book and later appearing in Episode 1 of the HONY Facebook Watch series.
Visitors can experience:
- 50-foot projections lighting up the Main Concourse (including selections of my work) - 150+ digital screens unified to display thousands of HONY portraits and stories - The most extensive subway installation in NYC history - A community art exhibit in Vanderbilt Hall featuring emerging NYC artists and over 300 submissions from NYC public school students
https://www.joemangrum.com/product/pre-order-installations-sand-box-set/
A forthcoming monograph celebrating over three decades of vibrant, ephemeral creation — Installations & Sand Paintings brings together Joe Mangrum’s most iconic works from streets, museums, and public spaces across the world. Each image captures the fleeting beauty of color poured by hand, a meditation on impermanence and transformation. Now available for pre-sale.