ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Karen Arm's Cosmic Mosaic Installed at New LIRR Station Near Brookhaven Lab

architecture-design · 2026-07-19

At the newly opened Yaphank-BNL Station on the Long Island Rail Road's Greenport Branch, MTA Arts & Design has introduced a permanent mosaic created by Long Island artist Karen Arm. Named 'Initium (beginning),' this artwork illustrates a globular cluster, reflecting themes of deep space and the natural dynamics of formation and energy. Situated nearer to the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), a hub for research in physics and energy science, Arm's mosaic complements BNL's scientific pursuits concerning particles and phenomena that are not visible to the naked eye.

Key facts

  • MTA Arts & Design installed a new permanent mosaic at Yaphank-BNL Station.
  • The artwork is titled 'Initium (beginning)' by Karen Arm.
  • The mosaic depicts a globular cluster, evoking deep space.
  • The station is on the Long Island Rail Road Greenport Branch.
  • The station is newly constructed and closer to Brookhaven National Laboratory.
  • Brookhaven National Laboratory is a research center for physics and energy science.
  • The artwork is conceived as an artistic counterpart to scientific work at BNL.
  • Arm's mosaic contrasts with BNL's study of invisible particles and phenomena.

Entities

Artists

  • Karen Arm

Institutions

  • MTA Arts & Design
  • Long Island Rail Road
  • Brookhaven National Laboratory

Locations

  • Yaphank-BNL Station
  • Long Island
  • New York
  • United States

Sources