This year’s 14th Street Busway mural urges New Yorkers to ‘get outside’
Photos by Colossal Media
With spring weather finally blossoming in New York City, so has the annual mural on Union Square’s 14th Street Busway. Now in its sixth year, the corridor has received a vibrant makeover, this time featuring artist Shantell Martin’s “Get Outside,” a mural encouraging viewers to reconnect with the outdoors and their communities while celebrating Union Square’s historic role as a hub for gatherings. The 7,500-square-foot artwork was hand-painted by Brooklyn-based Colossal Media and is part of Merrell’s “Outside in the City” program, which frames the outdoors as a vital part of city life rather than a distant destination.
The mural showcases Martin’s signature spontaneous linework style, a “continuously evolving” practice that blurs the lines between art, storytelling, and spatial transformation. It embodies the belief that people do not need permission to go outside and engage with the world.
“Get Outside” features white lines and icons on a black background accented with bursts of color and an orange thread that becomes a path, encouraging visitors to slow down and reconnect with their own journey.
“Union Square is a place I’ve returned to again and again, it’s full of movement, voices, and unexpected moments,” Martin said. “This work is about following that energy, encouraging people to walk, notice, and find their own path through the city.”
Presented by the NYC Department of Transportation’s Art Program, this year’s mural marks the sixth annual installation to transform the 14th Street Busway with eye-catching art. The program seeks to beautify the streetscape while planning for expanded pedestrian space in the neighborhood.
“Union Square has long been a canvas for artists to display their work, creating new ways for people to experience our public spaces,” Julie Stein, executive director of Union Square Partnership, said.
“The 14th Street busway mural, an award-winning program now in its sixth year, has become a popular public art installation that New Yorkers look forward to year after year,” she added. “We are excited to unveil this year’s piece alongside Shantell Martin, Merrell, the Department of Transportation Art program, and Colossal Media to the hundreds of thousands of residents, workers and visitors who move through the district each day.”
Last year, New York-based artist Yuke Li unveiled “Turning Point,” a mural featuring bold, abstract compositions and retro-inspired hues, with fluid shapes reflecting the movement of people through the space.
In 2024, Queens-based artist Talisa Almonte’s “Flowing Together” honored Union Square’s role as both a place to pass through and its historic ties to social movements.
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