46th St Station in Astoria (Adrian Wilson)
Jan. 20, 2021 By Allie Griffin
President Joseph Biden was honored in a very New York way at a Queens subway station Wednesday.
As Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, the 46th Street subway station in Astoria was transformed in honor the new president.
One of the signs inside the M/R station was switched from “46th Street” to “46th Joe” and the text below pointing in the direction of 46th Street was switched to “45th OUT” — a reference to former President Donald Trump who lost the election.
Local artist Adrian Wilson was behind the switch, which he created by hand-drawing the mosaic tiled words on a sheet of paper and pasting it over the original subway sign lettering.
He created the art piece to celebrate a new day for the country he said.
“It’s making people smile. It’s welcoming the new president,” Wilson said of his signage which was first reported by Patch. “It’s really just something to commemorate a great day.”
Wilson — who is known for past NYC sign tributes to Aretha Franklin at the Franklin Street subway station and David Bowie on the Bowery street sign — pasted the inauguration day homage at the station at around 9:40 a.m.
It was taken down by 11:30 a.m., Wilson said, but photos of it quickly became popular on social media.
Wilson later changed the sign for Thompson Street in Manhattan to read “Trumpgone St” to celebrate the end of the Trump presidency.
3 Comments
It made people smile, which is great in these trying times . And was easily removed, which is not really vandalism….So I would say thumbs up to the artist….
46th Joe is an tribute tribute to a new president, but 45th out is is puerile and unnecessary for a president, who in spite of his frailties, did so much to better our country nationally and internationally AND did so much for the international community.
It’s vandalism, not art. Any 5 year old could’ve did this.