By Eliot Schiaparelli

Brooklyn based artist Rico Gatson brings eight prolific icons of Bronx culture and history to life in mosaic tiles at the 167th street B/D subway station.

The newly decorated station, which is only five stops from Fordham University, reopened at the beginning of January after undergoing repairs.

“It was an honor working with MTA Arts & Design on ‘Beacons’, to have my artwork now become a permanent part of the subway system that I have been using for the past 30 years since I first moved to New York,” he said.

He said the art installation is his way of giving back to the Bronx community.

“‘Beacons’ is my way of thanking the Bronx for the inspiration it has given to me, to these eight giants of their respective fields, and to the city in general.”

The prolific figures chosen for the work include the poet Maya Angelou, who wrote “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Angelou is also known for her work as a storyteller and activist.

The installation also included Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a famed Bronx native appointed to the Supreme Court by Barack Obama in 2009.

James Baldwin, who went to high school in the Bronx, is also in the exhibit. Baldwin is an iconic American novelist and playwright whose work focuses on civil rights issues and social critiques.

Other notable Bronx icons who were featured include the so called “Queen of Salsa” Celia Cruz, baseball player Reggie Jackson, musician Tito Puente, poet Gil Scott-Heron and writer Audre Lorde.

Gatson derived the colorful murals from photographs of the icons and rendered them in glass mosaic tiles.

Each detailed figure of the permanent installation is shown with bursts of color radiating from a black-and-white picture of them. The colored spokes of red, orange, yellow and green juxtapose the black-and-white photographs.

The murals were installed as part of a station update that included a new turnstile area and a light and camera installation.

When the mosaics were unveiled, Gatson expressed his excitement in an Instagram post.

“It is with excitement and honor that I share this project ‘Beacons’ eight permanent mosaic tile portraits at the 167th street station on the B/D train line in the Bronx,” he wrote. “It has been a year in the making and I am very grateful to all involved.”

The MTA chose Gatson for this project in Jan. 2018, after they asked artists to submit proposals to brighten up the station.

The MTA Arts and Design Division website describes “Beacons” as a celebration of the Bronx community.

“‘Beacons’ is a celebration of the energy and spirit of individuals who have been influential within the Bronx community and have received positive acclaim for their cultural, political and artistic contributions,” the division posted online.