STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Kali DeCristoforo, a Staten Island Academy senior, never expected a quiet tribute to her father would wind up on display in one of the busiest transportation hubs in the world.
But that’s exactly what happened when her photograph — an image of her father, Mark DeCristoforo, head football coach at St. Peter’s Boys High School — was selected to appear in “Dear New York,” the largest public art installation New York City has seen in decades.
The exhibit, which opened Oct. 6, is currently on view at Grand Central Terminal until Oct. 19.
“Not sure if this is story worthy but I was so honored I had to share,” Mark DeCristoforo wrote, after learning the photo had been chosen. “Apparently this was selected among many submissions to be part of an art exhibit in Grand Central Station.
“Both Kali and I didn’t know it was selected. I didn’t know she submitted a photo and small blurb.”
The surprise selection came via a school administrator, who sent him a picture of the image on display inside Grand Central.
Kali, a standout senior, plays varsity soccer, basketball and lacrosse, participates in theater, maintains a high academic average and is applying to college. “She is the strongest young woman on the planet,” her father said.
That strength has been forged through unimaginable tragedy.
On the night of Jan. 1, 2024, a devastating house fire destroyed the DeCristoforo family home and claimed the life of Kali’s youngest sister, 7-year-old Rory.
Described by loved ones as a dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty with a playful and loving spirit, Rory was the baby of the family, adored by her older siblings, Kali, Bubba and Shane.
“The youngest of four siblings, she stole a piece of each of their hearts,” the family said about Rory in a statement shortly after the fire.
Reflecting on the Grand Central installation, Mark DeCristoforo said it offered a powerful and unexpected moment of healing and pride.
“My first reaction to learning her work was selected was truly thinking what a special place Staten Island Academy is, where a student could submit a photograph and paragraph and somehow it winds up hanging in Grand Central Station,” he said.
“Even more, that (Head of School Dr. Eileen Corigliano) took time from her day to share these pictures with me, was a reminder of the people around Kali that have helped her triumph over this tragedy,” he added.
“I was truly moved by it because there are many days recently I see how far the world has moved forward and we are still living it as if it was day one without Rory.”
The photograph is part of “Dear New York,” a citywide art installation from “Humans of New York” creator Brandon Stanton.
“At this point to have strength and inspiration be acknowledged and in such a public way, by the most important person in our lives was truly a gift and wake-up call to keep being positive and leading by example,” shared DeCristoforo.
Running through Oct. 19, the project spans more than 150 digital screens throughout Grand Central Terminal and its subway concourse, displaying thousands of portraits and personal stories of everyday New Yorkers.
“This beautiful art installation transforms the terminal into a photographic display of New Yorkers telling their stories from all walks of life,” Mary John, the MTA’s director of commercial ventures, told ARTNews. “It serves as a powerful reminder of our shared humanity.”
The exhibit marks the first time the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has unified digital displays across the entire terminal and concourse.
“The general thesis is that all of New York is where the world comes together in a single place,” Stanton also told ARTnews. “And there’s something almost sacred about that — it’s like a microcosm, a proof of concept that humanity can get along even when shoved into the smallest spaces.”
The Main Concourse is transformed with 50-foot digital projections and a custom soundtrack featuring over 100 hours of music curated in collaboration with the Juilliard School.
A Steinway & Sons piano is also available for public use during the installation’s run.
In the subway level below, designer Andrea Trabucco-Campos and his team at Pentagram oversaw what the MTA calls the most extensive use of subway space in the agency’s history.
The installation also includes a community showcase in Vanderbilt Hall, featuring work by emerging artists and more than 600 New York City public school students selected through an open call.
“We are proud to provide all of our young artists with the space to shine and share their perspectives through photography and visual storytelling,” Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos told ARTNews.
Stanton is donating all proceeds from the “Dear New York” companion book to local charities, after covering installation costs.
“If it’s beautiful, it won’t be a failure,” Stanton said. “No matter what happens, it will have been worth it.”
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