The fifth annual 14th Street busway mural has been unveiled, and it may be the best one yet! Titled “Turning Point” by New York-based visual artist Yuke Li, the 7,500-square-foot street mural pays homage to Union Square’s role as a place of movement. It took approximately 100 volunteers and five-days to install the mural, using 80 gallons of paint.
Through interwoven tubular shapes, “Turning Point” not only resembles the underground networks of the subway system, but is additionally a nod towards the Year of the Snake.
“Union Square has always been a powerful place for connection as well as constant movement—both above and below our streets—where people from across the boroughs converge through our subway hub, discover eclectic shopping, theater, and dining, and come together in celebration and free expression,” said Julie Stein, Executive Director of Union Square Partnership. “Yuke Li encapsulates this dynamic energy in her design.”
If you take a closer look at the mural, you’ll be able to spot a flower, a stack of books and an apple to allude to the Union Square Greenmarket and nearby bookstores. A guiding star can also be found, instilling optimism that will push us forward. Together, all symbols act as turning points, “transferring viewers’ gaze from one place to the next and guiding them toward their next destination.”
Union Square Partnership has been bringing the 14th Street busway mural to life every year since 2021. The mural is also in collaboration with the NYC DOT Art program, supported by Street Plan, an urban planning design firm. There were 68 original submissions for the 2025 design, from which Li was selected as the winner.
“Through the design of ‘Turning Point,’ it is my hope that everyone who visits this vibrant space leaves with a sense of joy and positivity, ready to embark on their own journeys with renewed optimism. I’m incredibly grateful to Union Square Partnership, NYC DOT Art, neighborhood partners, and the volunteers who helped make ‘Turning Point’ come alive in Union Square,” said Li.