At Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza subway station, a new art installation features dinosaur-themed elements integrated into a fictional storefront. According to PIX11, Rex’s NYC Dino Store is a collaboration between the MTA and artists Sarah Cassidy and Akiva Leffert. The display includes mock products such as Alka-Saurus and Snarlboro, combining references to consumer goods with prehistoric motifs as part of the station’s public art program.
As described by News 12 Brooklyn, the exhibit features a bodega-style display designed with a dinosaur theme, including oversized everyday items and fictional publications such as The Pangaea Times and The Maul Street Journal. While no prehistoric visitors occupy the space, the installation is part of the MTA's Vacant Unit Activation Program, launched in 2023. This initiative repurposes underutilized areas in the transit system—often vacant due to their unconventional size or location—for creative installations aimed at enhancing the subway environment.
While the storefront appears functional, the space is not an operational commercial establishment. "This creative project is part of the MTA’s Vacant Unit Activation Program, which aims to fill underutilized spaces in the subway system with non-traditional uses to make stations more welcoming and vibrant for riders," a representative for the MTA explained in a social media post cited by PIX11.
Rex’s NYC Dino Store is the tenth installation under the MTA’s Vacant Unit Activation Program. Featuring dinosaur-themed elements and a unique design, it aims to make creative use of available space in the transit system. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to utilize less conventional areas and integrate art into public spaces within the subway.
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