Some outstanding musicians have performed in the Cambridge and Boston subways over the years. I never know quite what to expect.
New Yorkers also get some nice surprises in the subway. Alex Vadukul of the NY Times writes about a paper-cutting portraitist who works fast:
“In the congested world of subway performers, where dance troupes, conga circles and violin players blur, Ming Liang Lu, 57, is an alluring presence. A self-described ‘master paper portrait cutter,’ he has the ability to trim facial portraits out of frail paper within minutes, compelling some riders to willingly miss their trains.
“Mr. Lu practices several ancient Chinese art forms, and says he hails from a noted Shanghai teaching lineage. On weekends, he teaches calligraphy, painting and cutting at the New York Chinese Cultural Center. He said that in Shanghai, his birth city, he was renowned for stone sculpture and stamp seal carving. He credits the facial portraits to his formative training in a three-dimensional form.” 3-D before 3-D. Read all about it.
Photograph: Joshua Bright for the NY Times
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
Wow, amazing. I loved looking at the finished product.
I once read about an experienced paper-cutting artist who tried to teach a bunch of little old ladies who liked the old-fashioned look. Turned out that they had no patience for all the required practice exercises. They wanted to jump to the end product, and that is not possible without a lot of skill building first.
I can well believe it takes a *lot* of preparation and practice.