It all started with a rainy day during our stay at the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown…
Grace and I had the pleasure of visiting and staying at the property last March for a few client visits in the City. Our first day was a lovely, crisp spring day with full sun and it was wonderful to walk around the City and visit with clients.
The next day, Saturday, we had as a free day to spend in the City, but in typical March fashion the weather had taken a turn for the worse—cold, wet, and windy. We made the best of it and visited the Guggenheim to see the new Nick Cave exhibition, and serendipitously happened upon Cooper-Hewitt next door which had on display set of exhibitions of of early graphic design by French designer and architect Hector Guimard, and American sociologist W. E. B. du Bois, both of which were thought-provoking and informative of the power of the graphic arts.
After a quick bite at Paola’s Osteria, and a metro ride back to the Four Seasons, we were on our way back to St. Petersburg—wishing that we had spent more time in our room, which, save for a kitchen, rivals many very well-appointed 1-bedroom apartments in New York.
This is where the idea for In-room Activities was born. Four Seasons General Manager Thomas Carreras had mentioned in passing that engaging the youngest guests with a truly special experience was a challenge. Pairing that with the idea of a rainy day in New York, we knew that we could approach the problem in a creative and educational way.
Given the wealth of public art and innovative architecture in New York City, our concept was to illustrate, design, source, and produce a card set bringing a walking tour of the City into a family-oriented activity that could be played on a rainy day. Each card includes the artist and year of the original work.
Red Cube
Isamu Noguchi, 1968
Statue of Liberty
Auguste Bartholdi, 1876-1886
Group of Four Trees
Jean Dubuffet, 1972
Figure Balancing on Dog
Keith Haring, 1986
Peace Clock
Lina Viste Grønli, 2015-2016
Columnade
Eduardo Ramirez Villamizar, 1973
Balto Statue
Frederick G.R. Roth, 1925
Double Check
John Seward Johnson II, 1982
Jane's Carousel
Philadelphia Toboggan Company, 1922
Louise Nevelson Plaza
Louise Nevelson, 1977-1978
Carmine Street Pool Mural
Keith Haring, 1987
Tree of Hope III
Algernon Miller, 1972
Untitled (Mini Bean)
Anish Kapoor, 2023
Charging Bull
Arturo Di Modica, 1989
Alamo
Tony Rosenthal, 1967
The set features two matching games that can be played with the cards and instructions for both. Extending the concept outside of the context of the room, we included the physical addresses of the artworks and selection of 12 depicted on a map of Manhattan that could serve as a walking tour around the City.
