Art at The Fifty Sonesta Hotel of New York

From hand-blown mobiles by an MIT engineering graduate to works of abstract expressionism, The Fifty Sonesta New York Hotel is home to a curated collection of pieces by local artists. The works afford viewers a place to reflect, create and connect.

Glass Science: Guests new to the hotel will note a blue glass mobile above an elegant staircase. While the seemingly frantic hand-blow glass figures spark interest as they dangle overhead, the more enriching story is the artist, David Smith, who was introduced to the art of glass blowing in 1978 while studying for a degree at MIT. As a result of his love for glass science combined with an interest in the tradition and history of glass blowing, Smith followed his bliss and is now the owner and operator of Blowing Sands Glass in Seattle.

Poker Face: Four sculptures guard the hotel’s intimate lobby. This piece, “Four of a Kind,” was composed from recycled metal by Montserrat Daubon & Pedro Villalta, who resides in Harlem. The stoic figures represent the four suits in a deck of playing cards: clubs, hearts, spades and diamonds. Those with a penchant for cultural outings may want to visit the artistic duo’s outdoor sculpture, “Pod,” which is in Harlem at 124th Street and Lenox and funded by Kickstarter.

Pink Meets Punk: Residing in the West Village, New York City artist Lindsey Wilner’s street-inspired piece, located on the 2nd floor in The Den, exudes the same electric energy of New York City. Her early works of abstract expressionism fused with pop art hues have evolved into a convergence of abstract art with the raw expression of the guerrilla graffiti movement. She is laying the groundwork for a new technique of mark making.