Art

Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events have named 2017 as the "Year of Public Art", and some of Chicago's hottest hotels will be housing living, breathing art installations. Chicago's reputation as a host of cultural and artistic inclusivity has inspired hotels to showcase art in their spaces for the rest of the year. Some of the hotels that will be hosting art pieces are the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel; The Blackstone, Autograph Collection; and Thompson Chicago.

Houston First has unveiled two key art installations—“Soaring in the Clouds” by artist Ed Wilson and “Wings over Water” by Joe O’Connell and Creative Machines—as a part of the Houston Infusion initiative. The “Soaring in the Clouds” installation is suspended from the ceiling of the grand lobby in the George R. Brown Convention Center and features approximately 300 elements that resemble flocks of birds in flight. “Wings over Water” is a kinetic sculpture that moves as visitors enter the George R. Brown Convention Center Plaza in downtown Houston.

Just before its opening, Hotel EMC2, part of Autograph Collection Hotels, has announced its brand-new executive team. The first of its kind, the hotel celebrates the melding of art and science through its design, cuisine and guest experience. The team includes: Christine Wechter, general manager; Brandon Brumback, executive chef; Rebecca Royster, director of food and beverage; Stefanie Rowe, director of sales and marketing; Alexander Foster, director of rooms; and Yesenia Salas, human resources manager.

In early 2017, the Courtyard by Marriott Denver Downtown will begin remodeling; it is expected to finish in early April. The multimillion-dollar revamp will include updates to the lobby and meeting spaces. The design will have a modern vintage feel while staying true to the rich history of the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

An installation of repurposed record birds in the Hotel Van Zandt lobby was created by artist Paul Villinski. A pilot of paragliders and single-engine airplanes, Villinski often uses metaphors of flight in his work, including this installation in Austin’s Hotel Van Zandt, which is arguably the Lone Star State’s coolest hotel. It offers 12,000 square feet of posh meeting space across 11 dedicated meeting rooms, as well as 319 rooms and suites in chic palettes of blue.

Set to open doors in winter 2017, the Ramble Hotel is a design-forward, 50-room boutique hotel that will be situated in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood. The hotel features an theater and bar; flexible meeting space; a small retail outlet; an outdoor courtyard; an independently owned restaurant; and a marquee lobby bar—Death & Co. Denver.

A stellar PAMPI event is just around the corner.

Taking place Aug. 19 at the Franklin Institute the “The Art of Connecting People” is free for PAMPI members and is sure to be an enlightening opportunity.

Jessica L. Levin, MBA, CMP, CAE, president and chief connector, Seven Degrees Communications, LLC., will discuss ways in which to get people excited with volunteering and membership organization and how to maintain that enthusiasm.

I am insatiably curious and always keen to learn something new, but I find that I am surprised by the seemingly familiar more often than not. Case in point? The Palm restaurant in Philadelphia. This elegant steakhouse is tucked inside the landmark Hyatt at The Bellevue hotel. It exudes that classic steakhouse appeal – a dark wood bar, a buzzy “business is getting done here” ambience and professional male waiters sporting jackets.

THE HOTTEST, MOST UNUSUAL ENTERTAINMENT IN THE COUNTRY CAN BE FOUND RIGHT HERE IN TEXAS. Extraordinary entertainers are the solution to humdrum soirees and lackluster socials, but discovering them requires the answer to one little question: Does your client need a keynote speaker, emcee or graffiti artist? This probably doesn’t even seem like a valid query-at least not one you ask yourself often-but it can make you think twice about what your client really needs. And it can lead to some really exciting events.

FUNNY BUSINESS