Elephants in London

Wildlife in London is usually limited to squirrels, pigeons, and ducks – the usual urban fauna. Londoners don’t generally expect to navigate around elephants while they walk through the public parks. For the last six weeks, however, that is exactly what they did. The elephants, of course, were not real, living beasts, but life-size sculptures installed in the Royal Parks by Elephant Family and The Real Elephant Collective as part of the CoExistence initiative. In an attempt to raise awareness of the increasing numbers of elephants living in human-dominated landscapes, these 100 Asian elephant sculptures were placed in the UK’s largest urban center. The sculptures are handcrafted by communities in Tamil Nadu, India, many of whom coexist with real life elephants. At the end of their time in London, the elephants, which are each unique, will be sold, with the proceeds benefiting Elephant Family.

Kehinde Wiley at Moynihan Train Hall

As commuters and sightseers stream into the Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station via the W33rd street entrance, they are bathed in colored light. If they look up, they’ll see the reason: a gorgeous glass triptych by Kehinde Wiley, the artist famous for painting Barack Obama’s official presidential portrait, set into the ceiling. At first glance, the design is similar to the religious imagery that adorns the ceilings of churches and government buildings throughout the US and Europe – angels lounging in the clouds, looking down at the people moving below. But a second look reveals that the angels in Wiley’s work, titled “Go,” look very different from those that grace European frescoes. These angels are young, Black New Yorkers dressed in modern fashions. And they’re not lounging – these angels are breakdancing across the clouds. The work is joyful and dynamic, celebrating the Black people who have shaped and will continue to shape this city. This colorful piece is a perfect welcome to the city for travelers arriving in New York. At any rate, it is certainly an improvement over the current iteration of Penn Station.

Doors for Doris

Doors for Doris, a three-part sculpture in the southeast corner of Central Park, honors the late Doris Freedman, a leader in the field of public art in New York City and founder of the Public Art Fund. Brooklyn-based artist Sam Moyer built these structures with a combination of imported marble and locally-quarried stone. The various stones in the work come from New York City stone yards and construction projects, so each piece bears the marks of its originally intended use as a part of a building. In a city with an eminently recognizable skyline, the buildings are an intrinsic part of the city itself, so even the stones which did not originate here are deeply connected to New York. The composition of the stones reminds us of ancient monuments like Stonehenge, giving the work a sense of history and gravitas that seems fitting in this shady corner of the park. It also makes the sculpture feel a little bit magical, as though you could step through one of those stone doorways, “pivoted ajar to evoke the dynamism of the bustling city,” and find yourself transported somewhere unexpected.

Federal Offices Closed Friday, June 18, in Celebration of Juneteenth

In observance of Juneteenth, a new federal holiday established by Congress and signed into law by President Biden today, all federal offices including US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) offices will be closed on Friday, June 18, 2021.

A Very Happy Hour

We were all smiles this week when we ventured out of the office for happy hour at Hole in the Wall, a cozy restaurant in the Flatiron District serving up delicious Australian food. We’ve all been working behind masks and over email, so it was a novel experience to see each other’s faces. As vaccination rates go up, the city is re-opening and beginning to look more familiar. Restaurants and bars are open for business, in-person events are being announced and planned, and live theatre will be back soon. After a tough year, happy hour was truly happy! Cheers!!