“Love Ever After” by Pernilla Ohrstedt Studio

At the heart of Times Square, Swedish designer Pernilla Ohrstedt is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a love… for Oysters? Her sculpture, titled “Love Ever After,” features three dimensional hearts constructed of oyster cages. The installation was created in partnership with the Billion Oyster Project, a New York nonprofit that aims to rebuild oyster reefs in New York Harbor. New York used to be known as the “big oyster” for its abundant shellfish population, and these installations aim to bring awareness to the efforts to clean up the harbor, and bring back its biodiversity. Visitors can circle the art installation to interact with the oyster cages, watching the hearts contained change color and shape as they move. Conservation and shellfish make for a lovely romance in this installation! Although we try our best, the photos don’t do this stunning sculpture justice, we recommend you visit it in person before the exhibition ends on March 4th.

Winter Glow

Though the holiday season is over, we are happy to see the light displays continue setting NYC aglow on these short winter days. In downtown New York, visitors can bask in “Winter Glow,” a collection of interactive art installations lighting up Flatiron Plaza . Two exhibitions, “The Diamonds” and “Spectrum,” use movement and light to dazzle spectators. “The Diamonds” by Perséides Studio consist of three colorful structures that light up when they spin, featuring music by Stefie Shock that changes as the speed of rotation varies. Across the plaza is “Spectrum,” by Mirari from QDSinternational, which plays off of communication as it lights up to show sound waves pass through its circles. These interactive exhibitions are perfect for a little light therapy to brighten winter’s gloomy evenings.

Year of the Snake

Happy Lunar New Year! As we leave behind the year of the Dragon and head into the year of the Snake, we are enjoying one of our favorite Lunar New Year displays at Atrium at Crown Towers in Melbourne, Australia.  Though many think of snakes with negative connotations, Dr. Xuan Wang, a senior lecturer in Chinese studies at Cardiff University, puts us at ease explaining that the Snake is intuitive, mysterious, and very smart. Like all zodiac symbols, the snake is rich with symbolism. Known for shedding their skin, the Snake teaches us to shed off any toxicity and negativity as we head into the new year. Sounds promising!

Hello from Melbourne!

While some members of our team endure the cold winds and snow that have been swirling around our New York office, we are enjoying the January summertime in Australia. Between the summer heat  and the excitement of the 2025 Australian Open, Melbourne is, as always, our happy place! In particular, we have been appreciating the views of hot air balloon tours floating over the city at dawn, dotting the skyline with bursts of color. Oh and did we mention the coffee?  After too many “magics” we are buzzing over here…

USCIS Cancels COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that effective January 22, 2025,  the requirement for applicants seeking adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident status to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination on their Form I-693 Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record has been removed. USCIS also states that the Service will not issue Requests for Evidence (“RFEs”) or Notices of Intent to Deny (“NOIDs”) asking for proof of COVID-19 vaccination.  Furthermore, I-485 Applications to Register Permanent Residency or Adjust Status will not be denied solely on the basis of the applicant’s failure to provide COVID-19 vaccination documentation.