William Vale Selects Brooklyn-Born Artist for Lobby Sculpture
The winner of a coveted $200,000 art commission to create an eye-catching sculpture that will permanently adorn the hotel’s lobby has been announced by Williamsburg’s latest hotel, The William Vale, in conjunction with the Brooklyn Arts Council.
By Jeffrey Steele, Contributing Writer
New York—The winner of a coveted $200,000 art commission to create an eye-catching sculpture that will permanently adorn the hotel’s lobby has been announced by Williamsburg’s latest hotel, The William Vale, in conjunction with the Brooklyn Arts Council. The William Vale is slated to open in early 2016, and the work will be its lobby’s primary focal point.
The winner is Mexico City-born, Brooklyn-based Marcela Zacarias, who works out of her Bedford-Stuyvesant studio alongside eight other artists. Zacarias received the highly-sought nomination from an elite panel of distinguished art specialists who all have very deep roots within the Brooklyn arts community.
The 25-by-20-by-3-foot three-dimensional sculptural painting Zacarias is creating will be made up of 20 different segments and will provide multiple visual and historical perspectives for the viewer. Shaped like a giant map of Brooklyn, the painting will scale the hotel’s lobby walls and ceiling. The work will showcase Zacarias’ interpretation of abstract colors and shapes, and be influenced by early Native American geometrics related to Brooklyn’s history.
“It’s a privilege to honor Marela with this commission; we’re ecstatic about what’s in store for the hotel’s lobby,” said The William Vale general manager Sebastien Maingourd. “Her proposal is for an oversized work that will pay homage to the borough and exhibit inspiration from early Native American heritage. We’re confident that this piece of work will spark conversation about the community’s strong art influence among international tourists and locals alike.”
Added Zacarias: “This work is dedicated to and influenced by Brooklyn’s original inhabitants, specifically the Lenape culture before the Dutch arrived to the island. For this commission, I performed extensive research about Brooklyn’s history, and the creation of this work is informed and inspired by my process. I knew that it was important to pay tribute to Brooklyn and I’m looking forward to creating a work in a public space that expects a wide-reaching audience.”
Situated on Wythe Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets, the 21-story, 183-room hotel offers a progressive design expected to redefine the Brooklyn skyline.
The property will also house an upscale restaurant and bar, 20,000 square feet of retail space and a 20,000 square-foot outdoor public space boasting unrivalled Manhattan skyline views. The William Vale is designed by renowned architecture firm Albo Liberis, and features interiors by Munge Leung.
Brooklyn Arts Council elicited the participation of some of the borough’s most respected art authorities, said Ella J. Weiss, the council’s president.
“Marela Zacarias, like so many local artists, represents the ever-evolving artistic landscape of Kings County and the growing league of innovators that help keep Brooklyn alive with art,” Weiss added.
