NEW YORK, NY.- The James New York, one of New York’s stylish hotels, includes unsurpassed artistic touches throughout its 14 floors and 114 guestrooms and suites. Located at the corner of Grand and Thompson Streets, The James New York contributes to the artistry of Soho by featuring works of art by local New York artists, including a Corridor Arts Program with pieces hand-selected by artist/curator Matthew Jensen, most famous for his celebrated “Nowhere in Manhattan” series. Thoughtful design touches throughout the property by local and international artists make even the smallest detail feel like a work of art.

Corridor Arts Program
In homage to the creative neighborhood it calls home, The James New York features a carefully curated art collection specifically built for the hotel by artist/curator Matthew Jensen. Jensen utilized the publicly available database of the non-profit Artists Space to find work from emerging New York City-based artists for the hotel’s corridors. Each artist has his or her own language and style across multiple mediums from photography to oil on canvas. Jensen selected pieces from these collections that pulled inspiration from the natural world and the idea of landscape giving an integral theme to the “vertical gallery.” All the artists selected for the permanent corridor collection also have an active studio practice space in New York City and would be considered “emerging.” Each utilizes a free, non-curated, online “flatfile” program developed and supported by the non-profit Artists Space: the “Irving Sandler Artists File,” local-artists.org. Matthew Jensen entitled the Corridor Arts Program “Stand Here and Listen,” playing off the signs that often appear in popular tourist destinations, where visitors are encouraged to stand and look at sights and landmarks.

Thoughtful Artistic Details
A unique piece of public art greets you as enter The James New York from the street. The installation QWERTY by Sarah Frost was custom-created for the new hotel and is comprised of thousands of recycled keyboard keys used to cover an interior wall of The James foyer, creating a mosaic-like effect. Each key has a unique history and bears the imprint of the thousands of taps by countless users. In her works, Frost hopes to convey both the material effects of consumer culture and its connection to human mortality.

The James New York’s sole Glass Elevator brings guests to the third floor Sky Lobby where the hotel hosts an additional check-in and reception. Korean artist Sun K. Kwak created a custom piece for the ride inspired by the very space within which it was created. As the elevator moves up and down the black image on the white wall of the elevator shaft will start to move together and appear gradually floor by floor. The finished piece is full of life and vibrancy, and the unusual exhibition space allows viewers a unique way to appreciate a work of art. As a result, Kwak says, “the usual perception of the space ‘Elevator’ is now changed through viewers’ time and experience in the new pictorial reality.” Black masking tape is Kwak’s signature medium, with which she has been creating pieces for fifteen years.

Within the guest rooms is yet another piece of art, this one with a surprisingly practical purpose. Each guest room has a spacious bathroom, complete with a huge standing shower, separated from the living area by a floor-to-ceiling glass wall featuring a remote-controlled peek-a-boo screen. The screen, created by Dutch designer Nienke Sybrandy features a signature print which depicts the shadows of a tree, comprised of ASCII computer code.

Every detail has been thoughtfully designed from the time guests step into the elevator—where a large, metal lattice work by artist John-Paul Philippé is featured against the raw teak wood interior—and off into their guestroom corridor where his signature pieces were created for room directional plaques and guestroom numbers. John-Paul Philippé is a painter and designer with a studio located in the heart of Soho and whose signature work is internationally renowned.

The James New York tapped interior designer Cristina Grajales, whose residential work includes the homes of Brad Pitt and fashion designer Helmut Lang, to act as a furnishings curator. She handpicked the textiles and lighting elements of the hotel’s Sky Lobby, the third-floor glass-walled welcome and reception area, which is accessible through the glass elevator that transports guests from the ground floor entry to a private living room and business networking lounge.

The James New York debuted in September 2010 anchoring the southwest corner of Grand and Thompson Streets in SoHo. In continuation of the brand’s support for the arts, The James New York features an exclusive, proprietary collection by local emerging artists on each of their 14 guestroom floors. Unique event spaces and impeccable attention to detail are found throughout. The hotel boasts the highly acclaimed restaurant David Burke Kitchen in addition to a rooftop bar and lounge, Jimmy; an Urban Garden designed by horticulturist Rebecca Cole; a rooftop pool; exclusive uniform designs by Andrew Buckler; a Penthouse Loft designed by Piet Boon; and a captivating Sky Lobby accessible by a signature glass elevator.