The Penny is Spotlighting Local Culture in the Best Way
Make it stand out
Off the plane at LaGuardia from Nova Scotia and into the first cab I saw, we headed into Brooklyn. The last time I was in New York was 2016, so I was ready to scour as much of the city as I could in my week long visit. The Canadian maple leaf cap was slipping off and the I <3 NYC t-shirt was slowly coming on - but I was tired and prayed for an easy going evening, before I started spending all my cash on bagels and getting lost on the Subway.
Greeted with a postcard of a sweet chihuahua at the reception, I had a good feeling about staying at The Penny. Situated in Williamsburg, it's a more than ideal basecamp for a Big Apple excursion. My East coast downtime at The Penny was going exceptionally well - the room was well equipped with plenty of plug sockets and a skyline view - but it is not just the pleasant atmosphere or being named after a lovely chihuahua that made me like the hotel.
What makes The Penny stand out against the other 1000s of hotels that populate the most visited city in America is the absence of generic artworks. You know the bland ones I mean, it’s a trope for a reason. Art that is beige and boringly abstract, or conversely, a bootleg print out of the city's monuments. You might even spend hours editing it out from the background in a cute picture you have taken in the room before heading out.
Instead, The Penny features artworks that make you slow down as you walk through the corridors, make it into the Instagram dump from the trip and wonder if they have any prints available downstairs. They also make you rethink the potential of the spaces you’re in day to day. Why do so many places not take advantage of the opportunity to truly make their environment feel special? To take artistic direction? To make full use of their surroundings?
My personal favourites featured in The Penny at the time of our stay include ‘Cat’ by Byrom Smith (2017) and Untitled by Garrol Gayden (2018) – pieces that are textured, vibrant, and hold so much character. Throughout the hotel, the works are chosen with intent, with all the artwork at The Penny sourced from their non-profit neighbour LAND Gallery, the first Brooklyn studio for people with disabilities.
“The aesthetics of a hotel matter, but what matters even more is knowing that what goes on behind the scenes is supporting the community that surrounds it and offering opportunities where they are valued.”
We had the pleasure of chatting with curator and co-founder of LAND, Matthew Murphy. He describes the organisation as “a home for many people, a family for many people, and a way for people to have connections, stability and consistency.” As art is underfunded and its potential to provide therapy and connection often underappreciated, the work that LAND does is essential. By providing a habilitation program that teaches life skills through the modality of art, the organisation is creating space for some of the people who need it most - and The Penny showcases this in a way that more hotels, companies and institutions should. “The work that's done here is as important as anything you would see in a gallery” says Murphy, “and I look at The Penny as a fantastic museum to us.”
The aesthetics of a hotel matter, but what matters even more is knowing that what goes on behind the scenes is supporting the community that surrounds it and offering opportunities where they are valued. The Penny has been able to curate a unique and memorable environment for the guests around the world that stay there as well as provide space to those who are often ignored in the exclusionary art world. What is even better than being given a tourist brochure is being able to see the art made by the people that live there, a privilege to have an insight into the local culture before leaving their hotel.
