I was at another hotel over the weekend when I heard the story of the Gramercy Park liquidation sale in New York. I watched on repeat a TikTok of the corpse of the hotel, being picked over piece by piece by locals and lovers of this recent New York institution. And then I started searching my phone for mementos.

It was about 5 years ago that I first began staying there. My NY office was on West 18th and the Marlton where I often stayed was often sold out. I was intrigued by a hotel that could give me entry to Gramercy Park and my friend Mascha lived on 22nd also was curious to see the park. So I booked my first stay.

My room was large, opulent and had 2 beds. The Eloise in me immediately loved it and the oversized leather topped desk.

The first weekend, my friend and I went into the park and I saw the majestic Calder.

And then I went back up to my room and the art making at the Gramercy that would last until a few weeks before the pandemic and the hotels shut down began.

Over the course of the next 3 years, I would stay at the hotel often and relish in not only playing music in my rooms while painting, but extensively photographing the rooms themselves which were like works of art.

But until I saw the TikTok yesterday, I never really thought about the hotel as an art project, even if some of my favorite works and ideas while traveling were invented during my stays. And now I think it all should be a show, even a digital one about a glimpse of time and music in a special space before COVID.