Concept & Client

Inspired by the mission of Esopus magazine^†‡ , world renowned artist and Louisiana native George Rodrigue^‡ has joined the Art Council of Greater Baton Rouge^‡ and local designer Lane Schofield to develop a hotel concept rooted in a similar philosophy. There are currently two hotels in downtown Baton Rouge. Both are implants from a corporate chain: Hilton and Sheraton. In addition to plugging Baton Rouge into an international art circuit, this fantastical, art-driven hotel will be one of the first of its kind in the U.S.. Every aspect of the hotel-gallery will be something to learn from, to appreciate, to connect with. This is about connecting – reconnecting – people to other people through art and objects. Local artists will be invited to transform rooms into unique art installations. A portion of the profits generated by the hotel will get recycled back into the local art community in the form of grants. This will serve to benefit the artists and allow ACGBR to foster relationships with new artists to be featured at the hotel.

Each of the guestrooms may be different in composition and character. During the hotel’s infancy, not all guestrooms may be ‘painted’. However, as with all spaces where it is feasible, guestrooms and suites will support the founding concept: celebration and promotion of work by artisans.

The hotel will be a sort of ‘creative feast’, in that promotion is not limited to visual artists. Also featured will be culinary arts in the restaurant and musical arts for entertainment. A 70-seat, small plate restaurant will serve gourmet fair with creative zest rivaling that of the guestrooms. This will provide guests the option to dine-in and provide local residents with a fantastic option for dining out. Drinks and entertainment will also be available on a roof-top lounge. The hotel will provide meeting spaces, and a lobby that is flexible to function as a gallery or event space. A large gallery will also be located here, capable of exhibiting a variety of art genres. Any unused portion of the Kress building will be made available for lease to businesses that support the mission of the hotel.

A special focus for this project will be researching, selecting and contacting artists who would, in the built version of the project, be invited to develop the room themes. Using visual references including examples of the selected artists’ work, I will graphically portray the character which the ‘painted’ rooms would ultimately take on. It has not been determined what portion of the guestrooms with be designated for artists’ work. All suites will remain ‘unpainted’ but will be designed in keeping with the ultimate focus of all things (materials, furniture, finishes) individually conceived and produced as art.

An air of fantasy will prevail throughout the hotel. Contrary to Holiday Inn's former tagline of 'the best surprise is no surprise,' when you come to Levy, you can expect to be surprised.

^† Esopus magazine is published by The Esopus Foundation, Ltd. The foundation was formed to provide an unmediated forum through which artists, writers, musicians, and other creative people can make a direct connection with the general public. The Foundation is largely devoted to the publishing of Esopus magazine, but has also programmed events at arts venues in New York City (such as P.S.1/MoMA, White Columns, The Kitchen). The Foundation also has plans to produce other publications, organize a free series of arts events serving communities with limited or no access to cultural activity, and develop Internet-based programming. Each issue of Esopus is anchored by three contemporary artists' projects. One of the three is commissioned from an established figure, and the other two are reserved for the work of emerging artists. These projects can take the form of removable posters, hand-assembled pop-ups, inserts, and foldouts, and are often created with unusual printing processes utilizing unique paper stocks and specially formulated inks. The projects give readers an opportunity to own works by artists who might otherwise be beyond their reach (either financially or geographically) and offer artists a unique chance to extend their creative range in a noncommercial print arena geared toward a general readership.
Source: http://www.esopusmag.com/foundation.php?Id=3106

^‡ Neither Esopus Magazine, George Rodrigue or the Art Council of Greater Baton Rouge are affiliated with this student work.