New York City: Rockefeller Center

After seeing Mariska Hargitay in Broadway's Every Brilliant Thing the heatwave had broken and Don and I wanted to walk around a little more. I had heard about a public exhibit in Rockefeller Center called Art in Focus. Running March 30-June 30, I had only recently learned about it.

Every Brilliant Thing has a runtime of about 90 minutes. With a 7 pm curtain, that meant the show was done by 8:30 pm. Our Jersey City parking was paid up through 11 pm, or maybe midnight.

Once in Rockefeller Center I couldn't find it, so I asked a security guard. He gave me the breadcrumbs needed to find the exhibit. It helped I brought up the website. He pointed us to the door for 45 Rockefeller Center.

Los Angeles artist Kelly Wall created the surprise sculptures. We first found her wishing well, which presses pennies with messages such as "You Are Here." Mine just had stars on it. Though the machine had been tucked into a quiet corner, likely with people passing by it without noticing it all day, as soon as we pressed pennies into the machine (they even had pennies at the ready), a large group appeared out of no where and swarmed the machine pressing more pennies and discovering the magic.

A second guard encouraged us to use the underground tunnels to find her other pieces of artwork. We were told one was outside 10 Rockefeller Center.

The tunnels were more fun than we would have guessed. We passed a restaurant I have a dim memory of visiting with a boyfriend, though Don does not have the same memory so I wisely dropped the trip down memory lane. We found the entrance to Top of the Rock. More importantly for a day in New York City, we discovered free public restrooms.

We continued the walk marveling at the sites. At 10 Rockefeller Center after ascending in a white marble escalator that would be perfect for an Instagram photo shoot, we discovered a large circular lobby with a permanent Art Deco mural much too large to photograph. Called The History of Transportation by Dean Cornwell is resplendent in red, gold, and white. It is a hidden treasure.

Outside we saw another Wall artwork: Everything Must Go. It is a wide assortment of fishing gear. It transports the viewer from the hustle and bustle in the center of Manhattan to a calm, off the beaten path, waterfront.

More art is at 45 Rockefeller Center, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, and 1 Rockefeller Plaza. Hopefully we will have a chance to see those pieces before the end of June.