“La Gran Manzana” by Enrique Cabrera

John J. Fitz Gerald, a reporter for the New York Morning Telegraph,  proclaimed in 1924 “there’s only one Big Apple. That’s New York.” In celebration of its internationally known moniker, almost a century later, the city has welcomed the first and largest apple sculpture, “La Gran Manzana” by Mexican artist Enrique Cabrera.

With the Avenues of the America’s as its urban orchard “La Gran Manzana” radiates brightly amongst some of NYC’s most iconic landmarks including the fountain at 1251 Sixth Ave, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, NBC Studios, The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, and Christie’s auction house. Mr. Cabrera’s limited-edition series of apples, approximately 7777 sculptures of “La Gran Manzana”, will be harvested throughout the city.

World Cup Fever Pitch

World Cup fever has broken out around the world as Qatar hosts the 2022 FIFA World Cup! For the next few weeks, the world is united and tuned into what most people around the globe commonly know as football and we in the US call soccer. Television network “Peacock” has brought fans and spectators together in New York and now Miami with a three-story responsive soccer ball featuring the voice of Telemundo’s Andrés Cantor, the Argentinian American sports broadcasting legend “whose breathtaking goal calls capture the ‘spirit’ of soccer”. Mr. Cantor’s  “Gooooooooooooooooooolllllllll!!!” calls that resonated through Rockefeller Center are now filling Wynwood Market Place as fans gather together to cheer on their favorite teams.   Frankly, we are a bit torn on who to root for this Friday as the US takes on the UK…do we have to choose? Go Teams!

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center is one of the most iconic symbols of Christmas in New York City. Tourists and locals alike come to Midtown Manhattan every year to see the enormous, brightly lit tree. This year, the tree is a 79ft tall Norway Spruce, which was carted to the plaza from Maryland and decorated with more than 50,000 multicolored lights strung on approximately 5 miles of wire. This Christmas Tradition has a long history – this year’s tree was not even planted yet when workers at Rockefeller Center put up the very first one and decorated it with garlands made by their families. 90 years ago, that first tree was modest, bought with money pooled together by the workers. Today, the search for the perfect tree takes all year, and it is a major operation to transport it to New York City and decorate it. The Christmas tree lights up Rockefeller Plaza through the holiday season, before eventually being donated to Habitat for Humanity as lumber to help build homes.

Flag Project at Rockefeller Center

The Flag Project at Rockefeller Center features 193 flags flying from the Rock Center parade of poles, all “celebrating in some way the energy, diversity, culture, strength, and resilience of our city.” Artists including Jeff Koons, KAWS, Jenny Holzer, and Marina Abramovic contributed site-specific works for the show but most of the designs were created by the public after an open call for submissions. More than a thousand entries from all over the world were submitted. The flags will be displayed until August 16, so you may need to hurry. This is one time where you can actually walk through Rockefeller Center without having to fight your way through tourists and TV executives. Wait, we actually miss that. Sigh.

Behind The Walls

Standing at almost 25 feet tall, Jaume Plensa’s monumental sculpture Behind the Walls is currently on public display in the iconic Plaza of New York’s Rockefeller Center. Plensa is one of 14 internationally famous artists contributing their artwork to the inaugural Frieze Sculpture, a major public art initiative. Though Plensa hails from Spain, his many public artworks have been featured in various cities around the world such as Chicago and London. In regards to his sculpture, Plensa says, “Sometimes, our hands are the biggest walls. They can cover our eyes, and we can blind ourselves to so much of what’s happening around us… To me, it’s an obsession to create a beautiful object with a message inside.” The sculpture encourages its viewers to reflect on their own perspectives and actions as they relate to the world around them. Behind the Walls, along with the other public sculptures, will remain at Rockefeller Center until June 28, 2019.

Seated Ballerina

Seated Ballerina by Jeff Koons

Famed neo-pop artist Jeff Koons has a new piece in Rockefeller Center. The forty-five feet tall blonde inflatable ballerina, on display through June 2nd, is co-presented with Art Production Fund and Kiehl’s in order to raise awareness for National Missing Children’s Month. Koons says the installation is meant to convey a sense of inner strength and optimism, telling the New York Post: “I wanted something that anyone could look at and realize their own potential and dreams.” This ballerina is actually an oversized version of a sculpture from Koons’ “Antiquity” series that was inspired from a little Hungarian figurine he keeps in his home. The reflective metallic surface engages viewers by mirroring its surrounding environment. “I hope the installation of Seated Ballerina at Rockefeller Center offers a sense of affirmation and excitement to the viewer to reach their potential," Koons tells Artnet. "The aspect of reflectivity emulates life’s energy; it’s about contemplation and what it means to be a human being. It’s a very hopeful piece.”

Split-Rocker by Jeff Koons

You can see this giant topiary where the Holiday Tree normally stands in Rockefeller Center.  Half rocking horse, half toy dinosaur with over 50,000 flowering plants, Split-Rocker sets the stage for Jeff Koons: A Retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art.