The Half Century Mark Hotel at Sixty North

An Imaginary Space about Becoming Real

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  • Occasionally Tulips

    Occasionally Tulips

    towel

    I love when my imaginary world intersects, however briefly, with my reality.

    India wrote to me at the hotel today.

    The salutation was rather general: “Attn: Purchase Manager / House Keeping Manager / Director”,  yet the offer to purchase “hotel towels” in bulk quantity was articulated clearly in a heart-warming, yet business-like manner. The towels were advertised as 86% cotton; 14% polyester and were available in various colors.

    How will I respond to Mr. Hotel India? How’s this: “Thank you for your kindly spam. Please note that I mostly offer my real guests 100% cotton towels trimmed with large doses of make-believe and occasionally, tulips.”

    — Respectfully yours, Half Century Mark Hotel Owner/Operator/Director/Caretaker/Concierge

    Love the life you imagine. 

  • Summer Reflections and Confessions

    Summer Reflections and Confessions

    meMaine Processing 

    Confessions of an imaginary hotel owner: I love to tell people that I have an imaginary hotel. The conversation either ends immediately or suddenly becomes amusingly real. There is no middle ground when soul sharing. However your concierge is feeling guilty as the hotel hasn’t hung (posted) new work since April when Management decided a re-design was called for. I know there have been no new pictures (blog posts) on these imaginary walls for months. But rest assured that down long corridors of creativity there has been much activity: new work, teachers, inspiration and locales. Several artists have requested long-term residencies and a sister venture in Brazil has been proposed. Alert: The following is not a metaphor: Your concierge even traveled to Maine and experienced a life-altering workshop with photographer Elizabeth Opalenik at Maine Media Workshops. One of the photos from the workshop was chosen by Amy Arbus for an exhibition this fall at the Darkroom Gallery in Vermont. More on this very real story another day. As for the re-design, The Hotel will remain logo-less a little longer as the staff is in flux. A flamingo tried to insert itself into the corporate identity which caused, among other catastrophes, the window washer to move to England. Relatives are being interviewed for edification and staff positions.

    waterStill Life: Inspired by Elizabeth Opalenik

     waterStill Waters, Maine

    relative

     Relatives Are Being Interviewed

    All photos copyright of Patricia Christakos

  • Shift

    Shift

    ShiftMandy Smith, proprietress of Flora Phenomena and at the present moment invited me on a Blog Tour. The idea is for an artist to answer questions about their creative process and then introduce three-four kindred spirits and ask them to do the same.  A play-it-forward game of connection and inspiration. Thank you, Mandy for sharing your earthy sun-drenched world and inviting the Hotel to play along.

    There is only time to enjoy each moment and be the very best that you can be. —Mandy Smith

    Blog Tour Part I: Creativity and The Hotel

    1. What are you working on? Today I am writing about 19th-century artists for the Cazenovia Public Library. Tomorrow I am photographing flowers for an upcoming photography exhibition in Ohio. Soon I will be editing a series of photos about transition called Shift and getting my real-life hotel ready for visitors.

    How does your work differ from others of its genre? All my work travels through the lobby of The Half Century Mark Hotel. I don’t think imaginary hotels are the norm.

    Why do you create what you do?  I create pictures because one day I saw something that needed to be documented and I happened to have a camera with a very nice lens in my purse. No one else did. The photos made people cry. And that made me happy.

    Explain your creative process.  Stories and voices that linger in my head get attended to. The voices that linger the longest get photographed and displayed in the Hotel.

    Blog Tour Part II: Four Inspirational Women you Need to Know: 

    • Jill Ouikahilo is a speaker, workshop leader, dancer, and inspirational traveler on a mission to create an environment where people can begin to reconcile and integrate their mind-body-spirit. “Have you ever been called to do something,” asks Jill. “It could be something impractical, or difficult for others to understand (including yourself), yet you know it’s what you must do because you heard it in the silence?” She’s created an amazing platform called 44 Hearts to tell her story while encouraging others to do the same. Read more about her remarkable journey here.  
    • Cherie V. is a poet and self-portrait photographer who publishes on her blog, Red Bird Flew. Cherie describes her story as filled with the usual goodness: love, struggle, laughter, tears, mistakes, and ridiculous dancing. She writes with searing honesty and simple beauty.
    • Heather Rampolla is committed to living with fresh, quality food and ingredients. Her blog features simple ways to incorporate healthy food choices within the busy of everyday life. You can sign up for her newsletter here.   
    • Kira Elliott is a writer, artist and non-profit community developer living in the Detroit area. Her purpose is to help make the world more compassionate and open by helping others open their hearts and trust themselves by sharing the tools of mindful creative self-expression and mindful self-care. Visit her inspirational world here. 

    Thank you to the following photographers for introducing me to these inspirational artists: Jennifer Wolsey (Jill), Vivienne McMaster (Cherie V.), and Catherine Just (Heather and Kira).

    Hope you enjoyed this blog tour.

  • Wondermints

    Wondermints

    Image

    It’s Wondermint Wednesday at The Half Century Mark Hotel. 

    Occasionally on Wednesday, The Hotel presents three inspiring something’s about art, artists, and life in general. Should the Hotel have an elevator, coffee table, or dining establishment, the following would be featured fare.

    Please savor your Wondermints slowly and share with traveling companions.

    Old Bike by Rob Cantor from Cantor’s new album Not a Trampoline. Video directed by Andrew Laurich and filmed at Pollution Studios in Los Angeles, CA. We promise you’ll be humming this one for days.

    The Gorgeous Nothings: Emily Dickinson’s Envelope Poems by Emily Dickinson, Jen Bervin and Marta Werner, editors. Dickinson’s genius and practicality as found on paper scraps. Also check out author Jen Bervin’s other works from Pie to Shakespeare. Not sure how the Hotel first found her work, but we’re glad we did.

    Fictitious Dishes: An Album of Literature’s Most Memorable Meals by Dinah Fried. Fried designed, cooked and photographed meals from a diverse array of literature–from Moby Dick and The Great Gatsby to Blueberries for Sal and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The Hotel received notice about this book from Maria Popova’s brilliant twitter feed called Brainpicker. Do you know Maria? She’s another genius that frequents the Hotel. But you can also find and subscribe to her weekly gleanings here.

    Note on the photograph: Ice by Patricia Christakos, November 2013. Weather calls for snow in Central New York today, April 23. That’s a Wondermint of a different sort.