RESTAURANT YEAR of the Feast for the Eyes

Art is an integral part of the experience of dining at Madam and visiting Daxton Hotel as a whole, with more than 400 original pieces of art curated from around the world by Saatchi Art. Each guest room includes a custom piece of artwork from one of more than 80 artists representing 40 countries. Some of the pieces even come from owner Mark Mitchell’s personal collection. Here is a look at some of the artwork you’ll see at the Daxton Hotel.

GEODE BAR & LOUNGE

The adjacent lounge to Madam (top left) is a work of art itself, crafted by Romeobased metal fabricator Andy Gaskey. He fabricated about six different individual pieces that were shipped to Birmingham, then assembled in place over the bar. The geodesic shape is a recurring motif at the hotel and restaurant, from the water glasses to some of the light fixtures (middle right). There’s even a signature cocktail called the Geode Spritz, a delicious and deceptively light concoction made with vodka, Pama liqueur, Campari, lemon, grapefruit, and Prosecco.

Pink Bunny By Roark Gourley

As you walk to the bathroom, you might glimpse out of the corner of your eye a hotpink bunny (middle left) down the hall lit in an eerie way that may or may not bring to mind the film Donnie Darko (2001). But the story of the pink bunny is far from sinister its name is a play on one of Mitchell’s kids’ nicknames and represents a passion for family, community, and laughter (the hotel is named after one of Mitchell’s kids, while Madam is an amalgamation of Mitchell’s and four of his kids’ initials). The 9-foot-tall sculpture was hand-carved and then got its eye-popping color from a special paint process that required rapid application to ensure there was no dripping.

Custom Lighting Installation

The lighting installation in the Wine Room at Daxton Hotel (top right) is a custom fixture that was created by Yellow Goat Design, specifically for the hotel. Over the mantel is the painting “Hats to Make You a Beauty” by artist Karin Vermeer.

“THE GOLDEN MECHANICAL HORSE” BY ADRIAN LANDON

Landon is the artist behind the hotel’s flashy 24-karat-gold-plated horse (bottom left), which gallops for a full minute. Expression of raw energy is a central theme of Landon’s work, and that passion is on full display in this sculpture. Landon is known for creating “Wings of Glory,” a Pegasus sculpture that had both a wingspan and height of 35 feet, for Burning Man.

“STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES” BY STEPHEN ROWE

When guests check in to the hotel, one of the first things that greet them is an abstract painting by LA-based artist Stephen Rowe (bottom right), a personal favorite of Mitchell’s. “That’s the first piece of art I ever collected,” Mitchell says. “And I thought it only appropriate that I put that behind the front of the house.” Rowe has several other pieces featured at the hotel, including “I Love the Silence of Blue” in the wine room. “As an international artist, I feel very honored to be in amongst some amazingly talented artists that Mark has collected,” Rowe says. “And I believe the focus of the Daxton supports the artist and the arts, and that makes Birmingham a great destination to go see some great art.”