In “Happy City,” Peter Sis depicts four large eyes to represent the ingredients of the community and the vibrancy that is New York. Created with etched stone and glass mosaics and rendered in bold color, above the stairs, the pupils and eyelashes are "drawn" with buildings from the neighborhood, incorporating such landmarks as the Metropolitan, Guggenheim, and Whitney museums, as well as Gracie Mansion. The irises and whites of the eyes serve as a background for figurative elements that capture the diversity and energy of the community. According to the artist, "The [people of the city] have children and want the best for their children, so they tell them stories and fairy tales. The fairy tales are the magic animals which appear to float in throughout the four murals. In the end they form the carousel with the happy children of all nationalities enjoying the ride. That is the future of the city." 

Born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, artist, illustrator, and writer Peter Sis first traveled to the United States on an assignment from the Czechoslovakian government to work on an animation for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. When the government canceled the project, Sis opted to stay in the United States and apply for asylum with the support of famed children’s book author Maurice Sendak. In the years since, Peter Sis has established a reputation for excellence in illustration. Using watercolors, pen and ink, and oil pastels, Sis’ illustrations are characterized by detailed cross-hatching, muted colors, and graphic borders. In addition to being the first children’s book illustrator to win the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, Sis is a seven-time winner of the New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year award and was recognized with the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen award for his contributions to Children’s Literature.