Art is a creative way to express your brand, one that gives you some other means of decoration besides using images of your company logo on every floor. Not that logo art is a bad thing—it’s just one option among many. WisdomTree Investments, Inc., for example, honored its heritage as a New York-based company by decorating one of its corridors with original photographs of the city. You can do something similar by making the city the theme of your art. Or choosing art that incorporates the company colors. Or selecting work that reflects your company’s values. The options are numerous.
Artwork can also play a functional role: wayfinding. According to Jeffrey Kavlar, a principal at the art consulting firm ArtMatters, imagery and color are useful guides for defining certain areas of the office. That’s what Financial Services Roundtable did with its Washington, D.C. office. Each conference room was named after a U.S. president, and each conference room had traditional signage as well as large, colorful images of its namesake.
To Kevlar, art is just as important to a healthy work environment as ergonomics, good lighting and good air quality. “While furnishing and lighting are effective ways for meeting the physical needs of the employees, art meets their emotional needs,” he writes. In fact, the Business Committee for the Arts and the International Association of Professional Art Advisers studied the effects of art in the workplace. It found the following results:
Once you’ve decided what purpose you want your art to serve—be it functional, decorative or somewhere in between—where do you go to find it? There are several different places to consider.
If you have a very specific vision for what you want your art to be, corporate art consultants are a good way to go. Corporate art firms can help you find work that fits your brand’s values. They have connections with both local and national artists that allow them to serve different industries, so regardless of whether you’re trying to spruce up a hospital corridor or a corporate waiting room, they can provide you with ideas and direction.
If you’d like to add some visual interest to your office with artwork, but you aren’t sure exactly what kind of art you want, consider renting. Many rental companies have rent-to-own options if you decide you want a work to be on permanent display. If you opt for renting, you get the benefit of rotating the work out and changing the appearance of your lobby or conference room when you want a fresh look.
If you’re seeking just one or two pieces, or you don’t necessarily want one unified aesthetic theme, consider scoping out coffee shops, restaurants, gift shops and art galleries. Local businesses are excellent places to find interesting, one-of-a-kind art.Universities and colleges also may have student showcases that feature student art sold at reasonable prices. Contact the art department of local schools and ask if they have any student art sales.
Corporate art can be a great addition to any office. If your building has a lot of great artwork, where did it come from? What benefits have you noticed from including it in your office?
photo credit: Blogger Standing Beside a Table, after Arthur Devis via photopin (license)