More companies are going beyond simply adorning their walls with mass produced art, opting instead for major investments in original works created by local, national or international artists.
In many cases, these fine art investments aren’t about future valuation, Business Report details in a new feature. Instead, they’re about reinforcing a brand.
“There are complex reasons for a corporate client to build a collection,” says Ann Connelly, founder and owner of Ann Connelly Fine Art. “I wouldn’t say it’s for status, or for investment. It’s about establishing a certain look that will help a company build a story or narrative.”
Connelly and her team over the past few years have expanded their work in corporate consulting. Private businesses and public institutions contract with Connelly to develop carefully crafted art plans. And while she has a longtime reputation for sourcing homegrown talent, Connelly relies equally on hot artists from around the globe to accomplish her clients’ goals.
For example, she recruited the German street artist, Simon Kef, who goes by “KEF!,” to create a floor-to-ceiling mural for Fishman Haygood attorney Charles Landry in his office in the IBM building in downtown Baton Rouge. KEF! is known throughout the international art world for his bold distinct work, seen in Urban Outfitters stores in Stuttgart, London and Hong Kong. The intention of commissioning a KEF! work for Landry’s office, says Connelly, was to create a look that would appeal to future generations of talent—not just millennials.
“It was intended not just for the here and now, but to be forward-thinking,” Connelly says.
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