The Benefits of Using an Art Consultant When Designing Your Office Space

Written by:

Lillie Therieau

Dec 26, 2022

Let’s face it–most of us don’t have the innate ability to juggle spatial relationships, color interactions, and other key aspects of successful interior design. Not to mention, we don’t have the time to embark on the arduous process of putting a new space together.

That’s totally okay! Overburdened office managers and stressed out administrative staff aren’t the best folks to be making those decisions. The design of an office space has huge repercussions for office culture, productivity, creativity, and happiness. Why guess, when you can ask a professional to help you intentionally craft your space?

Art work is critical for a successful office space. The right office art can improve your team’s mood, boost productivity, and encourage creative problem solving. It’s also important for making the office somewhere that your employees feel comfortable.

When designing a new office space, or making improvements, consider hiring an art consultant to do the heavy lifting!

Art Consultants Are Specially Trained to Select the Perfect Art For Your Space

Most art consultants have some kind of higher education degree in art. They intuitively understand color, form, space, and composition, because they’ve spent years studying it. In other words, they know exactly how to pair art with your space!

Art consultants have a great grasp on the local art scene, and know tons of artists working in different styles, mediums, and at varying price ranges. They work alongside you to get a feel for your company identity, office needs, price range, and general aesthetic. The consultant will then select several artists and pieces from their extensive rolodex and show you a variety of options.

Ultimately, you’ll be able to choose which art hangs on your walls, but an art consultant will help you get there. They can also work with art that’s already in the office, incorporating new pieces in a seamless fashion.

Art Consultants Cut Out the Middlemen: Buying, Framing, and Installing the Art For You

There’s several steps involved in the process of purchasing and hanging art. First, you need to find the art that you’d like to buy. Next, you’d purchase it and bring it to a frame shop to be professionally framed. Once it’s ready to hang, you have to transport the framed piece to your office. Finally, you have to hang the piece on the wall, in its permanent home. To be frank, it’s a whole lot of schlepping and design work.

You have to transport the piece yourself, which can be quite large and difficult to protect from getting banged up. You have to design the frame and figure out the best place to hang your new piece of art in the office. Art consultants totally cut out the middlemen. They do all of the hard work for you, transporting the art professionally and safely, choosing the perfect frame and matting combo, and using their expertise to easily hang the finished piece on the wall! Multiply this process by how every many pieces you end up purchasing, and you’ve saved a whole lot of time and effort.

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Art Consultants Personalize Your Office Artwork

It can be tempting to head to a store like Ikea, CB2, or even Target, and just pick the first random framed pictures that you see. However, personalized and intentional artwork selection makes a huge difference in the final feel of your office space. Art work should reflect your company story and values, as well as the workplace culture.

Anonymous workplaces with no character tend to alienate employees and lower retention rates. Employees don’t feel at home. Customers or partners are also affected, as they are unable to differentiate your company from the rest of the crowd. They also can’t get that feel for who you are and why you do what you do. First impressions are largely visual, after all!

A great example of intentional curation is our art selection at Discover’s new facility in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood. Chatham is an historically black neighborhood with a proud history. We worked with the Chatham Discover offices to select work from three artists.

First, we selected Bria Corranda’s personal and emotive portraits of black folks from all walks of life in moments of vulnerability, self-reflection, connection, and defiance. Next, we chose collage works from Damon Lock which showcase aspects of black life across Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Finally, we selected 14 prints from our Not (Just) Dead White Guys collaboration with Kat Sampson. The 14 prints each feature nonwhite artists, both alive and deceased, who have made a huge impact in the art world, but may be forgotten in mainstream arts education.

These three selections not only fit Discover’s space and vibe, but also embody their values, story, and culture as a company putting down roots and investing in a largely neglected, but strong community on the Southside of Chicago. Visitors to their space, as well as employees, are sure to take note.

Working With an Art Consultant Allows You to Support Working Artists

Art consultants buy pieces for your space directly from working artists, supporting them in their creative pursuits. Instead of buying a print from a big-box retailer or online store where the artist may get little to no compensation, the direct purchase of art fuels your local creative community. Artists can struggle to maintain consistent income, especially during the uncertainty of the last few years. Purchasing art directly from artists maintains the unique character of the art scene in your area!

IPMM’s Art Consultant Services Also Give Back to Your Community, By Funding Arts Education!

At IPMM, our art consultant services are a little different. Every penny of our fee goes directly into arts programming for underfunded schools. Most art consultants are for-profit, but IPMM is a 501(c)3, a nonprofit organization. We’ve got the same skill set as a for-profit art consultant would, but we just orient our model differently.

If you choose IPMM’s art consultant services, you’ll still end up with a well-designed, creative space, but you’ll also receive the added benefit of practicing conscientious corporate social responsibility. CSR has tons of benefits–including higher employee retention rates, boosted productivity, better customer relationships and positive effects on your bottom line.

Learn more about the IPMM Art Consulting services here and schedule your free consultation call today. You’ll speak with a member of our consulting team about your space and all of the creative possibilities, with no obligation.