Financial Services Headquarters
Financial Sector
In establishing an art program for our client, we collaborated with over twenty artists to commission and acquire artwork for their modern headquarters. The project spanned fourteen floors, offering a canvas for a variety of mediums, scales, and artistic approaches throughout the tower. Key spaces within the building, characterized by their prominence and high foot traffic, were selected for site-specific signature artworks.
Our goal was to create an environment that reflected the brand’s ethos, enhancing the workplace with art that inspires, empowers, and connects. This art program not only aimed to balance aesthetic appeal and material diversity, adding warmth and texture, but also sought to reflect the brand’s commitment to innovation while also strengthening the community connection.
Interior Design: Perkins&Will. Photography: Lydia Bittner-Baird.
MARY KIM, Odradek Maple Tower, 2022, American maple. Site-specific commission.
Executive Reception
Freestanding Sculpture
Mary Kim’s wooden tower merges geometric precision with organic aesthetics, designed to complement the architecture of its specific location. The abstract design features a triangular pattern from above and an open, interwoven structure from the side, creating a sense of movement and asymmetry. The piece evolves as viewers move around it, revealing its complexity through changing light and shadow. Built on the principle of unity from a single unit, Kim’s work explores themes of diversity and unity, embodying growth and the unexpected within its carefully planned structure.
TAMA HOCHBAUM, Blue Thistles and Cardoons I, 2020, dye sublimation print on aluminum.
Boardroom Circulation
Millwork Niches
This series showcases the cyclical transformation of thistles and cardoons over time. Through a technique of double exposure, each image interweaves with another, creating a vivid narrative of growth and possibility. Presented as a grid of nine, in three rows of three, the imagery echos the intricate relationship between individual and community, and underscoring the essential interconnectedness of all parts within a whole.
HEATHER GORDON, Better Lives, Better Communities, Better Banking. colored tape, 2021. Site-specific commission.
Corridor Spaces
Site-Specific Murals
Artist Heather Gordon transformed the recurring phrases “better lives,” “better communities,” and “better banking” into ASCII values, which then dictate the dimensions of an origami structure. This inventive approach results in a visually compelling origami base that symbolizes the foundational values. The design culminates in a tape installation, where continuous striped patterns traverse each facet exactly once, drawing inspiration from the mathematical fold-and-cut problem.
OWL, Sharing Perspectives, 2022, latex and acrylic paint. Site-specific commission.
MATTHEW STEELE, Tension, 2022, walnut and 23-gauge nails. Site-specific commission.
Social Gathering
2D + 3D Objects
Matthew Steele’s artwork investigates the deep-seated link between humanity and the infrastructures that shape our lives. With a focus on the interconnectedness of concepts, the merging of spaces, and the dialogue between the natural environment and human constructions. Central to his work are motifs drawn from architectural and industrial elements, including bridges, which stand as symbols of connectivity, progress, and inspiration. These structures are not merely functional; they represent the human desire for connection, the resilience required to overcome obstacles, and the triumph of bridging divides. Constructed from countless wooden components layered upon one another, the artist’s creations forge connections between ideas, materials, and intentions, forming a cohesive composition that reflects on the lengths to which humanity goes to establish connections.
Left: THOMAS SCHMIDT, Network Series, 2017, cast porcelain, ceramic decals, 3D printed forms and connections. Right: JUS10, Wailord, 2022, mixed media on canvas. Commission in collaboration with Sozo Gallery.
ASPEN HOCHHALTER, From the Untitled series, 2022, digital design printed on Phototex. Site-specific commission.
Focus Rooms
Commissioned wallcovering Design
This project transformed the walls of focus rooms using durable wall coverings designed by local artists. The mission was to craft a collection of artworks that blend seamlessly with the office environment, creating an immersive, horizontal visual narrative across various floors. As employees stroll by the series of rooms, they encounter a unified story articulated through vibrant and dynamic art. The artworks were envisioned to be lively and engaging, with a palette that underscores a commitment to fostering both community and individual development.
JOSH HENDERSON, From the series Warm Spaces, 2022, digital design printed on Phototex. Site-specific commission.
It’s vital to reset and gather our thoughts in an inviting and aesthetically pleasing space to create new ideas. It’s about finding the time to challenge ourselves to keep our minds sharp.”
JOSH HENDERSON, Artist
JOSH HENDERSON, From the series Warm Spaces, 2022, digital design printed on Phototex. Site-specific commission.
WABWILA MUGALA, From the series Diverting, 2022, digital design printed on Phototex. Site-specific commission.
The wallpaper project was a wonderful experience because I felt encouraged to create work that I am already compelled to create as an artist which is quite special. I was given the space and support needed to see it through and overall was a nice collaboration between the gallery, artist and patron.”
Wabwila Mugula, Artist
WABWILA MUGALA, From the series Diverting, 2022, digital design printed on Phototex. Site-specific commission.
MATTHEW STEELE, From the series Formless (T), 2022, digital design printed on Phototex. Site-specific commission.
MARY KIM, LU_12 cubics_02 YG and LU_9 cubics_02 YG, 2022, acrylic on polypropylene. Site-specific commission.
Secondary Locations
Objects + Paintings
This selection of artwork, thoughtfully placed in secondary locations throughout the space, enhances the environment with its visual appeal. Each piece, carefully chosen for its location, contributes to the overall ambiance, offering moments of inspiration and reflection. These artworks complement the primary installations, ensuring a cohesive and enriching visual experience for all who pass through.
ASHLYNN BROWNING, Cerebellum, Chains, Constraints, Stitches, The Archer, Restraint and Release, Yellow Figure, Brazen, 2018-2021, oil on panel.
Left: RALSTON FOX SMITH, Insight, 2018, oil on canvas. Acquired though Tracey Morgan Gallery. Right: TOM STANLEY, From the series 108 Studies, 2022, acrylic on canvas.
Additional Projects
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