Exploring Corporate Collections

Artwork by Sam Francis and Louise Nevelson that we highlighted on a recent collection tour for a local law firm.

For many of our projects, we help clients acquire artwork for specific physical spaces. Size constraints and design aesthetics inform what we present and ultimately which artwork the client selects. While clients often add art to a collection one piece at a time, as art consultants we assist clients in acquiring pieces that will also fit within the context of the client’s full art collection. Whether the client has three works of art or a thousand, the dialogue and history connecting the collection is as important as the individual pieces. With every acquisition, we aim to highlight the shared DNA between art historical movements, place, and content. These threads that connect works of art in a collection can be subtle, and we delight in illuminating them.

Collection Tours

One way to learn about the connections within a collection is by attending a tour. We offer a range of tour and lecture options for client collections. These tours can be presented internally, for a client’s employees or tenants as a way to boost company pride and help team members feel connected to the artwork that they encounter every day. People love learning the stories behind the artists and can make connections between art and the company’s culture and goals.

Collection tours can also be hosted for clients and guests, giving them exclusive access to collections that are rarely publicly visible. This is a great opportunity for marketing and educating the public about a client’s investment in the art community, as well as providing a glimpse into the personality of a company. Many of our clients prioritize buying works from local artists, and hosting a lecture that connects artwork from their collection to local art history can be a deeply enriching experience.

Recently, a law firm we work with reached out about pairing a collection tour with another event. They were hosting a continuing education lecture about updates to laws affecting image licensing, which has broad applications in the art world, so hosting a collection walk-through was a natural fit. Because many of these laws are related to the year they go into effect, it was interesting to discuss how that timeline has affected contemporary works in the collection differently than works that predate the new laws. Viewing the client’s broad array of paintings, prints, and photographs set the tone for the event, and many questions after the lecture circled back to works seen during the tour. 

On tours, we love to pick out a few highlights from a collection and walk people from piece to piece, connecting the artwork with stories about the artist’s approach, influences, and style. Learning about the story behind the work makes art more accessible, and ultimately more enjoyable. In a corporate setting, this dialogue can be tailored to enhance company values and to help employees and guests foster a personal connection to a large organization. 

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