The Value of Art in the Workplace and Other Public Spaces
You’d be surprised to know how much your environment affects your mood — and your work. Whether it’s the oversized painting in the meeting room, the towering sculpture in the entryway, or the tiny poster next to your desk, art affects the way you perform and think.
The value of art in the workplace is multifaceted. The Business Committee for the Arts and the Association of Professional Art Advisors surveyed more than 800 employees at 32 businesses. About 78% of respondents said art at the workplace reduces stress, 64% said it increases creativity, and 77% said it encourages them to express their opinions.
Having a creative and stimulating work environment can break up the monotony of the day, inspire new ways of thinking, and help us get through mental roadblocks. Art in the workplace can also act as a catalyst for human connection, facilitating new ideas, thoughts, and conversations between colleagues.
How We Foster Creativity in the Workplace Through Art
The Yard is dedicated to inspiring and cultivating success through private and co-working offices for professionals. Here’s how we accomplish our mission and foster creativity:
Place art everywhere in the workplace.
At The Yard, we have an art program that includes a quarterly rotation of art openings and exhibitions. We have art hanging in the common areas, over co-working tables, along the hallways leading to offices, and even in murals in our courtyards and elevators.
Partner with experienced curators.
Current office trends are shifting toward experiences and spaces that boost creativity, and we are at the forefront of this. Each of our 11 locations has a curator in residence to organize our exhibitions, which total upward of 30 a year. To date, we have shown over 700 artists in our spaces, providing accessible gallery space for local creatives.
“I have been in other co-working spaces, and most of them have cheap, mass-produced art on the walls. It makes such a difference to have real art and artists in the spaces,” says a member of The Yard.
Utilize the spaces after hours.
Each quarterly art opening has an opening reception where members are invited to stay after work for drinks and to mix and mingle with the curator, artists, and other community members. We do this to foster connection in our community and give creatives the chance to learn about each other’s work and collaborate in the future.
Offer discounts for artists.
Because of all the wonderful work our artists do for us, we offer art studios at a discounted rate. Historically, artists have gone into neighborhoods and made them beautiful and culturally relevant. But due to gentrification laws, they have been pushed out and can no longer enjoy the fruits of their labor. With this extension of our program, we are excited to be giving space back to artists — the people who have made our spaces and our city as interesting as they are!
No matter your profession, creativity matters. Creativity is the process of taking elements that already exist in the world and making something new. Everyone needs creative stimulus to not only solve problems and stay inspired, but also to connect and develop deeper friendships.
