Corporate collections can change the tone of working spaces and create a sense of identity and belonging for staff and clients alike. They can be complex, diverse and occasionally hard to manage effectively, which makes expert, specialist advice a key part of both corporate art strategy and the day-to-day management of a collection.
Understanding the benefits of using art in the workplace and ensuring that existing assets and new art acquisitions can work together to make more engaging, appealing and creative working spaces has long been a key part of corporate collecting strategy. That understanding will be more important than ever with the new challenges of returning to a changed workspace in 2023 and beyond, when encouraging staff and clients to return to the office will require significant effort.
Carefully reviewing and editing existing art assets can help create a new image for working areas and client meeting spaces alike. Through thoughtful display and coherent introduction and explanation, art can help produce a distilled and enhanced working space, even for smaller and more shared environments. Well-chosen works of art can create a more tailored and unique environment than interior design alone and can offer excellent long-term value for money. Stephen has over 20 years of experience in reviewing collections and integrating their art holdings through numerous mergers and changes to working strategies, and has applied these experiences in a very wide variety of international markets, both within the diverse spaces of large HQ and Flagship locations and in regional offices and branch networks.
Once reviews and strategies are in place, Stephen is also perfectly placed to advise on and oversee all aspects of implementation with the support of a wide and tested network of suppliers and specialists, offering valuations, sales, framing, conservation, texts and publications, inventory management, storage and installation, to name a few key elements.
Taking the corporate collection beyond the office is also part of Stephen’s core competency, with a great deal of experience of using exhibitions, partnerships, publishing and PR engagements to do so. Stephen is now looking forward at how art can be integrated into the virtual office and distance-working through innovative use and copyrighting of existing art holdings and the commissioning of new works.