Get Inside and Smell the Flowers!

Perusing the morning art news on Hyperallergic, I (PM, Olivia) saw a feature on a new exhibit at thte Brandywine River Museum of Art in Chadds Ford, PA. The exhibit, entitled Natural Wonders: The Sublime in Contemporary Art, provides commentary on the ways in which the natural world and the artificial world have blended together in the age of technology. Is nature still real if you see it through a television screen? It is still authentic if the plant is in a pot inside a home, or in this case a museum, rather than outside in the wild?

These questions relate to a trend that we’ve seen in our projects over the last several years. We’ve had a number of clients express interest in incorporating natural elements like moss, leaves, and stones, into their interior offices. Photos of flowers and and rivers are undoubtedly soothing and universally pleasing to viewers, but having a tactile work of art that people can touch, approach, and experience its dimensionality allows for an even deeper level of appreciation for the artwork.

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The Brandywine Museum’s curator, Suzanne Ramljak, reminds us that “80% of Americans live in metropolitan areas with little direct access to nature, and spend more than 90% of their lives indoors.” Because access to ‘real’ nature is so limited, we’ve found that many of our clients here at Artists Circle are excited about the idea of having natural or botanical artwork brought into their spaces. It serves as a taste of the forest in an otherwise concrete jungle. Check out some of our artwork projects involving natural elements below!

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Here’s hoping that we will all get to spend a little more time outdoors in the coming weeks (and that we’ll get to see the show at the Brandywine museum!). If not - we’re happy to bring natural, living artwork right to your office!

Friday Florals!

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Today's installation was at Suburban Hospital's Radiation Oncology clinic in Bethesda. These botanical canvases were selected to brighten the space and soothe patients preparing for their treatments. There may be stormy weather coming our way today, but these bright and cheery images will provide a glimpse of brighter days ahead to anyone who passes them. 

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Concept Development in Progress....

Project Manager Olivia is hard art work developing concepts for a new corporate space at the District Wharf. Since the office overlooks the Potomac River, the client is interested in wall-sculptures that have material or aesthetic connections to water. These are preliminary renderings, but Olivia plans to have the selected artist create a piece that ties directly to the path of the Potomac River as it winds its way into DC. A few of the concepts they're considering are below. Stay tuned to see which one they choose! 

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Bike Room Transformation

We all love a good transformation, and this one in particular is a mural in a bike room at a new apartment complex in Rockville, MD. We have noticed clients having an interest in including artwork in their amenities areas. Artwork is becoming a crucial component in gyms, bike rooms, break rooms, garages and lounges. Scroll down to see the finished, in progress and before shots of Olivia’s recent project!

The AFTER 

The AFTER 

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The BEFORE 

The BEFORE 

Mt Airy's Festival of the Creatives

Artists Circle has one amazing team! Not only do we immerse ourselves in art while on the job, we make it a point to bring art into our communities as well! Sr. Associate Katie Giganti, who is Chair of the Board of the Mt. Airy Arts Alliance in Mt. Airy MD, organized the first annual Festival of Creatives to showcase artists and performers in and around her town. The festival was full of creative phenomenons. Artwork, music, face painting, and much more filled Mt. Airy's main street! Artists Circle’s Principal Jack wanted to show his support for Katie and the event, so he sponsored the event and donated materials for Katie to make giant, 8 foot tall dimensional letters that festival-goers painted! It ended up being a very cool interactive public art installation that brought smiles to 100% of the people who passed by it!

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All Shapes and Sizes

Artists Circle tackles projects of all shapes and sizes.   “The Force of Nature,” the woman holding the globe was purchased by Comstock Partners LC for the central plaza of their Reston Station development in Reston VA.  The sculpture is made of bronze and stainless steel.  "Reaching Further" is made of steel and blown glass with neon.  This sculpture was purchased by Kettler for their Metropolitan project in Rockville MD.  

 

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Workspace Wednesday

Happy Workspace Wednesday! 

What's been going on at Artists Circle?

Recently Jack and Katie conducted a site visit for a new, exciting project in WDC. Working in collaboration with Boston Properties and Gensler, the first phase of the project requires a bright, funky mural to invigorate the otherwise muted space in the buildings conference center. Then we will move into the lobby areas, fitness center, and penthouse!

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A day in the Life of an Installer

Artists Circle works on a ton of fascinating projects. We decided to ask our installer, Dan Wasson about his countless projects at Artists Circle. Asking about the installation process and most memorable project gives us all a glimpse into the world of an art installer and puts a name to the face of the countless art installations.

Dan describes starting an installation job with one crucial step: checking the schedule. He says time management is one of the most crucial parts to installing. An installer must be able to predict how long projects are going to take, how long certain processes are and ultimately how many install jobs can be done in a day. He then describes installations as being able to have a lot of patience, awareness and grace. Dan emphasizes an important tool needed is the ability to do quick math—CONSTANTLY. His most memorable project (out of roughly 500 installs he’s done) is a helping install the sculpture Nokomis. He described the installation process as something he has done before. He enjoyed being able to help assemble the sculpture on sight and able to see the entire process. Dan has had a lot of experience when it comes to installing and enjoys working with almost any type of art. Artists Circle is honored to have Dan! What is Dan's greatest weakness? His puppy Jasper.
 

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Epstein Becker & Green Artwork

The variety of artwork we work with continues to intrigue us. Artists Circle works with so much artwork and are constantly astounded by the magnificent works we see. Our latest endeavor was to find art that was unique, ingenious, and captivating to fit the look of the Epstein Becker & Green building. Working with Epstein Becker & Green allowed AO find the works that embodies the modern scheme of the building while using unique 2-D and 3-D pieces.

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