By Dorie Weintraub, AIA, LEED AP, IIDA

Companies of all sizes desire to make their spaces comfortable and attractive to employees and clients. Artwork can humanize the scale of a large space, express the personality of the company, and add visual interest to an office. During these tough economic times, however, acquiring art for the corporate office may fall low on the budget priority list. How can a company bring artwork into its space on a limited budget? What are the guidelines for buying or borrowing artwork that everyone can enjoy? Even in this difficult economic climate, four viable options exist to bring artwork into a space. In the following case studies, these companies weren't focused solely on cost-conscious solutions at the time, but their strategies work now more than ever.

Purchasing Artwork
One approach to displaying art in the office is to tap the company's art collection and select pieces to hang on the wall. Many companies, not just large corporations, have their own art collections, acquired as investments or to fill empty walls. Often, companies will display pieces from their executives' personal collections. It is also common for companies to purchase artwork as part of an interior re-design, as in the case of eSecLending, a Boston-based provider and administrator of customized securities lending programs. When eSecLending moved into its newly-designed space in 2004, the firm purchased artwork by Boston-based artists that appealed to the executive team and complemented its new space.

Alternately, an art consultant can be hired to collaborate with the interior designer and the client to select choice pieces that complement the office design and corporate identity or culture. (eSecLending used the consultant Boston Art for many purchases.) Art consultants can provide a valuable service for companies with limited budgets, as they can acquire less expensive prints as well as original pieces. Some art museums also provide a similar consulting service, or better, offer a lending program to take "purchasing" out of the equation. Many smaller museums, and even public libraries, now offer corporate art lending programs in exchange for financial support of the organization's mission.

Art Lending Programs
At the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Mass., the art loan option of Corporate Membership is one of the most exciting benefits provided to Boston-area corporate members. DeCordova staff work closely with corporate members to assess needs for artwork, determine appropriate locations, and make curatorial recommendations for exhibition content. Museum staff will then install an exhibition of museum-owned and artist-loaned artwork in corporate member offices for the duration of the membership, rotating the artwork upon annual renewal. Another plus: member dues include the transportation, professional installation, and insurance of all artwork. It's a win-win scenario for both parties: Corporate Member dues directly support the Museum's educational mission, and companies are provided with a valuable and tangible benefit for museum sponsorship, which along with artwork, includes free, unlimited admission to the Museum for all employees, class scholarships and gallery rental waivers. More than 100 Boston-area companies currently participate in DeCordova's Corporate Program.

Alternative energy company Nuvera Fuel Cells in Billerica, Mass., recently transformed a former warehouse space by scaling it down to create offices, laboratory space and a manufacturing floor. Nuvera's expansive 16-ft. ceilings were made more intimate with architectural elements that divide it into smaller open spaces, and the addition of contemporary art from the DeCordova complements the interior design and provides visual interest.

Host a Local Artist
Hosting a local artist and showcasing his/her work in a company's gallery-ready space can be another option for acquiring artwork on a budget. This arrangement provides artwork to grace the company's walls, exposure of the art to a greater audience, and possible sales opportunities for the artist.

When global consulting firm Sapient relocated its world headquarters to Boston, the company desired an open floor plan with a series of office neighborhoods connected by a major path that matched its collaborative and flexible work approach. A section of the path is specially lit on one side with gallery lighting. Sapient took advantage of this lighting to display artwork by a local artist, who was invited to showcase her work just weeks after the company moved into its new space. Sapient polled its own staff and client community on the idea of a "resident artist," and was inundated with responses. The company has hung new shows  quarterly.

Tap Your Hidden Talents
The best source for conversation-inspiring art may be works created by a company's own employees. Inviting staff to contribute art, sculpture or writing pieces and creating a wall for displaying it not only provides visual interest in the office space, but also supports employees' creativity and adds to the corporate culture. Sapient did just that, by editing and formatting employees' submissions into 4-in by. 4-in. squares that were mounted in a random pattern on the wall in the new reception area. The "employee art wall" continues to be a hit for staff and visitors alike.

What better way to acquire meaningful artwork while introducing your company and the creative people who work for it?

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Dorie Weintraub, AIA, LEED AP, IIDA, is an associate at Margulies Perruzzi Architects (formerly Margulies & Associates), a Boston-based architectural and interior design firm.