Art In the office brings so much more than beauty.
Placing art in the workplace yields many beautiful benefits for employers, from higher productivity and lower stress levels to more creative thinking and more satisfied workers. Productivity gains of 14 to 17 percent were documented by researchers in various studies comparing task completion in workplaces with art and those without it.
A Harvard University researcher found art in the office also fosters social interactions and learning that could be valuable to both employer and workers.
So here’s some smart ways to bring art into your business.
Buy direct from artists, either in studio sales or at art fairs. Head to Eastern Market Sundays or an artist-owed gallery such as Lawrence Street Gallery in Ferndale. Show up at one of Mint’s art events , especially the Palmer Park Art Fair . Mint plans to have another art sale in the fall. When you buy direct, almost all the purchase price goes directly to the artist.
Head to charity art auctions and sales. These fundraising events are held by such groups as Delta Sigma Theta sorority, National Conference of Artists – Michigan, Mint Artists Guild and others. Many charity fundraising events often have silent auctions with art available. Often these charitable art sales yield a bargain price.
Mint’s silent auction features youth & professional art.
Create an exhibit. Choose an employee or team to bring in artists, including perhaps some art by of your own employees or clients. The role of curator will engage and create more employee satisfaction. Then pay the artists a stipend for loaning art for six months and encourage your guests and team members to buy art from your walls. Please contact Mint if you want youth art in your business.
Start a corporate art collection. David Rockefeller, as CEO of Chase Manhattan Bank, launched the modern era of corporate art collecting in 1959. Its Art at Work initiative aimed to enhance the lives of employees and demonstrate “its social responsibility.” Law firms and other businesses are increasingly collecting work aligned with their values, identity and mission, with a  “growing focus on diversity, sustainability, and local engagement,” Delphine Munro, chair of the International Association of Corporate Collections of Contemporary Art told Art & Object. (See its 50 members, mainly banks and financial firms, here.)
Mint has art in The Henry Ford Health collection – including the Mint print Seahorse and the City, shown by Mint’s Lia Massey. Through our Paint Detroit with Generosity initiative, Mint has provided original art for many nonprofit organizations’ workplaces.
Create an art fund. Earmark a source of funds for art or art and music. This could be proceeds from an annual sale. Or it could be an employee-directed fund that buys art instead of bowling. Perhaps 5 percent of wine and beer sales at your restaurant could go toward art purchases. Or perhaps proceeds from one decadent dessert or an artsy product could advance art buys for the office.
Trade for art. If your company makes something an artist needs or wants, offer to trade for a piece of art. Artists need legal and plumbing services, coffee, groceries and car repairs, and if they do not, perhaps their sister or best friend does. So consider bartering for art, with a little cash thrown in. Afterwards, the artist deserves to be recognized in your social media or e-letter.
However you choose to do this in a company small or large, take time to celebrate the artists and their work and their impact on your workplace. Your team will thank you.
© Vickie Elmer, 2026; for Mint
Photo by Willem Chen / Unsplash; silent auction photo by Charlene Uresy for Mint Artists Guild
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