SPECIAL REPORT
Art glass made at Soneva Fushi
“ THE BEST ARTISTS AND GALLERIES RESPECT US AND THEREFORE WANT TO PARTNER MORE BECAUSE WE HAVE A DEDICATION TO THEIR PARTICULAR ART FORM .”
interview artists to see if their work fits with the hotel ’ s goals .
Have one person in charge of putting together a program who can oversee the project , Swire ’ s Smith suggests . General managers should inquire within the staff if there ’ s interest in helping direct the program , Plutzik says .
“ The great thing about the hospitality industry is you may have someone on staff who went to art school and would be so excited about going to do that outreach to community ,” he says .
Hotels that want to create a permanent collection should consider specializing in a particular type of art . The Betsy focuses on photography for its visual arts program , which now has nearly 500 pieces in public and guest areas . “ It ’ s a very deep commitment to the space , and the best artists and galleries respect us and therefore want to partner more because we have a dedication to their particular art form ,” he says .
HOW PROVOCATIVE ? The Hotel Chicago West Loop in Chicago
JONATHAN PLUTZIK , THE BETSY
uses the 14 urban-art-style murals in guest rooms to attract a younger , art-loving crowd to the hotel , which is located near a university , medical district and sports and concert venue , says General Manager Jean-Luc Laramie . The murals are open to the public if the hotel is not full .
Hotels that lease property and want to install that type of permanent art should be sure to get permission from the building ’ s owner , Laramie says .
Art can be provocative , so hotels need to consider the impact the art will have not only on guests , but the community . Case in point : In 2018 , a marine sculpture commissioned by the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi resort was demolished when it was deemed anti-Islamic for its depiction of human figures in art .
Laramie , who commissioned muralists to decorate guest rooms with a Chicago theme , says one of the guidelines was to not paint anything politically charged .
“ At the end of the day , we are a hotel and we have to run a business . All of the artists were very much understanding ,” he says .
WORKING WITH AN ARTIST
Luis Ramirez , a Chicago graffiti artist who paints murals under the name Asend , worked with Hotel Chicago West Loop in its first mural commissions and recently won a competition to paint a four-story mural on the hotel ’ s outer wall this year .
He recommends being open to collaborate with artists when considering decorative projects . “ Artists can offer a different point of view on things . Many are trained in color theory or composition . We can take ( a hotel ’ s ) idea and perfect it ,” he says .
Guidelines are fine , but allow room for creativity , too , he recommends , and be flexible around deadlines .
When signing contracts , specify whether the artist or hotel owns the rights to the work , or whether those rights are shared .
And look for ways to use the art beyond simply displaying it . Hotel Chicago printed images of Asend ’ s first mural on postcards and put it on hotel beds for guests . “ It keeps the artwork going ,” Ramirez says .
Hotels can also arrange to sell artwork outright or prints , which opens up another sales avenue .
“ Prints are very attractive because an individual piece can cost US $ 20,000 , but you can sell a print for US $ 100 , and people can afford that ,” he says .
An Asend mural at the Hotel Chicago West Loop
54 hotelsmag . com January / February 2020