Podcast Summary: The Economics of Everyday Things - Episode 76: Hotel Art
Host: Zachary Crockett
Guests:
- Jessica Poundstone, Visual Artist
- Melanie Ketchring, Director of Studio Design at Best Western Hotels
- Gavi Wolf, Founder and CEO of Indie Walls
Introduction to Hotel Art
In Episode 76 of The Economics of Everyday Things, host Zachary Crockett delves into the often-overlooked world of hotel art. He explores how art selection impacts guest experiences, the economic dynamics behind sourcing and maintaining artwork in hotels, and the roles various stakeholders play in this niche market.
Jessica Poundstone’s Journey into Hotel Art
The episode opens with Jessica Poundstone sharing a pivotal moment in her career:
"It was a note through Instagram from an art advisory firm saying, hey, we love your work. We'd love to discuss using it in a hotel project that we're working on. Get in touch."
[01:09]
Poundstone, originally a creative director for a software company, transitioned into a successful visual artist by collaborating with art advisory firms. These firms connect artists with commercial spaces like hotels, cruise ships, casinos, and restaurants. Poundstone emphasizes the ubiquity of art in hotels:
"Art in a hotel is everywhere when you really think about it. ... Having stayed in many hotels and looked at a lot of hotel art, I felt like my artwork would be nice to have in a room that someone was staying in instead of something that was just, I don't know, boring or worse, just terrible."
[01:59]
The Current State of Hotel Art
Crockett discusses the general perception of hotel art, often seen as generic or uninspired. However, there's a shift towards more intentional and high-quality selections:
"When you Think of hotel art. You might imagine a generic photograph of a city skyline or a bad take on an abstract painting. ... But in recent years, hotels have been attempting to reverse this stigma."
[02:41]
Expert Insights: Melanie Ketchring on Best Western’s Approach
Melanie Ketchring provides an inside look into how Best Western Hotels curate their art:
"I like to refer to artwork as the jewelry of the space."
[03:42]
Ketchring explains that each franchise owner can make independent design choices, allowing for diverse artistic expressions across properties. Her team focuses on selecting artwork that aligns with the hotel's desired mood and aesthetic, typically choosing multiple pieces per guest room and public area:
"Our go to is 2 per guest room, 3 en suites, lobbies and public areas is really just driven on where it needs it."
[03:54]
She highlights the shift from ubiquitous stock images to more intentional, locally inspired artwork:
"We're trying to capture the local. ... Sometimes it is gonna be more contemporary and heavy, have a different type of flair."
[05:15]
Art Advisory Firms and Their Role: Gavi Wolf of Indie Walls
Gavi Wolf discusses the critical role of art advisory firms like Indie Walls in the hotel art ecosystem:
"We help all different types of commercial properties to source artwork to tell the story of the property."
[05:50]
Wolf outlines the process, starting from early collaborations with designers before hotel construction begins. His firm ensures that the selected artwork aligns with the hotel's narrative, budget, and brand guidelines. He emphasizes the importance of flexibility and partnership between artists and consultants:
"One of the things with artists is there's just their literal work, but there's also working with them as just a partner. How flexible are they? How fast are they with responding?"
[19:46]
Economic Dynamics of Hotel Art
The episode delves into the financial aspects of hotel art selection and distribution:
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Volume and Pricing: Artwork for hotels is often ordered in large quantities, making volume pricing a crucial factor. Poundstone notes that licensing fees for bulk orders can be lucrative for artists. For example:
"If you're doing 200 of those hotels a year, that would be $60,000 a year and they wouldn't have to do anything. They just get like, a licensing fee."
[17:15] -
Budget Allocation: Best Western typically spends around $500 per room on art, totaling between $15,000 to $50,000 per hotel. High-end brands may allocate significantly more, sometimes exceeding $500,000 for entire properties.
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Licensing and Revenue Streams: Artists earn through licensing deals, which become more profitable with higher volumes. This model allows artists to receive steady income without additional effort post-agreement.
Challenges in Hotel Art
Wolf addresses challenges such as artwork theft and the necessity for secure mounting solutions:
"We did artwork for a hotel and we did it into a brick wall. Somebody actually ripped the piece off of the wall and took out parts of the brick with the piece."
[18:28]
Poundstone appreciates the partnership with advisory firms as they handle logistical concerns like theft-proof installations, allowing her to focus on creativity.
Artist-Consultant Collaboration
The collaboration between artists and consultants is pivotal for successful hotel art projects. Poundstone describes the iterative process of tailoring her artwork to fit the hotel's aesthetic:
"If it's a piece that's just one color, it might be changing it from a blue to a different color of blue or from a blue to a rust. ... we can make something that works within the structure of what I have created."
[19:19]
Wolf emphasizes the importance of artists viewing themselves as businesses, capable of meeting the demands of commercial projects:
"Artists often don't think of themselves as businesses, but they are and they need to sell it."
[19:46]
Conclusion: The Invisible Influence of Hotel Art
The episode wraps up by highlighting how integral art is to the hotel experience, even if guests don't consciously notice it. Effective hotel art enhances the ambiance, tells a story, and contributes to the overall brand identity.
"Believe it or not, there probably are people out there who don't really notice all of this artwork."
[21:14] – Gavi Wolf
Key Takeaways
- Strategic Selection: Hotels are increasingly investing in high-quality, locally inspired art to enhance guest experiences and differentiate their brands.
- Economic Viability: Licensing deals and volume purchasing provide artists with significant revenue streams, making hotel collaborations financially attractive.
- Collaborative Process: Successful integration of art in hotels relies on strong partnerships between artists, consultants, and hotel designers.
- Operational Challenges: Issues like artwork theft necessitate secure installation methods, which are managed by art advisory firms.
Conclusion
Episode 76 offers an insightful exploration into the economics and logistics of hotel art. Through conversations with industry experts and artists, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of how art contributes to the hospitality sector's success and the economic benefits it offers to creators.