Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Seay and Debbie Goldgar.
Jennifer and Debbie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Prior to forming Art + Artisans, Jennifer spent several years in art sales for a publisher and then a gallery. Debbie was in sales development for a national company. Looking for a way to work together, Jennifer and Debbie – a mother/daughter team – decided to capitalize on Jennifer’s art experience and Debbie’s marketing and sales experience and form Art + Artisans. The goal was to focus on commercial business by providing artwork to corporate clients building out new spaces.
Fifteen years later the business has grown to service clients across diverse sectors – from corporate to higher education and student housing, luxury multi-family and healthcare. Art + Artisans’ headquarters are currently located in Austin, Texas. With Jennifer growing up in Houston and Debbie living there for many years, opening their second office in Houston was a natural choice. While Art + Artisans serves clients across the nation, many of our projects are located in Texas and the Houston area.
Projects and client base have grown as well to include large interior and exterior public art installations for fortune 500 companies, major universities across Texas, top tier architecture and design firms, and developers working on Class A towers and luxury residences. Turnkey services from art research and selection, to procurement, fabrication oversight, and installation are provided on projects of every size.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Things went smoothly enough until the market crash in 2008. Our corporate business slowed down, since companies couldn’t purchase artwork if they were laying off their workforce. Fortunately, in that same year, we got our first large higher education project with Sam Houston State University – the Gaertner Performing Arts Center, as well as a large luxury senior living facility. The situation helped us diversify into new market sectors, and expand our business to service higher education facilities, healthcare, multifamily, and student housing – ultimately it was a blessing.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Art + Artisans Consulting – what should we know?
Debbie Goldgar, based in Houston, believes it’s the team that truly sets Art + Artisans apart. Our seasoned team of art experts and project managers partner with clients and their design teams to create a complete art plan, then guide the decision-making process and project management through its implementation. This seamless process of art research and selection, procurement, oversight and installation are led with the highest professionalism, leading to extraordinary, stress-free results. Our team focuses on being the connection between the artist and the client and to provide leadership in our community, with our team and our clients. We believe in adhering to timeliness and pay attention to every detail so we meet deadlines and keep our clients pleased with the entire process, from inception to installation.
Our company helps our clients express their story through art—whether that is building a brand, providing a connection to the community, or creating a specific kind of environment for visitors, tenants, and employees. Our goal is to create meaningful spaces for our clients—to help them connect to the people using their space and create a place that is engaging and that people want to spend time in.
Working with clients for more than 20 years, we’ve seen how art can transform an entire space. Sometimes the work is absolutely grand, but it’s not always fine art or expensive art. The secret to a successful installation is finding art that connects with the people who use the space. What makes that connection is different for everyone? It may be work that inspires awe and makes people wonder what it is and how it was done. It may be recognition of a place or landmark or event that provides a link to the familiar and to others who share that experience. And sometimes that connection is simply through an aesthetic—one of beauty, or one that speaks to a specific generation or group, or one that defines culture for an organization.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
At Art + Artisans we believe in an ongoing pursuit of excellence, personal and professional development, and to continuously improve ourselves and our service to our clients. Our team’s meticulous attention to detail, thorough communication with our clients, and our vetted art resources throughout the United States allows us to become our client’s art partner on projects of any size, budget and timeline, while ensuring the most comprehensive services that are stress-free, focused and innovative.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://artplusartisans.com
- Phone: 713-528-8000
- Email: mail@artplusartisans.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artplusartisans/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtPlusArtisans
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/art-artisans-consulting-inc-?trk=nmp_rec_act_company_name
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