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Partner with Local Artists

Bring Visual Art into Your Business

image of the interior of a restaurant with brick walls and wooden booths. Colorful paintings hang on the wall.
Paintings by Somerville artist Cameron Boyce hanging in Cambridge Common restaurant. Photo by Shelby Feltoon. (Read about how the restaurant curates its exhibits.)

Partnering with local visual artists is a powerful way to differentiate your business while investing in the cultural health of your neighborhood.

The special value of featuring local art is the connection it forges between your space and your community. Whether it’s a rotating gallery in a hotel lobby, a vibrant mural on a restaurant patio, or an eye-catching storefront window, art creates a “sense of place” that keeps customers coming back.

By planning thoughtfully and communicating clearly, you can build a sustainable partnership that benefits your bottom line and the local creative economy alike. Incorporating art by local creators into your space:

  • Engages your guests on a more fulfilling level
  • Shows your connection to the local community
  • Communicates your distinct taste through the art/artists you feature
  • Fosters a more unique and locally-specific “brand”
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Find 1,000+ Massachusetts Visual Artists

Dig into CreativeGround.org for artists to work with your business

Learn More
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Tips for Working with Visual Artists

Practical advice for building a successful partnership

Learn More
photo of a smiling person standing outside a coffee shop with a colorful mural painted on its front window.
Window mural by Likemind Design for APM Coffee. Photo by Mel Taing.

“Small businesses pour their heart and souls into what they do.

So do artists.

Our capacities and budgets are often limited compared to our wider-reaching corporate neighbors, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t deserving of fruitful relationships and stellar work.”

– Amanda Beard Garcia, muralist, brand designer, and illustrator based in Dracut and Lowell, MA

Mass Cultural Council is partnering with Mass Restaurant Association and Mass Lodging Association to encourage businesses to work with local creatives. Read more about the deeply intertwined economic forces of the Commonwealth’s arts & culture and hospitality sectors.

Image credits: Work samples included in the “Dig Into” graphic above came from artist profiles on CreativeGround.org (l-to-r):
Row 1: Deanne Joy, James Dwyer, Dave Custodio Artisinal Studio
Row 2: Ben Marder, Kouzza, Dani Schmidt
Row 3: Adrien Bisson, Kurt Hanss, Miki Lovett
Row 4: Jane Hudson, Golden Lion Photography, Caoin O’Durgy
Row 5: Hilary Zelson, Emily Cobb, Ben Jundanian


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