by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
It’s not uncommon to walk into a law office and be distracted by eye-catching artwork. In keeping with the philosophies of the firm, the artwork can range from classical to avant garde.
So who’s in charge of decorating the office and why did they select that piece? Here’s a sampling of local law firms.
“We used to have an art committee that handled the purchasing of art but it was difficult to reach a consensus,” said Pam Bass, executive director of Rogers, Towers, Bailey, Jones & Gay in the SouthTrust building. “We don’t spend a lot, we just look for things that are tasteful. We will go to galleries when we’re building out our space and need more.”
Prints of landscapes and other traditional art grace the walls of Rogers, Towers. No particular theme draws the works together. However, when the firm opened its St. Augustine office, the artwork reflected a nautical theme to pay tribute to the Spanish influence on the city.
The firm gives Bass a wide latitude when shopping for new pieces to display.
“Usually it’s me and the paralegal [Phyllis Whitaker] that goes,” said Bass. “If we both like it, it’s usually OK. I’ve never had any complaints about what we pick as long as it fits in with the professional atmosphere. We don’t have original, high-priced, avant garde art that pops out.”
Once the firm witnessed the job the two accomplished with the St. Augustine office, they became the de facto art committee.
“I’m a CPA so I’m not artistic; I just fell into it,” she said.
With the assistance of an art consultant, swatches are selected and the elimination process begins. The firm has been utilizing the same gallery for over four years. Common areas such as lobbies and conference rooms display more conservative works, but individual attorneys are free to decorate their space as they choose.
Each year a certain amount is budgeted for incidentals such as decor. Bass and Whitaker must be careful to stay within those parameters.
“We try to keep with local artists,” said Whitaker.
“We’re getting ready to add some pieces because our lobby has had the same art for for 20 years,” added Bass. “It’s time for a change. When buying new art, the others are moved around so it will fit better.”
For Akerman Senterfitt, the decision to delve into the arts was borne out of necessity.
“We were moving into this office and expanding so we had a need to decorate the walls,” said David Otero, attorney at Akerman Senterfitt. “It was a new space so we wanted a fresh start and to do something appealing for our clients and the people who work here.”
Working with a consultant provided by the marketing department, a theme of modern art was selected. Almost all are original paintings, but there are a few works of regional photography. Like other firms, Akerman’s lobby and conference room double as the gallery. Oil and acrylics dominate and the local office mirrors the personality of its main office in Miami.
“I thought it symbolized the office we are,” explained Otero. “Most of our clients are traditional but the management is in their 30s.”
Otero hired an art broker to help with the decorating.
“I told her what we wanted to do and she brought over the samples and we picked them,” he said. “I made the decisions but consulted with them [Miami] for general ideas.”
The end result was a smattering of prints with an impressionistic tilt.
Otero was selected to lead the project because of his exposure to the art world.
“Pete Larson [the managing shareholder] decided it was a good job for me,” he said.
“My parents were artists, though I’m certainly not. My father does commercial art and my mother does all kinds of art and interior design so I definitely grew up in an artist’s world.”
Otero says artwork is good for office morale.
“We are trying to do something good for the work environment. It’s good for firm morale that people like the way the office looks, “ said Otero. “Art is a way to separate work from being a drab place and the clients perceive it as nice without being overbearing. I don’t want the office to look like a museum.”
At the Holland & Knight office in the Bank of America tower, renovations played a role in what now hangs on the firm’s walls.
“Each time we re-did a floor, we obtained art from Northeast Florida artists,” said Linda Kane, executive partner of the Jacksonville office.
With the guidance of art collectors, the partners studied their options. Different galleries were asked to participate in the effort.
“It had to be art that, in our minds, would be dignified and consistent with a professional office building,” said Kane. “Our goal is for the office to be a pleasant place to work and art is a part of that. We selected these pieces because it’s good art by good local artists.”