Art Consultant: Brian Helder
1) What made you decide to become an art consultant?
“I have been in the hospitality design profession for my whole career. It is in my blood. I also love art and visit museums and galleries everywhere I go. The love of hospitality design and art combined into a perfect profession for me.”
2) What trends do you see emerging in the art world?
“As a reaction to the computerized world we all live in, I have been seeing a lot more textured art, something that cannot be printed, but pieces that have a one-of-a-kind look, seem to be quite popular. That and anything where you see evidence of the artist’s hand (brush marks, hand-carved portions, etc.). I expect this trend to continue.”
3) What do you consider when curating corporate art collections (business offices or healthcare spaces)?
“I search for beauty and appropriateness. It is art, but also a business. I am a big believer in designing for longevity, so sturdy pieces that can be cleaned, and maintained, while also looking beautiful are the direction I will guide our clients. In the end, if it looks great but is too fragile and cannot be maintained, we have failed.”
4) What part of being an art consultant for LS Art Consulting is your favorite?
Working with the amazing team of artists and craftspeople at LS Art Consulting is the best part of the job. They love a good challenge and are experts at figuring out how to solve problems, use creative materials, and expertly construct our finished pieces. Helping clients bring their dreams to reality, sometimes even better than they could have hoped for, is the outcome.”
5) What new hospitality art trends or shifts have you seen over the years?
“Things have shifted in the last decade or so from art that looked great with the carpet or sofa, to art that reflects the local environment. Now, however, it has morphed into a more specific request, the desire for locally sourced art, so getting a curated package of local artists, where the project is located, has become a more common request.”
6) Can you share a memorable project or artwork that had a significant impact on your career or the client’s space?
A South Florida project where we used old Cypress wood that was salvaged during construction. We were able to create an interesting 3-D art with bold brackets and timber of the former hotel and include it in the public spaces of the new hotel. It was a nice way to recycle and reuse rather than to send the wood to a landfill.
7) With Thanksgiving approaching, what are you most grateful for in your role as an art consultant, both personally and professionally?
I am grateful for my family and friends and for the amazing team at LS Art Consulting that I get to collaborate with every day.
RAPID FIRE
8) Favorite Artist?
Gustave Caillebotte – French Impressionist
9) Favorite art medium?
Oil paint, because I do not paint and am in awe of those that do.
10)Favorite color?
Blue
11) Favorite cocktail?
Black Manhatten
12) Favorite band?
Pink Martini
13) Morning or evening?
I am a morning person
14) Art Deco or Art Nouveau?
Modernism
15) Sunrise or Sunset?
Sunrise
