So what does an art consultant do? Some of you might think it is obvious but others, like most of my friends know that it has something to do with art…..and that is about it. It is a little bit like when you ask someone you meet for the first time , what they do and they answer, “Im a digital solutions analyst for a multi media company”, or “I handle environmental habitat data for Mongolian Paddle Duck nests” There are words in those titles that suggest what they do but really you have no idea what their day to day job looks like. This is a little bit like ‘art consultancy’. The quick job description for an Art Consultant would be:

Someone who deals primarily in contemporary art, commissioning artists to produce work for the private or public sector. Art consultants will likely be specialised in the following; public art, hotel art, cruise ships or residential projects.

But this is a rather broad description because art consulting can encompass so much more and at Hay Hay Design we not only curate and commission artists for projects, we also design, create and install artwork for our clients. In the case of the new Hyatt Centric Hotel being built in Remarkables Park Queenstown, we are doing all of the above. We are adapting a wallpaper design to fit the interior design team’s vision. Commissioning artwork from artists, muralists, sculptors and photographers, In house artwork design and creation, designing feature walls and redesigning finished artwork from licensed designs. These creative jobs have morphed and changed with the project and I think a good art consultant agency is one that can be flexible and create and change artworks in house which keeps the costs down as they fall mainly under the initial consultancy fee and there is no need to farm these jobs out to a third party.

Hotel artwork jobs are a continuous work in progress and if you can create a good creative process with owner, interior designer and art consultant then the process can be both smooth and rewarding culminating in artwork that enhances the property’s interiors and guest experience.