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I began my career as an art consultant in 1978. At that time, there were, perhaps, four to six art consulting firms in Denver. We knew each other, but all had established niches. My husband was a dentist, and I created the art design when he moved into his new office. Other dentists and physicians always commented on the artwork and, when told that I had designed the scheme, asked if I would do their offices as well. Thus began my career as well as the niche I have maintained in the health care field for over 40 years.
So much has changed in, not only how I choose and place art, but in the research and presentation of artwork to clients. In 1978, when I began as a sole proprietor in the basement office of my home, I had to rely on the library, the newspaper, and sometimes the radio, to even know about projects “in the pipeline”. I relied on the Artists’ Registry in the Boulder Library to acquaint me with Colorado artists.
I don’t even remember how I knew about the Art Expo held in New York City every spring. Seriously, I don’t; but that was a game changer. Attending this expo became something I loved! Not only did I connect with artists, but publishers that filled the need for reproductions. Armed with resources, I was off and running. Connecting with designers within architecture firms was my strategy. Remember this was before the internet, so I had to rely on catalogues to research art for clients. When I think back on scanning pages from a huge catalog, then cutting out the images and pasting them on pages to show clients what we were proposing makes me cringe. Now I merely pull up the publishers’ website, and browse, copy, place in a powerpoint and “save as” in Google Drive!! Then came video conferencing which enabled us to work with clients across the country. This was a major boon during the COVID-19 crisis. Meeting on ZOOM became the norm. Not traveling for presentations and meetings opened time for more marketing and client relationships. As a result, the company grew more than 50% during COVID time. We grew from 3 to a 12 incredible team. Working on a hybrid schedule is becoming a commonplace practice now. I believe collaboration is the basis for growth and continued excellence for the company; therefore, I will always want our team to be in the office more than out. With that said, having employees that may even be in a different part of the country, if excellent additions, can be something we will move to in the future. I have bobbed and weaved through all the changes that have occurred. I am proud that I was able to adapt to change, for Noyes Art Designs to become the successful firm that it is. What has remained constant, and always will, is our insistence of high-quality results with the amazing customer service we are known for. It is what keeps our client retention high and referral clients coming! I know that the only constant is change, and I, for one, am anxious to see what comes next!