EVERYONE is Talking About This...👀

Hey Hustler, Art has a major influence on our world. In fact, it plays more of a role in our daily life than we often imagine. It changes our perspectives, by translating experience across cultures, it communicates ideas, and it unites humankind through a shared language. It shows us distant past and potential futures, giving us connections to people in other times and places than us. For centuries, both the research community and society as a whole have been interested in the relationship between art and the human brain. Countless tests and studies have examined what aspects of art create particular effects on our minds, which has led to the development of art for specific environments. For example, healing art can help individuals in recovery from trauma. Art for the hospitality industry is often used in tourism to attract and engage the viewer so that they spend more time in a given location. Art for businesses is often intended to help boost productivity. Art is particularly important for children. It helps them to develop healthy means of expression as well as fine motor skills, color recognition, and spatial awareness, all crucial steps in cognitive development. While the word “art” may automatically bring to mind images of a white-walled museum with corridors lined with historical portraits, it is so much more than that. It’s not only the revered paintings, but also the treasured photographs, the beloved child’s scribble, the mural next to our favorite restaurant, and the pieces we choose to hang in our homes. Consider your home or office, wherever you spend the most time. Imagine the positive influence that being in these spaces could have on you if you take the initiative to include some art. We’ve heard countless stories from customers who say they felt their lives transform after bringing some of our canvases into their spaces. Art is not separate from us, but a part of who we are. It shapes us as much as we shape it, and when we embrace art in every aspect of our lives, it’s potential effects are boundless.

The Brooklyn Museum led the way last fall in taking advantage of this shift, raising a total of $31 million at auction sales in the United States and Europe for the care of its artworks.More controversially, the Baltimore Museum of Art followed suit soon after by announcing that it would deaccession paintings by Brice Marden, Clyfford Still and Andy Warhol. After criticism and talks with the museum directors association, the museum decided to pull the works by Still and Marden two hours before the sale. As museums periodically do routinely, the Met’s curators will evaluate the holdings in their departments with an eye to which pieces are duplicative or have been supplanted by better examples, or have rarely — if ever — been shown. Works to be sold will then have to be approved by department heads, the museum’s director and the board before public auction. The board also has to first approve a revision to the Met’s collections care policy, a move expected at the next trustee meeting in March.. Perhaps most starkly, the Indianapolis Art Museum — confronting steep storage and conservation costs — spent years ranking each of the 54,000 items in its collection with letter grades. Twenty percent of the items received a D, making them candidates to be sold or given to another institution.In interviews, curators at the Met seemed to recognize that relaxing the rules was a necessary step. “There is some urgency in this,” said Ian Alteveer, the Met’s curator of modern and contemporary art. “We’re facing a huge budget deficit. We’ve tried for years to get more robust funding for conservation, one of the prime things related to collections care.” Understanding that deaccessioning can be a lightning rod — particularly if members of the public object to specific sales — Hollein said that engaging in this evaluation process is the more conscientious course of action. “Every museum in the U.S. is having these conversations,” he said. “‘Do we want to use this window? What would it mean for the institution? What would it mean for the collection?’ For us not to discuss this now would be irresponsible.”

Psychologists, designers, and marketing experts all know it. Color choices can have a huge impact on the way we feel and perceive, even on a subconscious level. So when it comes to your home, where you likely spend quite a lot of time, you’ll want to choose wall colors carefully. In the next few newsletters, we’ll be discussing the best color choices to use in each room in your house. The living room is especially important to get right, since it’s where you’ll go to relax, entertain guests, and spend time with family. Ideal for this room are lavender, which promotes serenity and mindfulness, blue, which is calm and cool, and deep greens, which encourage tranquility and health. Of course, if these colors have different associations for you, don't disregard that! Never feel like you can’t hang a painting you love simply because it’s not the ‘best,” color scheme. It’s your living space after all, and only you will know what you’ll like best. In our next newsletter, we’ll give you some ideas for the best colors for wall art in Kitchen and Dining rooms, so keep an eye on your inbox!

Facing a potential shortfall of $150 million because of the pandemic, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has begun conversations with auction houses and its curators about selling some artworks to help pay for care of the collection. This is the time when we need to keep our options open,” said Max Hollein, the Met’s director, in an interview. “None of us have a full perspective on how the pandemic will play out. It would be inappropriate for us not to consider it, when we’re still in this foggy situation.” Like many institutions, the Met is looking to take advantage of a two-year window in which the Association of Art Museum Directors — a professional organization that guides its members’ best practices — has relaxed the guidelines that govern how proceeds from sales of works in a collection (known as deaccessioning) can be directed.

Hey Hustler, One of our customers, Kendra, recently sent us her story, and it was so touching that we just had to share. Art has truly changed her life, and it’s amazing to see the immense difference in both her physical and mental well being. When Kendra was a student, she was moving around a lot. Like many students, she went from her parents’ home to a dorm room, then to a rented room in a house, and then to a variety of different apartments. She found that each place had its own distinct spirit. When she moved from one place to another, there was a major shift in her. Sometimes things got much better, and sometimes they got much worse. Her studies, her relationships, her emotional and physical health; everything seemed to change with each change in location. She figured this was simply the way of the world, that is, until she stumbled upon an article about art and its influence on daily life. She slowly began to realize that her “home” at any given moment had a huge impact on everything in her life. Every aspect of the space was affecting her: how it was organized, the colors of the rooms, the images and wall hangings she had there. She was startled when she realized how much all of that had an influence on her. She looked around at the cheap apartment she’d been forced to move to while out of a job due to COVID. She realized that she hadn’t been feeling like herself since she’d arrived there. Her mood and energy were low and she didn’t feel nearly as motivated to work or socialize as she typically did. She realized she would have to make a change. After cleaning and reorganizing, she turned to decorating and hung some of her favorite images on the walls. She also did some online browsing and came across a few canvases in our store that spoke to her immediately. One was from the Motivational Collection, and one was from the Flowers Collection, chosen because of her love of nature. Once these were up, she felt completely different. She was upbeat and energized. She woke up feeling excited about the day and went to sleep satisfied and at peace. She even took up the yoga practice she’d abandoned last year. The overall mood of the apartment changed and so did her well being. Now, instead of constantly itching to go out, she loves spending time at home, where she now feels creative and empowered. Are you aware of how the art around you influences your daily life? Take advantage of the fact that you can arrange and manipulate your environment by choosing among our wide variety of canvases and find the ones that move you like these moved Kendra.

Hey Hustler, Colors set the tone of a room. They can convey mood, style and intention. But it’s not always easy to choose the right color for your space. That’s why we’ve collected these tips from our Canvas Freaks design experts on the best colors for each type of room. Read on, and you’ll already be a step ahead of the game when it comes to your next paint decision. Yellow is known to boost appetite and enhance energy levels, so it's perfect for the room where you’ll likely start your day with breakfast! Light pink is proven to elicit feelings of calm and content, making it perfect for any room where you find yourself needing a reminder to relax. Deep blue practically whispers serenity. In a bedroom painted this color, you’ll feel like you’re being wrapped in a protective, cozy blanket each night. Best for Gender-Neutral Nurseries: Bright Green Image of Olympic Park Verdant Forest Canvas Set Green is thought to bring balance to a space, as well as have a calming effect. With stunning options from mint green to forest emerald, you have plenty of great choices when it comes to decorating your gender-neutral nursery. If there’s anywhere in your house you want to feel energized, it’ s in your home gym. A bright shade of red can do just that. It’s actually shown to boost physical performance, and will surely have you feeling bold, vibrant and ready to take on your workout. Unlike much darker shades of purple typically associated with sadness or frustration, lilac has an air of mystery, awakening creativity. It’s the perfect color for sparking imagination in a hobby or craft room. Consider pairing it with a neutral shade such as gray or with pretty berry tones. Evoke a welcoming and inviting tone in your dining room with a creamy, warm white paint, rather than a stark pure white like that of copy paper. Light some candles on the dinner table and this room will positively glow. If you haven’t considered using an unconventional neutral like silver on your walls, give it some thought. This color can make one of the most hectic areas in your home feel subdued and reserved. Invigorating, joyful, and warm, orange may not be your first thought when it comes to paint color, but it’s ideal for making a statement while remaining stylish. Anywhere you entertain guests or work regularly—think living rooms, dining rooms, and home offices--is a great space for an orange accent wall or two.

Facing a potential shortfall of $150 million because of the pandemic, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has begun conversations with auction houses and its curators about selling some artworks to help pay for care of the collection. This is the time when we need to keep our options open,” said Max Hollein, the Met’s director, in an interview. “None of us have a full perspective on how the pandemic will play out. It would be inappropriate for us not to consider it, when we’re still in this foggy situation.” Like many institutions, the Met is looking to take advantage of a two-year window in which the Association of Art Museum Directors — a professional organization that guides its members’ best practices — has relaxed the guidelines that govern how proceeds from sales of works in a collection (known as deaccessioning) can be directed.