“Art can move our emotions, reduce stress, energize creativity, stimulate critical thinking…art in the workplace brings all those benefits to an organization.”
– Miami University of Ohio President Gregory Crawford, in Forbes
“Creativity is contagious; pass it on.”
– Albert Einstein
Sure, artwork in our homes and offices is nice, but do you know just how smart it is for business?
- Viewing art can improve empathy, lower anxiety, restore cognitive energy and help develop critical thinking skills (Colliers, 2018)
- People who work in offices with art are 17% more productive than those working in basic, functional environments (Univ of Exeter, 2016)
That’s why, when we built out our coworking space on downtown’s One City Plaza, art was a priority from the beginning. Eight years later, our “small but impactful” collection showcases local artists across a variety of mediums, and inspires hundreds of members and visitors as they work, meet and celebrate.
“Genius”
Oil on Canvas, 2009. Performance artist David Garibaldi created this masterpiece live, during one of Erwin Penland’s Food for Thought conferences (which introduced 100 thought leaders and founders from around the country to Greenville every spring). Garibaldi painted to music and in a dramatic final move, spun the image “right-side up” to reveal his Einstein. When Joe Erwin left EP to open Endeavor in 2016, the painting joined him, and it now watches over a neighborhood of private desks and offices.
“Caper’s Twin”
Print of Mixed Media original, 2022. Greenville artist Judy Verhoeven surely didn’t name her original “Caper’s Twin,” but when a great friend of ours saw this print at Open Studios last fall, she couldn’t resist its striking resemblance to Endeavor’s beloved corgi. She had it framed and presented it to Endeavor as a gift, where it was re-christened “Caper’s Twin” in an attempt to clarify that the subject isn’t really Caper (everyone still thinks it IS, btw).
“Flags I” and “Joy”
By happy accident, these two pieces “joined” Endeavor simultaneously in late 2022 – but with very different origins.
Flags I is a poster that was created using one of Jasper Johns’ Flags series paintings, to commemorate the grand opening of the Greenville County Museum of Art all the way back in 1974…where 18-year-old “Joey” Erwin purchased it for $5 (!). He stored it in a cardboard cylinder under his bed, where it remained forgotten but protected for decades before finally seeing the light of day again sometime around 2010. Surprised to rediscover it, Joe had it beautifully framed, and when it needed a new home he realized there was a perfect location for it here at Endeavor.
Joy has a very special place in our hearts. Joy is an original painting (Oil on Canvas Panel, 2008) by native Greenvillian Charles Wakefield, Jr. Many know Charles’ heartbreaking and inspiring story thanks to Brad Willis’ podcast Murder, etc. Charles was unjustly convicted of Double Homicide in 1975, sentenced to death by a Greenville County jury, championed by countless advocates, and ultimately paroled in 2010. Painted while Charles was still in prison, the joy and freedom in the subject’s expression was so compelling, we were honored to purchase this piece especially for Endeavor. Learn about Charles and see more of his artwork here.
“The Quote”
Oil on Canvas, 2016. Finally, the painting commissioned to celebrate the opening of Endeavor. It dominates our lobby and has been the site of so many “we were there” photos and selfies that we’ve lost count. It was created by Greenville artist Ric Standridge, working in collaboration with Joe Erwin to showcase one of our all-time favorite quotes alongside many of the “crazy” dreamers, doers, creators and disrupters who took a chance and literally invented the future.
To see the collection or even just a particular piece in person, stop by Endeavor any Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:00pm for a personal tour. We’re in the ONE tower at the corner of Main & Coffee Streets (right above Anthropologie), and we’d love to share it with you.
