Do More With Less - Art Doesn't Have to be Expensive

Art doesn't have to be expensive.  The economy has forced firms to do more with less and we can help when it comes to filling your empty walls with artwork.  For just a few dollars per day we can place original paintings and sculpture in your common areas....really.  We can also stretch that thin budget with framed prints and photography - just give us a call at (888) 440-9260 for more information.  Our consultants are located throughout the US and specialize in art consulting, framing, art installation, shipping and best of all, helping you make your selection within your budget - quickly and easily!

Solar Flare Eruption: Galactic Color by NASA

The solar flare eruption, recently captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, stretches hundreds of thousands of miles across the south side of the Sun, nearly twice the distance from earth to the moon. The flare appears darker against the sun because it is much cooler than the corona and can have effects here on earth. - Daily Mail


Photo from NASA, via COLOURlovers.com - a great blog!

Tune In for New Artwork....7 days and counting!

We're updating and searching high and low for new artwork for our clients throughout the US, including eco-friendly sustainable art, all being added in February!  Check our website often:  http://www.artrentandlease.com/

Rotating Museum Style Art Gallery in your Office

Perfect for the lobby and conference room, we curate your space with beautiful artwork that is rotated every 3, 6 or 12 months!  Shown above is an example of a CBRE teleconference room with original oil painting diptych was changed-out after 3 months.  Call us at (888) 440-9260 for more information on a rotating art rental program for your space.

New Venture Accelerator for U-M Startup's

U-M officially opened its Venture Accelerator at the North Campus Research Complex to provide space and resources for new businesses based on U-M technology.

The Venture Accelerator will provide laboratory and office space, as well as business services, to startup companies emerging from the pipeline of new ventures at U-M Tech Transfer. The accelerator will occupy 16,000 square feet at the sprawling 174-acre, 30-building NCRC, the former Pfizer pharmaceutical property purchased by the university in 2009.

Start-up companies who need artwork for their office walls can call us - we rent art starting at just $25 per month! (888) 440-9260. 

For the complete story on this new venture, please visit: http://ur.umich.edu/1011/Jan24_11/1944-first-tenants-move

The Art of Paintings and Rugs - $85 Monthly Rental

Yes, $85 rental per month for an 8' x 11' hand-made wool rug and an original 36" x 36" painting.  These 2 pieces can really change the look and feel of a room or office.  We have dozens of rugs and thousands of paintings to choose from, give us a call at (888) 440-9260 for a free consultation anywhere in the US!

Give Your Office a Makeover

Framed Limited Edition Photographs in a client's Conference Room

$95 per month, tax-deductible rental

You don't need to spend a fortune investing in expensive artwork, a little will go a long way!  For as little as $25 to $100 per month you can lease or rent artwork for your lobby, entry, hallways or conference room.  Ask about our free initial consultation and call us for more information: 888-440-9260.

Evolving Your Strategies - Delivering Value to Clients

As the saying goes: Innovate or evaporate.  Strategic artwork placed in the building lobby, conference rooms and main hallways adds value:  prestige, beauty and mission.

A renewed focus on business strategies and entrepreneurship will be seen at all scales of practice. What’s the perfect domestic/global project mix? What are some new ways to respond to client needs to combat the ever-increasing competition for projects? Delivering value will be an emphasis in client communications, while continuous marketing will be pursued in all markets and sub-markets. Creative new strategies are essential to the new business paradigm, as are investments in people, technology, and research.

Call us about renting, leasing or purchasing artwork for your public spaces - you can make a big impression for just a few dollars per day: 888-440-9260.

For the complete article visit:

http://www.di.net/articles/archive/new_opportunities_but_little_recovery/

Sustainability and the Extreme Measures to Get There

Most projects now demand (or at least request) some level of sustainable design thanks to the owner, financier, or design team. Despite the economy, the value of green construction starts showed a 50 percent increase in 2010 compared to 2008. And data is beginning to prove the benefits of sustainable building: higher rents, more productive workers, happier occupants.

Clients will continue to expand their desire for sustainability in projects as more bottom-line benefits come to the fore. Expect the essential characteristics of sustainable design to continue being defined as well as a convergence of what are now considered sustainable and socially responsible design and development.

Art Rent and Lease provides original sustainable art (paintings and sculpture) for buildings and facilities in the US.  For more information, call us at (888) 440-9260 or visit our website: artrentandlease.com - we have consultants in Minneapolis, New York, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Portland, Charlotte and Miami.

From ASID eye on design, for the complete article visit: http://www.di.net/articles/archive/new_opportunities_but_little_recovery/

Amazing Three Dimensional Mixed Media

"The Nativity"

by Antonio Perez-Melero

An amazing three-dimensional painting, 32" x 42" that combines an interpretation of the Nativity scene with geometric graphics.  You'll see a different view looking from the left, the center and the right.  Beautiful work from Perez-Melero is available for sale, on lease or rent from our gallery, Art Rent and Lease. 

For more information or a viewing in New York, please call us at (888) 440-9260.

Sound Masking for Poor Workplace Acoustics

From LogiSon Acoustic Network and ASID, the Top Ten Sound Masking Questions for you to consider if you have poor workplace acoustics.

Tapestry/Textile art by Catherine Kleeman

1. Why do I need sound masking?

Poor acoustics is the number one cause of workplace dissatisfaction and the most significant factor affecting employee performance.

2. How is this type of system installed?

Sound masking systems use loudspeakers to distribute a comfortable, engineered background sound. This makes it difficult to hear incidental noises or conversations.

3. How do you use sound to cover up noise?

If you’ve ever ran water at your kitchen sink while trying to talk to someone in the next room, you’ll understand how sound masking works. You can tell your conversational partner is speaking, but it’s difficult to comprehend what they’re saying. That’s because the running water has raised the noise floor in your area.

4. Will I hear the sound masking?

You must be able to hear the sound masking for it to be effective. But it’s designed to be as unnoticeable as possible. It doesn’t contain distracting patterns, and it’s tuned so you don’t hear volume changes as you move throughout your facility. Employees come to consider it a natural part of their environment in a short period of time.

For full details and the complete content of the Top Ten Sound Masking Questions, please visit: http://www.logison.com/Top-Ten-Sound-Masking-Questions.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=featarticle&utm_campaign=asid

For information on artwork for your space and how we can help you with sound masking, visit www.artrentandlease.com - have a great day!
Lisa

Postcards from Mars: Inspiration from the Red Planet

From COLOURlovers.com

A beautiful photograph by Jim Bell - of Mars!  NASA's mobile robots Spirit & Opportunity have been exploring Mars for six years now, 25 times longer than predicted. Due to the extended life of the robots the photographic team, headed by Jim Bell, has had more time to capture the Martian landscapes with lighting, framing, color, depth of focus in mind. To date, the robots have sent back over 250,000 photos. Some of which have been selected for Jim Bell's recent book Postcards From Mars, which contains over 150 full-color-process prints. 

You can see more from the New York Times at: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/05/science/space/010608-Mars_index.html

And from photographer Jim Bell at:  http://www.postcardsfrommarsbook.com/

Artist Gregory Coates is HOT Blue and Collectible

"Hot Blue"

Recycled Rubber and Ultramarine Pigment

at the Smithsonian

Artist Gregory Coates works with recycled materials and eco-friendly pigments and dyes to produce his amazing wall sculpture/paintings in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.  "Hot Blue" shown above is now comfortably at home in the Smithsonian - many other works are available for lease, sale or rent from our gallery Art Rent and Lease.  Ask us how you can collect Coates' work and expense the payment as a business expense: (888) 440-9260.

Tax Deducitble Art Rentals for Business & Healthcare

Since 2000, Art Rent and Lease has structured tax-deductible art rentals for corporate, healthcare and hospitality clients throughout the US. Our consultants work with building and facility managers, designers and architects to bring the beauty of fine art into the workspace, utilizing sustainable artwork from our gallery of emerging and established artists.


An art rental may be the only true method for a business to take a deduction on artwork, providing the rental is structured to meet IRS guidelines. Under a true rental, a business entity may expense the rental payment for artwork located at their place of business, just as they would when renting furniture, fixtures or equipment.

Artwork (and antique musical instruments) do not have a "determinable useful life" for depreciation purposes as defined by the IRS, and cannot be depreciated or expensed. It makes no difference if artwork is acquired by purchase or a lease: leases typically have a fixed purchase option of $1 or 10%, making the lease a conditional sales contract (or capital lease) in the eyes of the IRS, and therefore not a qualifying structure.

An excerpt taken from "The CPA Journal" regarding Federal Taxation:

Revenue Ruling 68-232 (1968-1 C.B. 79) states that a valuable and treasured art piece does not have a determinable useful life. The ruling also distinguishes between the condition of the artwork and its life. While the actual physical condition of the artwork may influence the market value placed on it, its condition will not ordinarily limit or determine the artifact's useful life. Accordingly, works of art may not be depreciated. While a precise definition of "works of art" does not exist in the code, such assets usually fall into a category of assets that have no determinable useful life and do not predictably decline in value.

If your company is considering artwork for a new location, a renovation or to replace outdated works, please contact us about structuring a rental that will allow you to not only enjoy the artwork, but also provide tax advantages.

Visit us at: http://www.artrentandlease.com/ or call (888) 440-9260 for more information or to schedule a free initial consultation.









Our attorney's advise us to inform you to consult with your tax professional prior to any fine art acquisition. This information is not meant to provide legal or tax advise and we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

Help Us With New Project Referrals

We love referrals from our friends, clients and followers! 

Please let us know of any projects you hear about:  building, remodeling, relocating, an expansion, painting, new window coverings, new furnishings - any time a company is in this process, they may need artwork.....that's what we do. 

We're art consultants that work with companies to bring the beauty of fine art into the workspace - we sell art, rent art and can lease art too - whatever works for the client's budget, anywhere in the US.

Keep is in mind and thanks again for your referrals! lisa@artrentandlease.com (888) 440-9260

Amazing way to Transform your Light Fixture Covers & Accoustic Tiles

For about $8 per square foot plus installation, you can transform your existing light fixture covers (Light lens or light diffuser panels) and acoustic tiles into something special! We have thousands of images of the sky, nature, urban, architectural, travel and more available - just give us a call at (888) 440-9260 for more information - takes just few days to produce, ship and easy installation.....voila!

First Impressions Count - Consider an Art Rental or Art Lease

Your company still needs to have art on the walls! Bare walls don't enhance your image and they most certainly don't improve employee morale. Additionally, bare walls don't elicit confidence or encourage creativity - they do just the opposite.

What do your customer's think and feel about you when they walk into your office and see nothing that projects your objectives, strength, stability and style?

Believe it: first impressions really do count!

In these tough economic times, everyone is actively looking for ways to maximize their limited budgets when they need art for their lobby, conference room, offices and hallways. Fine art rentals and leasing can help you meet those needs within a tight budget. Art rentals or leasing requires a low up-front capital expenditure and features art for rent starting at just $20 per month!

www.artrentandlease.com has over 3,200 works of art from over 100 emerging and established artists in virtually every medium. Clients can rotate between different works of art, always providing a fresh new look to their office space.  For a free consultation call us at (888) 440-9260.

What Can a Corporate Art Consultant do for YOU?

Anyone who makes decisions regarding a space where any work is done should consider the time and cost savings of an art consultant. An art consultant is invaluable in the decisions of where to place art, what kind of art, and what financing options are available to meet budget needs.

The two biggest stumbling blocks to moving past bare walls is fear of picking something that someone will not like and then working within a budget. Believe me, an art consultant has everyday experience in these two hang ups. To say that most people in that position feel your pain is an understatement.

What often happens is that those two points cause decision makers not to decide and those walls stay empty. The message to customers and the morale of employees remain bare and tax incentives are left on the table.

Obviously, Building and Facility Planners can and often do benefit from the services of an art consultant. But there are so many others who could benefit. Within almost any budget. Have you ever thought about utilizing an art consultant for short term needs? Examples of short term options where an art consultant can be an invaluable part of the team are advertising shoots, home staging's for resale, open houses for professional offices or even movie sets.

So, what are you waiting for? Call us today and start reaping the benefits! 888-440-9260 for a free initial consultation.

MSN Money: Why own when you can rent?

By MP Dunleavey
MSN Money, An Excerpt:

Oh, the things you can rent!

Transumers are able to enjoy a vast and ever-changing number of experiences. For example:

Why buy one pricey designer bag when you can rent a dozen at Bag Borrow or Steal or From Bags to Riches?

Why pay for the upkeep of a car when you can car-share for a fraction of the cost, renting a Prius for your grocery trip, a Mini for your date and a truck for bringing home your latest Craigslist bargain? (Check out CarSharing.net to find dozens of services, like Zipcar, in cities all over the world.)

Why buy a piece of artwork when you can adorn your home with a series of low-priced rentals from a local museum or online gallery such as Art Rent & Lease, or even free pieces on loan from a library?

Less is more in the short term. There's nothing new about renting, of course.

Renting has long been an alternative to buying things that were unaffordable or pointless to purchase because you needed them only temporarily (whether a tuxedo, pressure washer or diamond tiara for the Oscars).

But the seesawing economy has highlighted a big advantage of renting: Smaller, incremental payments are more manageable when you're worried about cash flow and job security.

Is renting really a cheaper way to go? It can be.

See the rest of the article at: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/LearnToBudget/why-own-when-you-can-rent.aspx

And for information on renting artwork, visit http://www.artrentandlease.com/

When Overlooked Art Turns Celebrity

“The Wine of St. Martin’s Day,” once unappreciated in a dark corridor, is now attributedto Pieter Bruegel the Elder and is being restored by the Prado.

From the New York Times

MADRID — The painting was beautiful, just not admired. Then suddenly, after more than four centuries, it was. It acquired a pedigree. The art hadn’t changed, but its stature had.

For the complete story, please visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/arts/design/14abroad.html?ref=design

Art Rent and Lease just got a QR Scanner!

Very cool QR Scanner:
Here's mine:  Lisa Powell from Art Rent and Lease!

Get yours at: http://jumpscan.com/index.php

You'll need an app for your smart phone, capture the

image you see above and it'll take you right to the website;

an amazing new product on the market that's free,

Get yours today!

Hotel Slump? Don't Tell Them (but DO add ART!)

From www.nytimes.com

Peter Steffen/European Pressphoto AgencyThe glass-paneled

499-room Yas Hotel is built over Abu Dhabi's

Formula One racetrack.

By Fred A. Bernstein

TO open a hotel in 2010 — when the industry is in its worst slump in decades — requires chutzpah.

Who’s got chutzpah? Donald Trump, for one. The Trump SoHo (www.trumpsohohotel.com), a 391-room hotel in Lower Manhattan, is expected to open this spring, towering over its low-rise neighbors with a lot of razzle-dazzle.

Oh, and Kelly Wearstler has chutzpah. The former Playboy centerfold is putting the finishing touches on the Viceroy Snowmass in Colorado and the Viceroy Anguilla in the Caribbean (www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com). Both have the kind of glamour that have made Ms. Wearstler a top interior designer and Bravo TV star.

For the complete story, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/travel/10hotels.html?_r=1

For information on art rentals, art sales or art for lease for your hotel property, call us at (888) 440-9260.

Effects of Working in a Red Room

From sensationalcolor.com
The New York Times ran an interesting article in the science section yesterday on the color red, called: How Do We See Red? Count the Ways.

One of the many interesting aspects of red that they noted: Given red’s "pushy" reputation, design experts long thought people felt uncomfortable and worked poorly when confined to red rooms.

But when Dr. Nancy Kwallek, a professor of interior design at the University of Texas at Austin, recently compared the performance of clerical workers randomly assigned for a week to rooms with red, blue-green or white color schemes, she found that red's story, like the devil, is in the details.

Workers who were identified as poor screeners, who have trouble blocking out noise and other distractions during the workday, did indeed prove less productive and more error-prone in the red rooms than did their similarly thin-skinned colleagues in the turquoise rooms.

For those employees who were rated as good screeners, however, and able to focus on their job regardless of any ruckus around them, the results were flipped. Screeners were more productive in the red room than the blue. “The color red stimulated them,” she said, “and they thrived under its effects.”

And the subjects assigned to the plain, vanilla settings, of a style familiar to the vast majority of the corporate labor force? Deprived of any color, any splash of Matisse, they were disgruntled and did the poorest of all.

For the complete article, please visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/06/science/06angi.html?_r=2&ref=science&oref=slogin

For information on artwork for your space including the stunning triptych "Flowing Red" above, by Dunham, please call us at (888) 440-9260 for a free consultation!  Happy New Year from Art Rent and Lease.

Can Art Join the "Green" Movement?

Many artists utilize recycled and re-used materials in their work. Take a look at Joan Roberts-Garcia's piece "Leaves #1" a Mixed Media piece measuring 87" x 58", an assemblage of photographs, plywood, wire mesh, and various other fibrous materials. This piece rents to business and professional clients for $245 per month!


So yes, Art can join the "Green" movement of sustainable products.  For more information on renting or leasing green paintings or sculpture please call us at (888) 440-9260; we offer a free initial consultation on placing artwork in your space!

NYC museum will explore scent as art form

AP – FILE - This Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008 file photo shows The Museum of Arts and Design in it's new space …

By ULA ILNYTZKY, Associated Press Ula Ilnytzky, Associated Press – Thu Dec 9, 11:13 am ET

NEW YORK – The nose rarely figures in the sensory experience of a museum visitor. That is about to change at one New York City museum.

The Center of Olfactory Art dedicated to scent as an art form was launched at the Museum of Arts and Design on Thursday.

The center will present its first exhibition, "The Art of Scent, 1889-2011" next November, examining the reformulation and innovation of olfactory works by some of history's best-known perfumers through 10 seminal scents.

An audio guide, narrated by Burr, will explain the context in which they were created. Each perfume will be identified only by artist and year to allow visitors to appreciate each as an independent work.

And don't expect fancy fragrance bottles, brand perfumes, design graphics and packaging to be part of the exhibit.  Visitors to "The Art of Scent" will experience each fragrance along a 6-foot-wide path that will follow the curvature of the gallery wall where buttons on a specially-design atomizing machine will release "the work of art."

For the complete artcle, visit: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20101209/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_scent_as_art_1

Amazing Sculpture from all Recycled Materials

Artist Barry Ferich creates amazing sculpture of recycled and reclaimed materials.  The Art Rental, Leasing and Sales Gallery is promoting his work to art collectors, art consultants, corporate, healthcare and hospitality clients for rent or sale, with prices starting at just $40 per month!

Ferich's work is truly stunning, all made from reclaimed, rescued or recycled objects including aluminum and high voltage wires. Pieces are available as shown (up to 6') as well as commissionable in other sizes and finishes as needed.

The Art Consulting, Rental, Sales and Leasing Gallery works with emerging and established artists in the US, promoting sustainable products and processes. Visit us: http://www.artrentandlease.com  for more information on art rentals, art leasing and direct sales, or call us at (888) 440-9260 and ask about a free art consultation at your office, building or facility.

Members of IFMA and BOMA - helping building and facility managers with sustainable artwork for their space.

Want to see what a painting looks like before it is restored? Take a look at this interactive feature.

The Restoration of a Velázquez

After technical studies and a yearlong restoration, curators and conservators at the Metropolitan Museum of Art now believe that a full-length portrait of Philip IV that has been in the Met's collection since 1914 is by Velázquez and not his workshop. The attribution reverses a finding made in 1973 when museum officials downgraded this portrait, along with 299 other old master paintings, saying they were either by the artist's workshop or a follower.

For the full story and interactive feature, please visit the NY Times:  http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/12/18/arts/20101218-velazquez.html?WT.mc_id=AR-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-PIR-122110-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click