Image: ArtLifting employees stand in a hallway at RSM HQ in Chicago looking at framed artworks along a wall.

Workplace art is emerging as a strategic lever for engagement, productivity, culture, and employee well-being. As expectations for the workplace change, leaders are recognizing that corporate artwork delivers measurable business value, not only aesthetic appeal.

• Corporate real estate teams, architects, and designers will learn how workplace art delivers measurable value for performance, engagement, and workplace satisfaction.
• HR and employee experience leaders will see research-backed evidence showing how art improves mood, collaboration, productivity, and well-being.
• Business leaders will understand the ROI (Return On Investment) behind corporate artwork by exploring productivity gains, reduced burnout, and strengthened employer brand.
• Readers will discover how ArtLifting’s scalable, turnkey art programs help organizations translate research into environments that support thriving teams.

Organizations are navigating a challenging balance: attract and retain top talent, support well-being, and create environments where increasingly hybrid teams feel engaged. At the same time, they are managing tighter budgets and higher expectations.

Through partnerships across industries, ArtLifting has seen a clear trend: companies are re-examining what their spaces communicate and how those spaces influence behavior, belonging, and performance.

Workplace art plays an essential role in this shift toward optimizing workplaces for experience.

When integrated intentionally, art becomes more than decoration. It becomes:

• A cultural touchpoint
• A spark for creativity
• A visual anchor for belonging
• A daily reinforcement of purpose and company values

When art becomes part of the workplace strategy, the environment transforms into a catalyst for engagement.

Image: Liz Powers admiring an artwork by Chris Marinez at RSM HQ in Chicago, IL.

A growing body of research shows a strong connection between workplace art and improved well-being, performance, and team cohesion.

Integrating art into the workplace:

• Connects employees to the space, to colleagues, and to their community
• Adds humanity and warmth to environments that are often efficiency-driven
• Creates measurable ROI through differentiation, engagement, and retention

These findings align with what workplace strategists and designers have observed for years: Environments enriched with art perform better.

Additional research reinforces this:

• Even brief interactions with art, including digital pieces, can significantly improve mood, reduce anxiety, boost creativity, and decrease loneliness (Frontiers in Psychology, 2022).
• Workspaces featuring real artwork and natural elements support stronger collaboration and openness (Work Design Magazine, 2024).
• Artwork that reflects diverse experiences strengthens cultural cohesion and makes organizational values visible in a tangible way.

When incorporated intentionally, workplace art becomes a consistent source of connection and a meaningful contributor to well-being.

Image: ArtLifting team members admire artwork by Barbara Barnett at RSM HQ in Chicago

The ROI of corporate art programs is both measurable and meaningful. A study from the University of Exeter found that employees working in art-enriched spaces are 17% more productive than those in bare environments.

Beyond productivity, investing in artwork by local artists or artwork depicting regional connections strengthens regional creative economies and brings visibility to local artists who shape cultural and creative identity.

When organizations invest in artists facing systemic barriers, including artists with disabilities, they create professional opportunities that align with today’s values-driven workforce while contributing to a more dynamic creative ecosystem.

The benefits span the entire organization:

• Employees feel more connected to the workplace.
• Burnout decreases as mood and environmental support improve.
• Brand values become visible and tangible throughout the workplace.
• Teams begin to view the workplace as a destination, not an obligation.

When art is prioritized as part of workplace strategy, the environment becomes a place where people do more than work — they flourish.

Image: ArtLifting team member admires Untitled 4 by Yvette at RSM HQ in Chicago

ArtLifting helps organizations make this impact tangible on their teams by connecting them with innovative professional artists with disabilities in the disability arts community while delivering scalable art strategies that create both creative and social impact. 

Our approach is simple:

1. Discover. Partner with a dedicated Art Advisor to develop your art strategy using efficient, turnkey solutions tailored to your goals.
2. Curate. Receive expert curation and a complimentary custom proposal tailored to your spaces and priorities.
3. Activate. We manage installation and advise you on how to maximize the ongoing impact of your art program to share your impact and engage employees.

Whether you are designing a corporate headquarters or rolling out new art programs across multiple sites, ArtLifting's scalable solutions turn research-rooted insights into engaging environments that spark connection, creativity, and well-being.

Rethinking the role of workplace art begins with a simple question: What do you want your space to communicate?

Whether your goal is to showcase local connections, source unique original artworks for high-impact or executive spaces, lease artwork for flexibility, or launch an art rotation program that keeps environments dynamic and fresh, ArtLifting helps organizations translate values into visual and social impact.

When art becomes strategy, your environment does more than inspire — it works for you.

Explore our portfolio or contact us today to discover how your organization can enhance spaces, foster connections, and create meaningful impact through art.