“I feel honored to have my art hang on the walls of CBRE. [Their] purchase has validated me as an artist and helped provide funds to supplement my disability income.”

- Peter Perrino, ArtLifting artist

In 2020, as part of the reimagining of CBRE’s flagship New England office at 33 Arch Street in downtown Boston, art became a central feature in the space. The curated collection reflected the project's core design concept: the bridge, seen as a structure, a meeting place, and a metaphor for connection, strength, and progress.

In collaboration with CBRE, ArtLifting curated a collection of 38 artworks designed to echo the rhythm, textures, and materials of the space. Taking cues from the woven metal mesh, light wood flooring, and cloud-like ceiling panels, our curation balanced calming abstraction with structured geometry.

Artists were selected for their ability to speak to the themes of support, transition, and flow — mirroring the foundational and structural elements of bridges.

ArtLifting’s curatorial team prioritized local representation by selecting a majority of artists based in the Boston area, reinforcing CBRE’s commitment to investing in its local creative community.

The CBRE team played a role in selecting artwork as well. During the curation process team members were provided an opportunity to vote and provide feedback on the selection. The results informed the final artwork selection, providing another meaningful point of connection for CBRE to the artwork in their space.

“It is reassuring and comforting to know that my work is brightening up somebody’s workspace and hopefully bringing a smile to their faces.”

- Laura Kupac, ArtLifting artist

Images
1. Banner: A large meeting room with a marble table surrounded by high-backed chairs. Centered on the wall is Allen Chamberland’s Boston Buildings. The artwork features a striking black-and-white cityscape print showing tall urban buildings from a dramatic upward angle, giving a sense of scale and perspective. Photography by Michael Madden.

2. A hallway near an open-plan office. Two colorful framed artworks are mounted on the wall: one by Jeffrey Powers with intersecting geometric triangles in bold primary colors, and another by Drew Mulfall with overlapping, abstract rectangular forms in deep reds, yellows, and greens, evoking city blocks or stained glass. Photography by Michael Madden.

3. A sleek conference room with a long marble table and modern black leather chairs. On the left wall hangs a large framed print of Allen Chamberland’s USS Constitution 2, a historic Boston landmark. The ship is depicted in sharp black silhouettes against a white background. Photography by Michael Madden.

4. A cozy seating nook with two tables and gray felt pendant lights. On the back wall hangs a bright blue print resembling an urban blueprint or map, framed in black. The artwork is a print of Allen Chamberland’s papercut version of an 1880’s map of Boston. Photography by Michael Madden.

5. A casual open seating area with wood flooring and small tables. The far wall features three framed black-and-white prints by Allen Chamberland, each depicting architectural or street scenes from Boston with strong linework and contrast. Photography by Michael Madden.

6. A calm, private room with a green lounge chair and a framed abstract artwork on the wall. The art features vibrant swirls of pink and purple reminiscent of marbled textures or aerial landscapes, adding a soothing, meditative touch to the space.  Photography by Michael Madden.

7. A long corridor in a modern open office floorplan, where a single framed painting hangs on a dark gray wall. The artwork, titled The Art of Language by Bill Flowers, bursts with color and movement, showing graffiti-like marks, typographic markings, and a grid-like pattern overlaid on the green background. Photography by Michael Madden.