Artwork by ArtLifting artist Laural Hartman welcomes visitors and employees at a new research hub for a global life sciences company in Cambridge, MA.

Guided by a commitment to patient and employee experience, the company partnered with ArtLifting to activate the lobby with artwork reflecting company values. Three artworks by artist Laural Hartman, who is deaf, introduce the concept of ‘incidental learning,’ a guiding principle in her work.

“Growing up deaf, I was always acutely aware of my surroundings and had to rely heavily on my visual sense. Incidental learning is the unintentional learning that occurs when we observe and absorb information without consciously trying to do so. For me, this has been a crucial aspect of my development as an artist.”

- Laural Hartman, ArtLifting artist

Accompanied by ArtLifting’s signature storytelling plaques, insights about Laural’s story and art practice provide employees and visitors with an opportunity to learn about her unique way of seeing the world as a deaf person and an artist. 

The artwork itself invites viewers to engage in a visual mapping of spaces, places, and points in time as Laural moves through the world, piecing together seemingly mundane visual elements, textures, and gestures. 

Throughout the workplace, ArtLifting curated and installed a collection featuring artwork by 15 ArtLifting artists across a range of dynamic compositions. 

Displayed throughout shared spaces and work environments, the artwork introduces color, movement, and a human element into the built environment, reinforcing the company’s investment in its people and patients. 

For employees, the artwork signals that inclusion is not confined to policy statements — it is embedded in the everyday environment. For visitors and partners, it communicates that scientific innovation and social impact are intertwined.

By embedding inclusive art into the fabric of the workplace, the company demonstrates that scientific innovation and economic access can harmoniously coexist. This collaboration enhances the daily employee experience while advancing access to the art market for artists with disabilities — aligning purpose-driven procurement with measurable social impact.

In a field dedicated to improving lives, the company chose to ensure that opportunity and visibility extend beyond the laboratory and into the broader community it calls home.

Images

1. Banner: From left to right: Jamaica Way, Antipode 1, Here and There by Laural Hartman hang in the lobby of the global life sciences research hub.

2. A closer look at Laural Hartman's Here and There with a plaque featuring Laural's personal story to the right of the artwork.

3. Another look at Jamaica Way, Antipode 1, Here and There by Laural Hartman.

4. An aerial view of Jamaica Way, Antipode 1, Here and There by Laural Hartman.