When we first launched the Art Shop Project I shared a bit about my passion for art, and my drive to build up my community. This time, I wanted to give a bit more background about the “why” of the Art Shop Project.
Why healthcare organizations? I have been working in non-profit retail spaces for the past seven years. I focused on hospital gift shops, which are typically run by volunteers with a variety of backgrounds, interests and sets of skills. I saw, first hand, their dedication and commitment to their organizations, and knew I could help increase revenue for them by going through the gift shop (pun intended!).
Starting with just one hospital pilot, I invested a full year to fully understand the intricacies of operating a hospital gift shop while demonstrating how I could help the shops improve. From there, I began working with a number of hospital gift shops to help improve their bottom line in two ways - better selection of merchandise and customer experience, but also generate a more positive image and enthusiasm among volunteers, staff, administrators, patients and visitors.
What does that have to do with the Art Shop Project? It is, in many ways, an extension of my work with healthcare organizations and volunteer auxiliaries, and revealed to me a passion for helping my community. It is my hope that the success of my previous work, which saw huge jumps in revenue and customer satisfaction, will translate into this new venture, which shares the work of many great artists AND supports healthcare organizations.
So far with the Art Shop Project we have been able to feature two amazing Canadian artists, Jose Cifuentes and Darlene Winfield. Both artists have an expressive style that reflects their unique life experiences. You can see their work in the Originals section of our shop.
I can’t wait to introduce you to the many artists whom we have partnered with and are upcoming in our schedule. Remember, every time a piece is purchased, a portion of the proceeds goes toward the healthcare organization of the purchaser’s choice. If you don’t see anything that speaks to you, contact us for personalized curation services; we’ll help find the perfect piece for your unique space!
I thank you for being along for this journey so far; until next time,
Krystyna