Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anne Strickland. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Anne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?

In most corporate settings, outside of healthcare, art is considered an accessory.. The though process is, if there is extra money somewhere in the budget, then we’ll get some artwork. But art is not an accessory.. Art is the soul of the space.

Art is now recognized as an important element of the physical environment across various industries, and in many cases, there’s the expectation that it should contribute to the creation of a space that has a positive impact in dimensions ranging from health and wellness to community building.

Different industries perceive the role of art beyond décor in different ways.

Artwork as a component of the environment may address concerns ranging from aesthetics and well-being to culture, values, and branding. Of course, while some industries may place more emphasis on one aspect of the impact of art over another, artwork in an environment affects us on many levels simultaneously: intellectually, emotionally, socially, culturally, physically, and for some, spiritually. The role of art varies from site to site: it is culture and community-specific but as the industry examples show, its aim is to connect people and contexts.

Art is an integral part to the overall design of any space.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Here is a History of Business – Timeline. • 1979 – Company Founded in Boston MA. We were mostly selling photography to commercial clients making cold calls..
• 1984 – Anne and Curt Strickland bought out founders becoming sole owners – The company was heavy in debt and could not support 4 owners. We introduced fine art prints into our business, expanding our product offering.
• 1993 – Had seven retail locations from Boston to New York complimenting commercial business
• 1997 – Began transition to selling exclusive commercial customers
• 2001 – Launched “Art Sales Made Simple” program to sell exclusively through office furniture dealers. Signed
up first manufacturing reps throughout US.
• 2002 – Launched our first interactive website with custom framing capabilities
• 2008 – Began development in house of new website with e-commerce / design studio capabilities.
• 2009 – Hired a CFO to ensure our financial stability
• 2010 – Hired Jesse Strickland (my son) as VP Sales, bringing in 2nd generation of ownership
Launched new website, expanding product offering to direct rigid substrates. Linked website up with major
publishers and stock agencies giving access to millions of images.
• 2011 – Shifts focus to healthcare industry, with emphasis on evidence-based design for art
• 2012 – Hired COO expanding our supply chain capabilities to nationwide fulfillment locations
• 2014 – Moved headquarters offices to Canton, MA, providing expanded printing facilities and room for
expanded sales, design, and marketing functions and personnel
• 2015 – Two healthcare contracts acquired for national healthcare systems
• 2016 – Experienced 23% growth in revenue producing highest year ever
• 2017 – Hired NBD Director. Experienced 28% growth in revenue producing highest year ever
• 2018 – Experienced 34% growth in revenue producing highest year ever
• 2018 – Jesse buys out Curt (my husband) and becomes co-owner with Anne and takes on role as President
• 2019 – Revenues remains flat. Re-organization of company with focus on growth
• 2020 – Pandemic Year Company operates fully remote and does not lay off a single employee
• 2021 – Pandemic Year Company rebounds to have it’s 2nd highest year ever
* 2022 – Hired VP Deisgn & Director Project Managment. Highest Sales ever.
* 2033 – Jesse takes on CEO position, Anne takes on Chief Strategy Officer. Company focuses on implementing best
practices and filling in personnel gaps.

So we have grown from a local art company who mainly serviced New England to a national art company that designs outstanding art programs that includes everything from originals and sculptures to fine art prints and posters as well as fine art photography. We specialize in healthcare and senior living because one of our missions is to seamlessly incorporate the most restorative art into healthcare spaces. Art evokes emotions. It speaks to the soul. At its best, art inspires, challenges and transforms us. These market segments also understand the power of art and have budgets for art right from the beginning. We use Evidence-Based Design and Biophilic Design to ensure our art programs work.

So who is GAA? At our core, we are a team of artists, designers, scholars, musicians, and creatives who have a passion for art. We are a full-service, evidence-based design solution company. We do it all: from selecting and procuring artwork to manufacturing, delivering, and installing art programs of all sizes to meet a range of budgets and needs.

We offer comprehensive art and design services across a wide range of industries. From Healthcare to Senior Living, Behavioral Health, Commercial, Government and more.

Art can have a profound impact on all environments, enhancing aesthetics, promoting well-being, and creating positive atmospheres. Our team ensures a seamless and cohesive project execution. Our process allows for better control over quality, timelines, and costs. Additionally, it simplifies communication for our clients and partners.

I truly believe that our collaborative process makes a difference. We understand the needs of each project.
We ensure we are creating art programs that have an emotionally positive impact on the intended viewers. We own the entire process from requirements gathering including establishing deadlines and budgets, through design, to production and installation.

I am proud of the team we have put together. I am proud of how we are learning and growing. I am so excited for the opportunities ahead of us as we continue to explore the world of art and design.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

We believe in partnering. Many years ago, we were partnered with an art company that was big in the residential market but did little in the commercial art market. It worked well for us as we could just put all of our resources into growing our commercial sales. A few years in, they sold to a larger competitor in the residential art world and it was not a good fit for us. The new company gave us 30 days to find a new solution.

I met our next partner on an airplane the following week. He saw me working on an art project and we started talking and by the time we landed and had our luggage, he had set up a meeting with his partner and one month later, we were in business together. They financed our first website and they were a great partner until we outgrew one another.

These experiences just kept leading me to new opportunities for growth. Once we built our own amazing website, we no longer needed to rely on others which gave us tremendous freedom. But every step of the way, we had to be resilient when circumstances changed.

Have you ever had to pivot?

We have been through two major recessions owning a commercial art company. It is not fun!

After the last one in 2008, I realized we needed to pivot. Corporate art sales are hard enough in good financial times, but non-existent in a recession. So we did pivot to specialize in healthcare and senior living, two segments that are not only recession proof but have embraced the power of art into their design.

Becoming an accredited evidence-based design art company also specializing in biophilic design was the best pivot we could have ever taken. Not only professionally but personally as it opened me up to using art to heal.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://greatamericanart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/great_american_art/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatAmericanArt
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2353433/admin/feed/posts/
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Artreflecting/ About Us: https://issuu.com/greatamericanart/docs/greatamericanart2022?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ LookBooK: https://issuu.com/greatamericanart/docs/gaa_lookbook_print?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ