BASF Canada recently established a Western Canadian Branch in Calgary. They quickly realized that their walls were lonely and needed art! The owners wanted to support local artists and selected ArtMatch for the job.
Working with a senior interior designer from Calgary’s Riddell Kurczaba Architecture Engineering Interior Design Ltd., BASF chose seven custom-commissioned paintings and purchased six existing original artworks through ArtMatch. Vandy Midha, art consultant and business owner of ArtMatch, worked with both parties to assist in selecting the artworks and facilitating the commission between client and artist.
The main boardroom has a large wall with a neutral palette which needed a wide painting with colours that would punch. After reviewing many prairie artworks showcased by ArtMatch, BASF selected Prairie Sunrise by artist Alison Philpotts as a template, but they needed a larger size. The designer wanted a 10-foot wide painting to fit the wall. It was decided that a triptych would work best with each panel at 40 x 48 inches in size, as triptychs are very effective at filling more space and establish a narrative and dynamic element to the artwork. Below are some images of the final product in the boardroom:
A Perfect Autumn Day, Autumn Gold II, and Fall’s Majesty, Holly Bughardt, Acrylic on Canvas, Each Canvas 60″ x 48″
Mountains and rivers play a huge role in Alberta’s landscape. For the main lobby, the designer selected artist Dawn Thrasher’s painting Panoramic. The warm wood accents of the reception desk and the chairs are a great match for the soft hues of the rocks and prairies. This painting was already framed, which contributed to a more formal and traditional appearance for the main lobby.
Panoramic, Dawn Thrasher, acrylic, 16″ x 48″
For a meeting room named Lentil Room, BASF (appropriately) wanted a painting showcasing an Alberta lentil field. We did not have this subject matter for any artworks in the ArtMatch gallery, but the client provided photos of the desired scene. Vandy consulted with each of the Calgary ArtMatch artists to determine who would be interested in developing a custom piece based off the image. Cindy Bouwers was chosen to complete this commission. The final painting ended up being a wonderful fit for the room.
Lentil Field, Cindy Bouwers, Acrylic on Canvas, 40″ x 60″
The office also includes six smaller meeting rooms. For these, the designer chose from an existing series by Holly Burghardt titled Just Be, which depicts all four seasons through the changing of birch trees. We commissioned Holly to create two additional paintings under the same theme. Each boardroom now has its own, unique season!
Just Be, 1 of 6, Holly Burghardt, Acrylic on Canvas, 50″ x 20″
Just Be, 2 of 6, Holly Burghardt, Acrylic on Canvas, 50″ x 20″
One final, very wide painting was created for the training room. The choice was to have a larger version of Fields of Gold commissioned by artist Chester Lees. This final product is a custom 48″ x 96″ acrylic original showcasing the expansive canola fields of Alberta. The wispy detail work in the foreground of the grasses and the warm gold hues of the undulating fields are breathtaking!
Fields of Gold, Chester Lees, acrylic, 48″ x 96″
We hope the beautiful Alberta scenes created through the eyes of our talented and local Calgary artists will bring joy and creativity to the BASF Agricultural Solutions team in Quarry Park.