‘’I strive to create new sensory experiences. I use all kinds of technologies to make my art more surprising, more beautiful, more emotionally moving.” For Oklahoma City-based artist Chad Mount, there is no division between technology and art. ‘’Technology in all of its forms is really important when we’re talking about public art. What’s available now is really mind-blowing. I find that people in tech and the arts are really open to collaborating. We have to be learning from one another to make public art more impactful and meaningful.”

First of a 3-part series on the business of art consulting by Peter Hite. As a site-specific artist, private commissions are an important part of my work. They not only stretch me creatively, but they’re also oftentimes more lucrative and less competitive than public commissions—a combination that, as we all know, isn’t always easy to find.

CODAworx, the hub of the commissioned art economy, announced a new partnership with New York-based ARTA Shipping, expanding the CODAworx marketplace to its global network of creative professionals. ARTA provides a full-service logistics operation, powered by an easy-to-use online platform catered to the specialized needs of fine art transport. Their technology helps hundreds of museums, galleries, collectors, and artists streamline the complicated process of moving artwork from one place in the world to another.

Rosemary Feit Covey creates imagery that elevates the natural world to the realm of allegory and fable through her visual poems.

CODAworx, the hub of the commissioned art economy, today announced the introduction of a standardized Commission Contract that clearly spells out the agreement between the entity commissioning a work of art and the artist or company hired to create the commission. The CODAworx Commission Contract, developed in digital form and available on the CODAworx website, provides a simple fill-in-the-blank format to detail the expectations and align the goals of both parties to the artwork commission.

“People who spend time with my work are amazed that they move slightly when touched- they are incredibly strong, but they are also surprisingly delicate.” Sculptor DeWitt Godfrey has spent his professional life fascinated by the physics and practical application of materials. The hallmark of his current sculptures are conical metal sections, which when multiplied and combined create works of placid organic beauty. These ovoid shapes give Godfrey’s work the uncanny ability to appear to change shape as light transforms their convex and concave surfaces. “My works arise out of a process in which I am always in touch with what the materials show me regarding what forms are possible.’ This is as true for the elements that make up the sculptures themselves as for the architectural structures and natural landscapes that are the settings for his commissions. Godfrey refers to this process as “form finding as opposed to form declaration.”

“Visual art, literature and music have always been important parts of my own creative expression,” says Elizabeth Nguyen-Espinoza. “But as a person who had experienced hardship as a child, I know that in order to be a fully creative person, our basic life needs have to be met - including good health. When I shared my ideas about starting a gallery as well as a foundation that would be part of making positive change in the lives of children, the artists in my community showed great interest and followed up with their support.”

The strategic use of light, pattern, and color is key for Wagner Murray Architects as the firm embarks on transforming existing public areas into entirely new spatial events. “The emotional experience of human beings within an architectural space is what it’s really about.” says principle Dave Wagner. “It has to appear effortless. The public doesn’t have to know why they feel the way that they do; the architectural elements simply have to work together harmoniously to bring about the desired effect.”

“To work with textiles is to work with patterns,” says Denmark-based designer Astrid Krogh, whose sculptures transform everyday spaces into glowing, dynamic environments. Fascinated by the interplay of textile and light, Krogh has modernized the centuries-old technique of tapestry weaving with the use of thoroughly modern materials including neon, reflective metals, and optic fiber.

Today, with a repertoire of materials that includes stainless steel, corten steel, granite, concrete, cast glass, and his own invention of laminated structurally dynamic artist glass, Walter Gordinier’s capacity to pair his creations with their environs is nearly limitless. Drawn to designs that are “pure in form, distilled to their most essential gesture,” his sleek, streamlined works are designed to inspire imagination and allure to the urban plazas, healing gardens, and other sites he is commissioned to design and enhance with his site-specific sculptures.