Star Platinum and The Golden Experience
The Da Vincis, The G.I. Jibs, and The Majestic Butterflies — three teams that worked together to paint two murals expressly for the midtown headquarters of Savills.
Check out these rock stars! When Savills North America tapped Creative Art Works to paint two murals to bring joy and vibrancy to a pair of hallways in their newly redeveloped Manhattan headquarters, they requested that the designs reflect their love of New York City, pop music and nature. These statement pieces were the first major art investment in the interior decor for Savills and they occupy the most heavily trafficked and client-facing part of the office. The art is intended to improve the mental health and well-being of employees and visitors, which is not just a detail, but a demonstration of the thoughtful planning Savills offers its own clients. It was a tall order, but our Youth Apprentices had more than enough attitude and swagger to make it happen.
During a site visit and initial client interview, our young artists asked a lot of questions that helped them synthesize the many ideas and suggestions into two cohesive stories. Our Youth Apprentices persevered through many revisions and preliminary designs until they came up with two sweeping panoramas that captured the feel and values Savills wanted.
“I was quite surprised by the interactive nature of the design process, and I really enjoyed the initial tours and the interviews we had with all the Youth Apprentices. The questions they asked were so poignant, they were direct, they were smart. They asked questions we hadn’t even asked ourselves. For them to take a wide variety of comments and themes and visions and then put them together into the stories told through these two images is beyond belief. We’re blown away!”
Matthew Barlow, Vice Chairman & Director, Savills North America, meets with CAW Youth Apprentices during the initial site visit.
Youth Apprentices at work on a small-scale concept design for one of the two murals commissioned by Savills North America for their new Manhattan headquarters.
The final art is as big, splashy, and exciting as rock concert. Star Platinum features portraits of rock ‘n’ roll icons and neon red outlines of famous NYC concert venues. Golden Experience is a fantasy landscape where lush flowers and exotic plants brighten a New York City neighborhood. Both designs are joyful, vibrant, and uplifting.
Star Platinum
The Golden Experience
The virtual unveiling of the paintings attracted approximately one hundred participants, including friends and family of the artists and many representatives from the Savills team. Mitch Rudin, Chairman & CEO of Savills North America, who had been invested in the design process from the very beginning, was thrilled with the final art and lavish in his praise.
“I’m almost rendered speechless by the caliber of these two pieces. The beauty, the energy, the passion, and everything that you’ve managed to capture here, reflects so well on every one of you. I couldn’t be more excited.”
Mitch Rudin, Chairman & CEO, Savills North America, (center), at the design presentation
Watch a short documentary about the creation of the murals,
Read about all of Savills Youth Apprentices in our commemorative Brochure
About the Public Art Youth Employment Program
Public Art Youth Employment Programs give teens and young adults full-time summer jobs and part-time jobs after school to create large-scale public art and multimedia projects. Youth Apprentices are guided by professional teaching artists from the initial concept development through client presentation, to the final edit and public unveiling or premiere. Along the way, they gain tangible employment and life skills such as leadership, teamwork, responsibility and the power of taking initiative. They are empowered by the enduring accomplishment in their work of art and its positive impact on the community.
This Public Art Youth Employment program was made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor, and the New York State Legislature, and by the Summer Youth Employment Program of the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, and, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and these generous supporters:
Supplies were donated by Celtic Building Supplies, Colony Hardware, Commodore Construction, Newport Painting & Decorating, Pittsburgh Paint, Structure Tone, and Sherwin-Williams.