St. Louis-based fabric artist Basil Kincaid recently spent a week in the lobby of JPMorgan Chase & Co. as part of the company’s inaugural ‘Art At Work Live’ program. Working with the employees of the bank, Kincaid collected fabrics, sewed and produced a quilt which he described as “a portrait of the people in the company.” Afterwards, the quilt was acquired by the JPMorgan Chase Art Collection, one of the finest corporate art collections in the world.
Over the course of the week, employees donated fabric and clothing to Kincaid and talked with him about the history and personal significance of each item. There were also workshops held where employees could sit with Kincaid and help him work. This project provided an unprecedented opportunity for employees to become part of the artwork and the company’s art collection themselves. One employee, Roman V. Jackson, said, “It was a really thrilling experience for me to get a chance to speak with the artist, and then engage with the artist’s art.”
Kincaid’s partnership with JPMorgan Chase & Co. represents an instance of art and business coming together to produce something beautiful. Check out the video of the project here: