Debra Simon

For 25 years Arts Brookfield has ‘set art free’ for the public with free cultural experiences at Brookfield’s premier properties throughout the world. Last October, to celebrate our 25^th Anniversary, Arts Brookfield launched Art Set Free, an unprecedented global arts showcase that’s on a mission to raise awareness about the importance of free public art while offering artists of any level the opportunity to have their work seen by millions worldwide.

Through Art Set Free, we hope to engage the global arts community and encourage artists working in any genre to make the world their stage and set their own art free. To participate in Art Set Free, artists capture their work in a photo, video or audio recording; and then share it on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram with the hashtag #ArtSetFree. Entries are welcome from any genre, including dance/movement, music/sound, painting, sculpture, photography, and street art.

Since its launch, Art Set Free has collected more than 15,000 pieces of sound, visual, and performance art from more than 2,000 artists in more than 80 countries and 560 cities worldwide. The Art Set Free microsite, ArtsBrookfield25.com, is updated with submissions in real time, and every six weeks, Arts Brookfield curates the best and most thought-provoking pieces for a series of Best of Art Set Free digital art installations. The curated videos are available online, and installations are currently on view at Brookfield buildings in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, and Toronto. Established artists supporting Art Set Free include Broadway star and Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell; Executive Artistic Director of New York Live Arts and Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones; Action Architect Elizabeth Streb; and the acclaimed vocal ensemble The Tenors.

At Brookfield, we strive to make buildings more than just places to work, and we see public art as an important amenity for our tenants and the communities in which we operate. Public art can change the perception of the architecture, enabling people to experience space in a new way. It can also create a reason for people to congregate and engage in stimulating dialogue. We hope Art Set Free will increase awareness about the important role cultural experiences and public art play in creating communities while giving artists exposure to an enormous amount of people who might not otherwise experience the work.

Our blog salon on Unique Business Partnerships this week is generously sponsored by Drexel University Online.