CODAworx is a global, online community that is the first of its kind -  serving as an artists' LinkedIn, made for the commissioned art world. We support public art because it is an investment that creates more significant, long-term value for the community. 

CODAworx represents not only artists, but everyone collaborating on private and public art projects: architects, interior designers, fabricators, photographers… and most recently, building developers and a Rotary Club! Our passion at CODAworx lies in bringing the arts community together in one place, connecting them with the resources needed to create amazing art projects, and showcasing those projects to the world. And hopefully, in the process, inspiring new art in the public realm.  

I was honored to work directly with Hovde Properties, a Madison, WI developer who is incorporating one-of-a-kind works of art in their building projects. CODAworx CEO, Toni Sikes, and I met with Eric Hovde and his team to get a sense of the kind of art they wanted for their various projects.

Hovde noted that more developers should be investing in public art in their initiatives, stating, “It’s not only smart because you’re adding something to the tenant base in your community, but [in the] long-run, you are going to get paid because you are creating more value and interest in that property. When you take a building and add unique art to it as a signature piece, it gives a feel that this is a special property because the owners put forth the investment and time and care to add something special. ” He also spoke at length about the value of art for a community, noting its benefit for people’s emotions and claiming “a piece of beauty or something that stimulates the mind will always have a positive effect.”

CODAworx wrote the RFP for Hovde Properties and sent it to the CODAworx community. The response was overwhelming. Submissions poured in from hundreds of the world’s most talented, innovative, and acclaimed artists. The first two commissions are now complete at Ovation 309 luxury apartments and feature a wall piece by RDG Dahlquist Art Studio, out of Iowa, and a custom chandelier by Illuminata Art Glass Design, in Seattle. After the building opened with the new art, Hovde noted the overwhelmingly positive response of his tenants and how much they love witnessing new art as they enter Ovation 309. As a bonus, he says, “It’s helped me rent out my buildings quicker!”

The next Hovde project is a renovation in the heart of downtown Madison, it will include an exterior mural from the ground level entrance to a height of over 100 feet. Hovde explains, “Here we had a building built in the early 70s in the Brutalism style, which is unappealing. We are totally retrofitting the building, and the signature will become the significant piece of art in the middle that will make that building stand out amongst all the buildings downtown. So what was once probably the most non-descript, borderline ugly building will become one of the most well-known, talked-about buildings in Madison after the art is fully installed.”

One of CODAworx’s latest clients is the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge, who we are working with to create an iconic art piece that will celebrate the Rotary’s Centennial.

The tools developed for Hovde Properties and the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge will soon be available for anyone interested in working with CODAworx to manage an art commission for their new public or private project. We at CODAworx believe art is vital to our world, and the companies we work with, like Hovde, agree. 

CODAworx was formed in 2012 by Toni Sikes and Terry Maxwell as a global platform to showcase design projects that featured commissioned artwork in interior, architectural, and public spaces.