WESTLAND’S ARTFUL EVOLUTION

To keep up with the company's exponential growth and new brand identity, Westland Insurance collaborated with Farmboy Fine Arts to create an engaging art program for their new 60,000 square-foot office in Surrey, BC. The goal was to design a welcoming space that reflects the Westland brand, enhances productivity, and fosters a sense of place and identity.

My team at Farmboy crafted a bespoke collection of art pieces, curated original works, developed environmental graphic design elements and wayfinding solutions such as wallcoverings, privacy vinyl, and signage. The artwork strategically amplifies different architectural nuances, enhancing the Westland experience—from vibrant and energetic to the most calm and formal. The collection is characterized by natural rhythms, soft geometry, the use of color as a constructive element, and the integration of brand identity as a narrative tool to convey Westland's core values. This art collection creates a physical space where these values are visible and tangible elements, Embracing inclusivity, the collection features over 50 art selections from Canadian artists, with a strong representation from Indigenous artists, female identifying artists, and artists from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. This diverse range of voices adds depth and richness to the collection, aligning with Westland's commitment to inclusivity and community engagement.

• Interior Design by Aura Office Environments

• Art Direction by Heather Merenda for Farmboy Fine Arts

Get out There

Enjoy the essence of 1960s Waikīkī charm and experience the island like a local at Romer Waikīkī, formerly the Ambassador Hotel, which has undergone an extensive renovation. The interior design, featuring a custom-fit lava rock wall, rich textures, punchy colors, and vibrant patterns, creates an inviting oasis that perfectly embodies the laid-back Waikīkī vibe. The open-air courtyard and lobby showcase a collection of artwork curated by my team at Farmboy Fine Arts, offering guests a unique glimpse into the characters and culture of one of Oʻahu's most vibrant and eclectic neighborhoods. Nominated for Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards in 2024.

• Interior Design by VANROOY

• Art Direction (Public Areas) by Heather Merenda for Farmboy Fine Arts

Designed for Creative Living

Step into a realm of sophisticated urban living at Modera Morrison Apartments, where luxurious amenities seamlessly blend with artistic inspiration. The carefully curated art program, featuring planes of geometric abstraction, instills a sense of peace and tranquility in the community spaces. Here, expansive city views and Modern Scandinavian design harmonize with natural textures and materials, creating the perfect city retreat that epitomizes understated elegance.

• Interior Design by SERA Architects

• Art Direction (Community Spaces) by Heather Merenda for Farmboy Fine Arts

Custom artwork created by the in-house design team at Farmboy Fine Arts for the mailroom, games room, and pet spa areas of the building.

Woven into Nature

Immersed in the rustic elegance of Brasada Ranch, artwork in the Cascade Bungalows becomes a harmonious dialogue with the surrounding natural environment, whether through the tactile allure of hand-dyed natural textiles, a color palette echoing the geological influence of the region or the serene abstraction of landscapes inviting introspection. Within this sanctuary, lines flow seamlessly, guiding the gaze along a journey of discovery. Through the intertwining of continuous curves, a narrative unfolds, inviting guests to immerse themselves in the ever-evolving story of this enchanting retreat.

• Interior Design by Skylab Architecture

• Art Direction (Cascade Bungalows) by Heather Merenda for Farmboy Fine Arts

Growth & Connection

Located adjacent to the University of California, Irvine, in UCI Research Park, STEAM Coffee’s 27-foot-long wall behind the banquette seating offered an exciting opportunity for a custom mural—celebrating science, technology, and art. A perfect canvas for San Francisco based artist Amilli Onair, this playful art moment highlights the cafe’s role as an incubator for ideas and collaboration. Filled with hidden moments, each step is a new discovery. 

• Interior Design by Irvine Company

• Art Direction by Heather Merenda for Farmboy Fine Arts

• Murals by Artist Amilli Onair

PLAY ON AT THE MOXY

Inspired by the historic Upper Peninsula neighborhood, the Moxy Charleston art collection features industrial nuances that aim to encapsulate the essence of past experiences while igniting a vision for future creations. Rooted in the vibrant spirit of Charleston, each piece pays homage to the neighborhood's diverse history and the eclectic mix of creative individuals who have shaped its identity.

• Interior Design by Streetsense

• Art Direction (Valet Mural, Lounge, Business Center, Podcast Studio) by Heather Merenda for Farmboy Fine Arts

Where Journey & Luxury Reside

Inspired by the tones, textures, and rhythm of the Caribbean landscape, the Goldwynn Resort guestroom art collection shines with a dreamy color palette and a soothing geometric language that is both pristine and vibrant. Underpinned by the refreshing presence of lush vegetation and subtle nostalgia, the art collection finds its ultimate expressive potential. An ode to the incredible work of local Bahamian artists, the Goldwynn collection offers a unique contextual experience that speaks to a sense of place and identity.

• Interior Design by Dialog

• Art Direction (Guestrooms and Guest Corridors) by Heather Merenda for Farmboy Fine Arts

AN EXPLORATION IN MATERIALITY

In the heart of a picturesque landscape where mountains merge with plains and rivers wind through the wilderness, Montage Big Sky’s world-class art collection captures the spirit of the American West, the grandeur of Montana’s breathtaking nature, and the significant local traditions and cultural heritage of the Big Sky area. The property features over 150 unique fine art pieces by local, emerging, and established global artists.

• Interior Design by BraytonHughes Design Studio

• Art Direction (Public Area & Spa) by Heather Merenda for Farmboy Fine Arts

My team at Farmboy Fine Arts collaborated with award-winning Montana-born artist Jessica Drenk in two site-specific commissions for Montage Big Sky’s lobby area. She used pages of found books, transforming them into stunning dimensional artwork that resembles cultural artifacts or striated rocks and geological formations created over millions of years. Drenk’s practice celebrates the shapes and forms found in the natural environment by repurposing everyday objects and exploring diverse materials.

AT A GLANCE

500,000+ square-foot property

139 artfully designed guest rooms, suites, and residences

22,000 square-foot spa, event, and meeting areas

150 unique fine art pieces

24 local and global artists featured

Havoc Hendricks grew up in rural Idaho, where he began studying nature's never-ending line patterns through water, mountains, geodes, cloud patterns, and wood grain. Commissioned to create an original work for Cortina, Montage Big Sky's signature restaurant, Hendricks hand-painted each line on an unconventional surface shaped like a mountain giving the piece a dimensional effect. His Mountain Lines painting is reminiscent of seeing the earth's bands on a globe or a flat map, where a giant area becomes small enough to grasp..

PROJECT DETAILS

Location: Big Sky, Montana

Client: Montage Hotels & Resorts

Interior Designer: BraytonHughes Design Studio

Services:

• Brand Discovery

• Research and Strategy

• Art Narrative Development

• Artist Facilitation and Contract Management

• Art Direction and Collection Building

• Project Management

• Production and Procurement Management

• Communications and Promotion

We commissioned Portland, Oregon-based artist David Rice to create four unique, colorful paintings for the Montage Big Sky art collection in his distinctive style. From the explorer, whose backpack features a Yellowstone National Park patch and fishing gear, accompanied by a Western Meadowlark bird, to the American Black Bear and Antelope surrounded by Ponderosa pines, each painting by Rice celebrates Montana's natural beauty and splendor.

Ben Miller is a local artist based in Bozeman, Montana, known for his fly-cast paintings created on the banks of America’s rivers. Miller uses a unique technique that involves intricate handmade brushes that he fashions in the style of fly lures, casting them against the work surface with darting motions from as far as twenty feet away. Named after the Yellowstone River that flows through Montana, the original fly-cast painting in the Montage Big Sky art collection is part of his series Rhythms of the River, which aims to capture the dynamic qualities of the riverscape.

The Montage Big Sky Spa features three stunning site-specific installations by Brooklyn-based sculpture and installation artist, Carson Fox. With her unique approach to the materiality of resin, Fox created hundreds of rock-like forms, incorporating Swarovski crystals for a luxurious and reflective effect. Each rock was applied individually to the wall, creating meditative circular shapes that vary in density, with patterns reminiscent of those found in nature. These unique installations by Fox speak to the mission of the surrounding area, inspiring a sense of connection, meditation, and renewal.

Monica Gilles-BringsYellow is a local Indigenous artist based in Missoula, Montana, who grew up on the Flathead Reservation, located a few hours north of Big Sky. Depicting her personal reflection of the local surroundings, Gilles-BringsYellow utilized brilliant colors, gold leaf, and resin to create a unique and dimensional landscape painting of Spanish Peaks. The original commissioned work by Gilles-BringsYellow is a stunning homage to the breathtaking natural surroundings of Big Sky.

The Montage Big Sky meeting rooms feature three original works of art by Montana-based artist Amy Brakeman Livezey. The realistic figures in her paintings tell a story about the local ranching lifestyle and strong community ties seen in the rural landscape. Using Montana Historical Society photographs as inspiration, she invites viewers to take a fresh look at the past by combining human forms with layers of paint and paper remnants within abstracted fields of shape and color.