The Aegis Living Headquarters in Bellevue, is a “state of the art, office building revolution” with intentional attention to creating inspiring workspaces with curated works of art. Every piece of art in the Aegis home office has meaning and has been carefully curated and selected by founder and CEO, Dwayne J. Clark. “Art shapes environment, and the art at Aegis symbolizes diversity which is reflected in the 80 different countries that our employees come from at Aegis,” says Clark. People come first at Aegis Living, and the art chosen is people focused and symbolic. “It takes conscious and intentional effort. All of the art on display evokes emotion and tells a story,” says Clark. Dwayne finds most of his art from travels with his wife; together they look for unique and special pieces from all over the world.
Following are the story of four special pieces out of the extensive collection in the Aegis home office. For more info contact aegisliving.com
Name of Art: Lou in Blue
Artist: Jaume Plensa
Description: Sculpt from solid basalt, and weighing in at 3,304 pounds, this sculpture is placed front and center at Aegis headquarters to greet visitors and staff. Lou in Blue was selected to symbolize the intellect of the Aegis Living staff and honors their hard work and dedication. The best and brightest are sought after and trained, and each staff member goes through a rigorous interview process outlined in Dwayne’s book Help Wanted: Recruiting, Hiring and Retaining Exceptional Staff. Lou in Blue was sculpted by artist Jaume Plensa. You may also be familiar with Plensa’s work at the downtown waterfront Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle called Echo.
Name of Art: Red Rope Mala
Artist: Catherine Eaton Skinner
Description: Similar to a rosary, this dyed-red rope symbolizes a Mala, which has been used in Buddhism and Hinduism for centuries. The 54 ½ feet and 108 knots of the Mala prayer beads are used to keep count of repetitive prayers and reminds us to focus. This art piece has been deliberately hung by the front door of the Aegis building to remind all who enter to focus. It is a symbol that things don’t just happen by accident, but strategically in everything we do.
Name of Art: Immersion Series #1
Artist: Kathy Venter
Description: Placed strategically in the Aegis HQ stairwell, this falling life-size figure is a reminder to stay focused and to pay attention in life and at work. The lesson being that once you take your eyes off what you are doing, you can take a tumble -figuratively and literally. Kathy Venter is a celebrated ceramic artist internationally recognized for her life-size figurative sculptures. Born in South Africa, her current work examines how we perceive ourselves, our world, and our culture, which is a process that continually changes but remains universal.
Name of Art: The Disruption Gang
Artist: Rita McCollum
Description: The Disruption Gang was commissioned by Dwayne with local artist Rita McCollum. “The Gang” is made up of Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Howard Schultz, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg. These are the rebels of modern industry. Leaders who break the rules to innovate. They have carved their own path and ignored what others might think about their methods. According to Dwayne, “To be a disruptive leader, you need not be concerned about following the mainstream. You may feel like an outcast and that’s the risk. But it’s also your opportunity to be disruptive and innovate.” Also, part of the display is the “Crazy Horse motorcycle” dubbed “America’s Most Beautiful Motorcycle” from the 2010 Grand National Roadster Show. This award-winning machine is all hand-built, with hand-shaped metal construction and no visible welds, seams or fasteners. Crazy Horse was designed and built by an all-star team: Mike Avila, along with top designers Arlen Ness, Greg Westbury, Carl Brouhard and Solis.