It seems that cheap hotels get more and more creative by the year in terms of promotions and advertising for business. The Fairmont Hotel in Dallas however has taken this theory a step further and has recently announced the establishment of an artist in residence program that it is hoped will draw the tourist to the cities developing art scene.
The program is a partnership that was brought into existence by the Fairmont Hotel, and Ross Akard Gallery owner Bryan Embry. Embry will recommend local and regional artists to the hotel and a selection committee will choose the artist that they think most fits the mood of the city at that moment in time. The artist will then work for the next three months in the hotels newly designed studio.
This program is the first of its kind in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, and will give art lovers a unique insight into what it takes to create great art. It is also a chance for the up and coming artists to show their talents, and also interact with the hotel guests. “Oftentimes artists work in seclusion, creating pieces that are available to the public only after completion, but the studio’s location, out in the open, provides a first-hand look at the creative process from start to finish,” said Embry.
The Fairmont is the only hotel located in the arts district of the city, and is seen as the perfect cheap hotel in which to try out this venture. The selected artist will spend a set amount of time each week in the hotels studio creating pieces that will be used for various purposes, whether that is for public viewing in the hotel, or for any one of a number of charitable endeavors.
The first artist chosen for the venture is contemporary worker Zach Saucedo. Saucedo is seen as the perfect fit for the first phase of the project as he is an artist who continually pushes boundaries, but he also an artist with an engaging persona. It is hoped that guests will come to the Fairmont purely to get the chance to meet with and talk to Saucedo and find out about the person behind the art.
Anyone with a passing interest in art who is going to be vacationing in the Dallas area over the lifespan of the project will surely find themselves drawn towards the Fairmont. With advanced booking rooms can be found for under $100 a night which definitely puts it in the cheap hotels bracket. With the luxurious rooms and suites however, the Fairmont is one of those hotels that seems to give you more than you pay for. Add the ability to meet with and talk to an artist like this into the package and you suddenly have a very attractive hotel deal on your hands.
Photo via cliff1066
