Anderson/Miller’s picks for art and décor reinforce the hotel’s location in Chicago through a curated collection of commissioned art pieces from over 30 Chicago-based artists. QR codes next to each work are a high-tech touch for guests so they can scan and learn more about the artists and the pieces.
Paul Strabbing Photography and Amanda Williams of AW | Studio were two of the local artists chosen for the project. Benchmark’s job was to convert their photos into backlit art displays.
For the guest rooms, Paul captured stunning images of 2 major iron works in Chicago. Hilltop Woodworking, LLC of Fredericksburg Ohio crafted backlit oak framing enclosures that matched the other wood work in the room. We made Lambda duratrans backlit transparencies 2nd surface mounted to 1/8” plexiglass to display Paul’s images.
In the Pre-function areas, where businesses congregate outside the hi-tech meeting rooms, we rendered Amanda’s colorful winter house images as 10 foot by 7 foot SEG backlit fabrics supported by edge lit frameless matte aluminum extrusions. Amanda later sent us a note after she had seen the finished products:
Bill, the images look AMAZING! To be honest I’d forgotten about the project and was at the hotel for an unrelated event and stumbled upon them. ….I cried. Thank you for your care and craft. They are truly stunning. I will certainly keep you in mind for future projects in Chicago or on Mars!
Again, it was an honor to be able to work along side such great photographers and contribute to what is fast becoming a “must see” site of Chicago’s hospitality.
