Extraordinary Ordinary: Celebrating Louisiana’s Workers through Art

As a purpose-driven company that exists to help Louisiana thrive, LWCC knew the art had to be more than beautiful; it had to embody the essence of Louisiana Loyal and serve as a celebration of our great state.

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The company partnered with the Baton Rouge Gallery to identify a local artist who had the same passion for Louisiana, its workers, and storytelling to co-create a commission that would elevate our mission, our brand, and our space.

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Michaelene “Mikey” Walsh was selected as that partner after a thorough review of Louisiana-based artists. Her artistic medium of ceramics lent itself to the aesthetic of the office, while also providing for a creative and nuanced exploration of the state’s industries and workers.

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Together with the Baton Rouge Gallery and Mikey, LWCC developed a creative concept that would tell a layered story. Through 64 sculpted objects, a nod to the 64 parishes of the state that LWCC provides coverage to, the commission displays stylized tools, work products, and worker figurines that together create a compelling narrative of the state’s economy.

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Each object in the piece is inspired by the roughly 160,000 workers that LWCC protects through workers’ comp coverage, across all industry types. As a nod to our commitment to worker safety, several pieces are safety objects, like the hard hat and the safety tag, and “safety orange” is used as an accent color throughout. Some objects are easily recognizable, while others are obscure and familiar only to those who work with them daily. The commission’s many layers are entryways into unique components of LWCC’s mission, purpose, and vision.

To ensure an authentic representation of the business and workers we represent, LWCC engaged stakeholders throughout the research phase of the project. Working groups and a survey to agent partners helped to identify industry sectors. A workshop with LWCC’s Safety Consultants uncovered unique safety objects for consideration. Employees were surveyed to solicit objects that would both represent office workers and employees’ direct interaction with our stakeholders. Data on LWCC’s policyholder industries and Louisiana’s economy was combed through, and photos taken at policyholder businesses were analyzed for interesting objects.

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Through iterative design, a final composition of 64 objects was installed across a 17 foot by 5 foot expanse on a prominent wall in LWCC’s lobby, proudly communicating LWCC’s commitment to Louisiana’s businesses, workers, and future.