Finding a home on the business side of art, design

GUIDING HAND: Emily Hall, Union Studio director of marketing and new-business development, has risen through the ranks to get where she is today. She is pictured with Union Studio principal Douglas Kallfelz. / PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
GUIDING HAND: Emily Hall, Union Studio director of marketing and new-business development, has risen through the ranks to get where she is today. She is pictured with Union Studio principal Douglas Kallfelz. / PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

As the director of marketing and new-business development for Union Studio in Providence, Emily Hall is responsible for brainstorming marketing strategy and finding new clients. The work is part of the ongoing evolution of the Rhode Island School of Design graduate and her interest in the business side of art and design, she said.
Hall was brought onboard in January 2011 to help the company with its rebranding. Formerly known as Donald Powers Architects Inc., Union Studio’s name change required a new website, new designs and a new logo.
“That was a big part of the last year,” she said. “The new name and look had to suit our identity well, and I think it does that.” In her new role, Hall is responsible for developing new business, identifying new opportunities, handling proposal responses and heading up award applications.
Hall holds a bachelor’s degree in art history and studio art from Colorado College and a master’s degree in industrial design from RISD. She’s now working toward an MBA at the University of Rhode Island.
So how does one transition from two art degrees to an MBA?
“It’s an odd career trajectory but it actually makes sense,” she said.
After college, her first job was at the O’Hara Gallery in New York City, where she was the director of the contemporary art program. She held the position for three years before deciding to concentrate on creating art rather than supervising its display. As a result, she landed in Providence, at RISD.
At Durkee, Brown, Viveiros & Werenfels Architects in Providence, Hall was hired as a receptionist, but the company saw her desire to grow. After eight years there, she was named director of marketing and business development, named an associate with the firm and assisted with graphic design. She also helped Durkee redesign its corporate identity and website, winning regional recognition for both from the Boston chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, of which she is a member. When the position at Union Studios opened, the fit was perfect.
“Architecture firms do not rebrand frequently, so it’s great to have that experience more than once. It was serendipitous,” Hall said.
Union Studio specializes in community-oriented designs, like mixed-use development and community-based affordable housing. According to Hall, business is increasing not only because the economy is improving, but because community design is gaining momentum across the country.
The company supports the New Urbanism movement, which promotes planning compact, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods to form a viable overall community. That’s just one of the reasons Hall appreciates Union Studios. “The people are very nice. I also enjoy the community aspects of the designs. I like the idea that we work nationally so that we can share ideas throughout the country,” she said.
One local project the firm worked on is Sandywoods Farm in Tiverton, which combines affordable rental and market-rate housing with a working farm, retail space, a studio, and gallery and community space for artists. It also preserves 147 acres. A 250-kilowatt wind turbine powers most of the neighborhood.
“I’ve come to peace with the fact that I will always be on the business side of the creative sector,” Hall said of her career. “I enjoy the design process, and I completely understand it and can speak about it. I love all the potential it has.” &#8226

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