Visit many of our new small-format stores, and you’ll see something beautiful: pieces of locally-designed art, from murals behind the registers to installations in the parking lots.
From Burlington, Vermont, to San Diego, California (and lots of places in between), we’re opening new stores in communities that boast unique cultures, histories and identities. We’re designing each store to reflect our local guests and their needs, including specially tailored product assortments. And to say “thank you” for welcoming us into the neighborhood, we often commission local art that sparks joy and inspiration as soon as guests arrive at their new Target.
To date, we’ve collaborated with nearly 30 local artists for pieces at 60 stores. The work is as diverse as the artists themselves, including a wood-etched mural in downtown Minneapolis, hand-painted landscapes in Burlington, Vermont, and specialty wallpaper in Honolulu, Hawaii. And each piece is designed to represent the store’s unique community.
Take the store we opened in spring of 2019 in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego: Designed by artist Kaori Fukuyama, the installation on the exterior of the store includes transparent panels in the shape of a wave, casting differently colored reflections and shadows onto the store. The shape and size of the shadows changes depending on the time of day.
“I realized that what makes North Park so unique and special is that it embraces change and keeps evolving, qualities that I have found to be present in creative communities,” Kaori says. “That inspired me to create a three-dimensional work that is dynamic and interactive, instead of a traditional mural.”
The whole process starts long before we break ground on our new stores. Members of Target’s properties team (which include experts in architecture, construction, real estate and more) extensively research each new store’s neighborhood. They then shares what they’ve learned about the community and its culture with our in-store marketing team. From there, the marketing team works with Target Creative, our in-house creative agency, to support the local artist, helping them refine a design, selecting the right materials and installing the final work.
“I particularly appreciated that the team [at Target] was very supportive of my original concept,” Kaori says. “It was really amazing to work with many passionate and hardworking people who were as excited about the project as I was, and who were willing to go the extra mile to bring my artistic vision to life.”
The results of those kinds of partnerships reach across the country: Art in all forms, designed to be a treat for the eyes and a reflection of the neighborhood. That includes outdoorsy illustrations in bold shades of green in Burlington, wistful ocean-inspired shapes in regal blue and pink in Honolulu, and Nordic-style etchings that celebrate the heritage of Target’s hometown, Minneapolis.
Feeling artfully inspired? Browse through some of the store artwork below.
