Independent Banker - June 2021 - 60

right off the bat. When we say that
we're a different kind of bank, when
people walk in the door, they almost
immediately get it. "
Slate's team (left to right):
Ginny Van Dine, Shelley
Barry, Danielle Fox, Autumn
Bailey and Jillian Piccirilli.
A symbiotic community bank-art relationship
Slate, a full-service art consultancy based in Oakland, Calif., banks
with Community Bank of the Bay and created its in-branch art
program. It's a symbiotic relationship for which principal partner
Shelley Barry is grateful.
" We have been banking with Community Bank of the Bay since
around 2014, " she says. " We were working with a very large
international corporate bank, and we weren't feeling supported
at all. So, we decided to move our business account over to
Community Bank of the Bay. We feel, with them, we really have a
partner in helping us build our business, and we can see that they
are really invested in helping our community grow. And it's really a
breath of fresh air. "
When it came to choosing the art for the bank's three branches,
Slate chose local artists. The San Mateo, Calif., branch features
work by fine art photographer Robert Buelteman, a San Francisco
Peninsula native who has photographed the area extensively. In
Danville, Calif., the bank chose local landscape photography by
Stephen Joseph, including an 84-inch-long panoramic photograph
of Mount Diablo, which is visible from the office. The Oakland
branch's theme is contemporary street photography. There's a
large photo montage by artists Peter Tonningsen and Lisa Levine of
Counterpoint Studio featuring thought-provoking double exposures
of the city's landscapes.
Barry describes her work as " developing beautiful, intriguing,
engaging " art programs tailored to reflect the goals of her clients.
" In the case of Community Bank of the Bay, " she says, " they
wanted the art to reflect the local community where their branches
were located and support local artists as a way of giving back to
the community. "
The artwork was curated under
the guidance of curator Ashley
Bergeron, who worked with the
Studio Bank team as they set up the
bank, cementing their vision and
connecting them with local artists.
The end result is a diverse selection
of canvases, plus a trio of vibrant
murals (see sidebar on page 59).
Studio Bank is studio in both
name and spirit. " Sometimes
the banking industry can give an
intimidating or a cold sort of feel to
some folks, " Britt says. " We wanted
to create an environment that would
break down those walls and create a
space where people felt comfortable
and feel like they could be creative or
bring out that side of themselves. "
The business of art
Community banks engaging in art
understand its power to connect
the stories of people and places.
Bill Keller, president and CEO of
Community Bank of the Bay in
Oakland, Calif., knows that the arts
are a large part of what makes his
community special.
" It's just natural, if you're in an
[environment like we are], " he
says, " especially one as artistically
energetic as Oakland, that you
would be very much involved in the
things that make that community
special-the diversity, the arts
and entertainment, the food,
the creatives. "
The $634 million-asset
community bank is immersed in the
art world, counting among its clients
a multiple Grammy Award winner,
an Academy Award winner and an
Emmy Award winner, and the walls
of its branches are adorned with
works by local artists. It also serves
as the local banking partner for
Oakland Art Murmur, a nonprofit
whose mission is to increase the
60 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q June 2021
Independent Banker - June 2021

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