Target’s small-format stores to feature local artists’ murals
Target is drawing on local artists to help celebrate a sense of community in its small-format stores.
From murals behind the registers to installations in the parking lots, locally-designed art can be found in Target’s small-format locations across the nation. To date, the chain has collaborated with nearly 30 local artists for pieces at 60 stores. The work is as diverse as the artists themselves and includes a wood-etched mural that celebrates the heritage of Target’s home in downtown Minneapolis, hand-painted outdoorsy landscapes in bold shades of green in Burlington, Vermont, and specialty wallpaper with ocean-inspired shapes in Honolulu. Each piece is designed to represent the store’s unique community.
The process starts long before Target breaks ground on a new location. 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 share what they learned about the community and its culture with the in-store marketing team. From there, the marketing team works with Target Creative, the chain’s in-house creative agency, to support the local artist, helping them refine a design, selecting the right materials and installing the final work.
One such local artist is Kaori Fukuyama, who designed the installation on the exterior of Target’s new store in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego. It features store 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.
“We’re opening new stores in communities that boast unique cultures, histories and identities,” Target stated. “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.”
From murals behind the registers to installations in the parking lots, locally-designed art can be found in Target’s small-format locations across the nation. To date, the chain has collaborated with nearly 30 local artists for pieces at 60 stores. The work is as diverse as the artists themselves and includes a wood-etched mural that celebrates the heritage of Target’s home in downtown Minneapolis, hand-painted outdoorsy landscapes in bold shades of green in Burlington, Vermont, and specialty wallpaper with ocean-inspired shapes in Honolulu. Each piece is designed to represent the store’s unique community.
The process starts long before Target breaks ground on a new location. 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 share what they learned about the community and its culture with the in-store marketing team. From there, the marketing team works with Target Creative, the chain’s in-house creative agency, to support the local artist, helping them refine a design, selecting the right materials and installing the final work.
One such local artist is Kaori Fukuyama, who designed the installation on the exterior of Target’s new store in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego. It features store 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.
“We’re opening new stores in communities that boast unique cultures, histories and identities,” Target stated. “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.”