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San Antonio H Austin
San Antonio
CONSTRUCTION NEWS The Industry’s Newspaper
www.constructionnews.net H (830) 500-0071 H Volume 25 H Number 11 H NOVEMBER 2023
The Business of Art
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Community Bible Church - San Antonio
or many artists, making a full time living off of their work can seem like an unattainable goal. But for Bethany of Riverbank Art Studio, it has become a reality that has blossomed into a career that combines her business acumen, her creative vision, and her technical painting skills. She always enjoyed creating art, and her talent emerged from a young age, painting for projects in high school led her to an Art Scholarship Competition at the San Antonio Stock show and Rodeo. The oil painting she created for the competition was auctioned off for enough money to pay for 3 years of college at UTSA. In her time in college, she spent thousands of hours in the studio, honing her skills and learning as many new techniques as she could, and when she graduated, she had a bachelor’s degree in Painting. However, Bethany yearned to explore another fascination she had- Business. So she went on to pursue a Master’s in Business, and after accomplishing that, her focus shifted, setting down her paintbrush for a time to climb the corporate ladder. She was involved in Sales, Data Analytics, Operations and Project Management, and over a few years she had developed skills that would serve her very well when she decided to start her own business. During Covid, she picked up her paintbrush again, painting incredible murals to grace people’s homes, businesses, and churches. And so RiverBank Art Studio was born, and word of Bethany’s incredible talent spread, leading her to more and more opportunities. She began to wonder how far she could grow the business if she started actively
marketing her talents. And eventually, she decided to leave the corporate world and focus on her business full time. That was 14 months ago now, and Bethany is off and running. She enjoys growing her business just as much, if not more than creating these timeless works of art. Bethany has a very distinct approach to her clientele, helping them accomplish strategic objectives through the use of art. She combines her vision with a business’s established aesthetic to create a piece that serves the space. Sometimes, her vision might not even include art of her own doing- by creating a network of other local artists, sometimes she can recommend someone with a style more suited to a particular project than she. When asked about her own “style”, she says she enjoys creating murals in a wide variety of styles, allowing her to play with all of the many different techniques she has studied. Bethany’s murals are more than just stunning works of art, in today’s digital age, they are business tools- as her portfolio and services guide explains. Murals boost foot traffic, brand recognition, and free user- generated content on social media, and that can lead to people seeking out your business just to come experience the mural. Also, she says, any large, blank wall is a perfect canvas for advertising and should be leveraged for the powerful opportunity it is. Bethany can help any business create an elevated aesthetic, creating a unique environment that sticks in people’s minds, and makes a space so alive that people will want to return again and again. To see more of Bethany’s work, or to inquire about her services, please visit riverbankartstudio.com. -ndw
Gruene Coffee Hause - Gruene, TX
Buyer’s Barricades Celebrates New Austin Location
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uyer’s Barricades is excited to announce the opening of their new location, 2209 Ranch Road 620 N, in Austin, Texas! With locations already established in Dallas Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, their expansion to Austin means they can continue to serve an even wider territory. Buyer’s Barricades is ready to serve you - they rent and sell barricades and traffic safety equipment. As a fullservice provider, they can evaluate your project, create traffic control plans, set up the barricades, do a safety audit, maintain the worksites, and pick everything up afterward. They make it easy to protect your jobsite and crew. To celebrate this exciting day, employees, friends and family gathered for a meet and greet. The Chamber of Commerce was also in attendance to perform a ribbon cutting ceremony, and everyone got to enjoy a lunch of hamburgers, hotdogs, cookies and cold drinks. It was a wonderful way to kick off the new location, for a growing company with a big heart. Welcome to Austin, Buyer’s Barricades!