Diversity Insight: Using public art to promote equity, inclusion and racial justice
Art can tell powerful stories about diversity and increase your credit union’s visibility and impact. Here are some insights on choosing your project and sharing it at the right moment.
State Street, the pedestrian mall connecting the University of Wisconsin-Madison to Wisconsin’s capitol, is not your average thoroughfare. It’s a gathering place for protesters who have helped shape national attitudes about civil rights, gender equality and war. It’s also home to a UW Credit Union branch that has taken the organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to an exciting new place—with art.
The cash this branch dispenses is often spent at State Street businesses, which range from budget-friendly coffee shops to fancy clothing boutiques. But people don’t just come to UW Credit Union for the ATMs or the coin counter. It’s the employees they want to see.
On a typical day, our branches deliver financial services with a side of Wisconsin culture. The scent of locally roasted coffee wafts by as friendly tellers tend to members’ needs, often in more than one language. Our employees earn trust by being honest and getting to know what matters to our members, whether it’s a beloved pet or a favorite sports team. They’re so neighborly that someone once asked if Mr. Rogers founded our 280,000-member financial institution. He didn’t, though we like to think he could have.
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