Press Release

Arkema’s New Corporate Headquarters Coming to Radnor Will Include Artwork by Local Artist

Most of us can likely remember, when first learning art as a child, painting or coloring by numbers. It was a simple idea designed to help ensure a piece of art looked reasonably like what it was supposed to look like. You may be surprised to learn that concept is not limited to children, particularly when the stakes are fairly high.

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​Kala Hagopian is the founder of Hagopian Arts, a female-led mural initiative in West Philadelphia that specializes in luminous, meticulously rendered murals inspired by nature. She has been commissioned by Arkema North America, currently headquartered in King of Prussia, Pa. to create a mural that reflects the company’s deep ties to the Philly region and celebrates the region’s history, beauty, and diversity. The mural will be installed on a wall in the game room of the company’s soon-to-open four-story, 145,000 square foot headquarters at 155 King of Prussia Road in Radnor, Pa., across from Radnor High School. It can hold more than 600 employees, with nearly all coming from Arkema’s King of Prussia office and Exton, Pa. offices. Hagopian paints murals with a fine art aesthetic, rendering large-scale imagery with tiny brushes, very unique to her painting style, informed by classical training at The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art.

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Hagopian Arts prioritizes a multi-faceted approach to community engagement within her projects and partnerships.  For the project with Arkema, Kala planned a series of mural painting workshops.  Despite her uniquely detailed painting style, Hagopian and her assistants simplified sections of the mural imagery, creating a paint-by-number system that allowed participants a hand in the mural painting process.  After the workshops, Hagopian works into areas painted by employees, rendering the artwork to a highly detailed finish.  

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Kala paints all of her murals in sections off-site, in her studio, on a synthetic material called poly-tab (or parachute cloth).  With this process, Hagopian Arts works on projects all year round. This method also lends very well to community engagement and mural painting workshops.  Once painting is brought to completion in her studio, Hagopian permanently installs the mural on the designated wall, using an adhesive gel that binds to the wall surface.  Before it is called complete, touch ups are done on all of the seams, and the mural is sealed with a UV protectant sealer.  To learn more about this process you can  follow her projects on Instagram @hagopianarts and her website www.hagopianarts.com

Arkema is a global supplier of specialty materials found in everything from running sneakers and sports equipment to electric vehicle batteries, wind turbine blades, adhesives, construction materials, and much more. The new building will not only house Kala’s one-of-a-kind piece of art but will also include features designed to enhance collaboration and creativity.

“A lot of things will change when we move our corporate headquarters from King of Prussia, Pa. to Radnor, Pa, but one thing that isn’t changing is our connection to the Philadelphia region,” said Tony O’Donovan, President and CEO of Arkema Inc. and Regional Leader, Arkema North America. “Our team shares the same sense of passion and that makes this area such a special place to work and live and we’re excited to give our employees the chance to make their mark on our new space. This mural will serve as a reminder of what’s possible when we all come together in pursuit of common goals.”

Hagopian Arts has a great deal of working experience across a large range of clients, including nonprofits, environmental organizations, community outreach programs, townships, corporate developers, large and small businesses, and personal residences.  Hagopian said that while each project is very unique, her corporate clients tend to be those with a strong company culture and a long track record of giving back to the community while prioritizing sustainability.  

“We believe art can be impactful, so it’s important that we partner with companies who share in our mission to raise environmental awareness,” said Hagopian. “It’s been so much fun getting to meet the team at Arkema and learn more about their commitment to sustainability. I’m proud that this mural will soon be a part of their company history, and I hope it will inspire current and future employees to continue to be responsible stewards of nature.”

In addition to the massive, custom mural, the new eco-friendly Arkema HQ will be paperless and feature flexible floorplans, state-of-the-art ergonomic workspaces, and floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The building is part of a more extensive 26.6-acre campus development from Brandywine Realty Trust, which the company describes as both transit-oriented and intrinsically linked to the natural environment. Exterior plans for the site include gardens, trails, 250 new trees, wildflower bird meadows, two courtyards, a pavilion, and a microfarm.

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The new mural is scheduled to be completed soon, and those interested can follow along with progress on the Hagopian Arts Instagram page.