Entrepreneur Comes to Longwood to Discuss Business and Art
The Rotunda Issue date: 9/24/08 Section: News
By John Ivey
Reporter
How many business majors have thought of taking an art course? Have any art majors ever set foot in the business school? For those who have never considered such possibilities Heyn V. K. F. Kjerulf came to campus to discuss how these two polar opposite fields should be fused together.
After working for almost 40 years as a corporate leader for American Machinery & Foundry (AMF), Kjerulf is now self-employed as a financial backer and principal in startup business. In addition, he also serves as president of the advisory board for the Longwood Center for Visual Arts (LCVA) and has served on several boards for Richmond's fine art programs. He has had a passion for the arts for most of his life and it's no wonder why he encourages the fields of business and art to work together. "Great ideas come from out of the box," said Kjerulf, explaining that when people come from two different backgrounds, like business and art, they can come up with good ideas and improve the world for everyone.
Kjerulf's Sept. 16 discussion, part of the Executive-in-Residence series, focused primarily on left and right brains. People who are right-brained are the "big picture" people, such as writers and inventors. On the other hand, left-brained people are the engineers and accountants, the people who see the world with limits that must be worked within.
According to Kjerulf, the past has been left-brained and controlling the workforce for the last 40 years, but the world is changing. The future belongs to the right-brained. Businesses are hiring people with Master of Fine Arts degrees (MFAs) to give new views and help boost creativity.
The idea behind getting businesses more affiliated with art programs is to help business out of its perceived limited mindset, not looking at products with limitations but seeing them as opportunities to create and design things in a new way. For example, Apple Inc. has become a trendsetter in designing and manufacturing its products. The iPod generated its own culture within the realm of MP3 players. They are creating "feeling" to go with their projects, and that's why their products are so popular and trusted. The idea of a product being "cool" and "individualistic" sets it apart.
Reporter
How many business majors have thought of taking an art course? Have any art majors ever set foot in the business school? For those who have never considered such possibilities Heyn V. K. F. Kjerulf came to campus to discuss how these two polar opposite fields should be fused together.
After working for almost 40 years as a corporate leader for American Machinery & Foundry (AMF), Kjerulf is now self-employed as a financial backer and principal in startup business. In addition, he also serves as president of the advisory board for the Longwood Center for Visual Arts (LCVA) and has served on several boards for Richmond's fine art programs. He has had a passion for the arts for most of his life and it's no wonder why he encourages the fields of business and art to work together. "Great ideas come from out of the box," said Kjerulf, explaining that when people come from two different backgrounds, like business and art, they can come up with good ideas and improve the world for everyone.
Kjerulf's Sept. 16 discussion, part of the Executive-in-Residence series, focused primarily on left and right brains. People who are right-brained are the "big picture" people, such as writers and inventors. On the other hand, left-brained people are the engineers and accountants, the people who see the world with limits that must be worked within.
According to Kjerulf, the past has been left-brained and controlling the workforce for the last 40 years, but the world is changing. The future belongs to the right-brained. Businesses are hiring people with Master of Fine Arts degrees (MFAs) to give new views and help boost creativity.
The idea behind getting businesses more affiliated with art programs is to help business out of its perceived limited mindset, not looking at products with limitations but seeing them as opportunities to create and design things in a new way. For example, Apple Inc. has become a trendsetter in designing and manufacturing its products. The iPod generated its own culture within the realm of MP3 players. They are creating "feeling" to go with their projects, and that's why their products are so popular and trusted. The idea of a product being "cool" and "individualistic" sets it apart.
New ways to produce a product have led to advances in all fields for many years and it is not on its way out. Combining business and art is crucial to development and advancement of both areas of work, Kjerulf said.
Art people generally know how to streamline processes better, which can help businesses become more efficient. They don't see the constraints of the business world and ask the "Why not" questions. They see the world with endless opportunities to do anything.
Passion and hard work are the keys when it comes to work, he noted. If you're not doing what you love and work hard at it in college, Kjerulf said, then why are you getting a degree in it? Think about it, he challenged students.
The biggest piece of advice that Kjerulf gave to students was to "take elective liberal art courses. If you're a business major, take art; and if you're an art major, take a business class." He encouraged students to surround themselves with people who think differently. This may sound odd, he said, but it is absolutely necessary to advance the world and its workforce.
Art people generally know how to streamline processes better, which can help businesses become more efficient. They don't see the constraints of the business world and ask the "Why not" questions. They see the world with endless opportunities to do anything.
Passion and hard work are the keys when it comes to work, he noted. If you're not doing what you love and work hard at it in college, Kjerulf said, then why are you getting a degree in it? Think about it, he challenged students.
The biggest piece of advice that Kjerulf gave to students was to "take elective liberal art courses. If you're a business major, take art; and if you're an art major, take a business class." He encouraged students to surround themselves with people who think differently. This may sound odd, he said, but it is absolutely necessary to advance the world and its workforce.
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