Expandment of Women-Owned Enterprises is Propelled by Governmental and Corporate Agreements
Hailing from the vibrant streets of Haiti, the dynamic duo behind Saint-Cyr Art Studio, a female-led business, stole the spotlight by swapping art education programs for lucrative, large-scale mural projects with local institutions and corporations. Guided by the vision of CEO Marie Saint-Cyr to uplift communities through art, this bold move propelled their company towards expansion, increased revenue, and a broader impact.
Charmaine Downton, Assistant Principal of Harlem's PS 175 Henry Highland Garnet, shared her experience of partnering with Saint-Cyr Art Studio:
"Two summers ago, our school was lucky enough to team up with Saint-Cyr Art Studio. Each collaboration resulted in an extraordinary outdoor mural that resonated with not just our students, but the entire community. Marie Saint-Cyr and her team were nothing short of patient, supportive, and committed to working alongside our young artists."
From Art Education to Mural Magic
The journey of Saint-Cyr Art Studio didn't begin with a full-fledged mural agency. It started in 2019 with Marie's desire to provide visual arts programming for underprivileged communities on Long Island. Her passion for art, fueled by her personal experiences, ignited a need to offer art opportunities for young children.
Marie partnered with local authorities to design and implement diverse visual art programs, including a mid-winter break art camp in Wyandanch. With roughly 20-25 students attending, this program blended art-making and meals while offering Marie the chance to hire and manage two other teaching artists. The success of this venture laid the groundwork for more projects, such as summer camps and more team expansions.
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Marie ran numerous programs within a year, ranging from art camps to paint parties, thanks to word-of-mouth promotion and social media marketing. Her openness to experimenting and her yes-man attitude allowed her to venture into diverse endeavors.
Fall 2020 brought Marie the chance to participate in the ASCEND Long Island program, which offered valuable training on securing government and corporate clients. This marked a significant turning point for her business.
Deciding to refocus on murals for local governments, healthcare corporations, and nonprofits, Marie rebranded her business and honed her skills. She further attended the New York City Small Business Services FastTrac program, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, and Tuck School of Business to enhance her expertise.
"I knew I needed to focus on acquiring contracts with governments, corporations, and nonprofits because I needed a reliable income stream and the ability to scale myself," Marie noted. The hard work paid off: Saint-Cyr Art Studio earned certifications as a NYC Department of Education Minority/Women Business Enterprise, National Minority Supplier Development Council Minority Business Enterprise, WBENC Women-Owned Business, NYC Small Business M/WBE, and SBA Women-Owned Small Business.
"Working with Saint-Cyr Art Studio has been a breeze," said Ralph Honore, Principal of PS 055Q. "From conception to completion, our collaboration was professional, creative, and a breath of fresh air for our community."
This strategic shift ledto swift growth and recognition. Today, Saint-Cyr Art Studio generates over $1 million in revenue annually, a rarity for women-owned businesses. In 2021, Marie's sister joined the business to manage finances.
Motivating Artists Through Subcontracting
Marie's journey with Saint-Cyr Art Studio has been characterized by growth and valuable lessons learned. Initially concentrating on art education programs, Marie expanded into school murals, which demanded new challenges and rapid scaling.
The growth Marie experienced, while positive, came with complexities.
"In 2022, all NYC public schools received $75,000 to spend on the arts," Marie shared. Landing numerous contracts meant Marie had to scale operations quickly:
"Within a month, we managed to secure half a million dollars' worth of contracts," she said.
This massive influx of work necessitated Marie to grow her team and increase production:
"We had to learn to handle four or five murals concurrently," she acknowledged. However, this rapid expansion revealed gaps in Marie's systems and processes:
"We didn't have sufficient systems and processes in place," Marie realized. "Essentially, we were just figuring things out as we went."
One significant challenge Marie encountered was effectively managing her growing team of artists. Initially, Marie wanted to foster a collaborative environment where artists felt invested in the business. However, she struggled with productivity and accountability:
"I wanted the artists to feel like they played a part in the business, in a way, because I wanted to provide jobs for them," Marie reflected. "But they wanted to change the business to suit their preferences."
Marie also discovered that providing financial security didn't necessarily translate to increased motivation or productivity among artists:
"When artists received salaries, they didn't want to work anymore," Marie said, referring to a grant program that salaried some of her artists.
These experiences compelled Marie to make tough decisions, including restructuring her team and altering her approach to artist compensation and project management.
"We're no longer paying salaries to painters," Marie explained, transitioning to a subcontracting model that pays an hourly rate.
Through her educational programs, Marie absorbed invaluable insights into business operations, team management, and aligning incentives. These lessons transformed how she structured her business, eventually contributing to its efficiency and success. Marie now offers training programs and fine art practice.
Marie's initial vision to serve her community through art transcended expectation. By focusing on government and corporate contracting as a Black woman-owned business, Marie propelled her business forward, transforming communities with breathtaking murals.
- Marie Saint-Cyr, driven by her desire to uplift communities through art, started providing visual arts programs for underprivileged communities using funds from local government contracts, such as the mid-winter break art camp in Wyandanch.
- Saint-Cyr Art Studio, a women-owned business, entered the realm of corporate contracting by securing large-scale mural projects with local institutions and corporations, just like Harlem's PS 175 partnered with them for an extraordinary outdoor mural.
- As the business expanded and Marie honed her expertise through various training programs, including ASCEND Long Island, New York City Small Business Services FastTrac, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, and Tuck School of Business, she diversified her services to include strategic planning, training programs, and fine art practice, in addition to mural projects.
