Local art hangs on the walls of Dustin Taylor’s Airbnb.
Bread gets stale. Relationships can become boring. Even home décor has a shelf life.
That’s why Dustin Taylor, who works in technical sales for Microsoft but is a recreational real estate investor in his off-hours, decided he needed something different to keep one of his Midtown Harrisburg Airbnbs fresh.
Inspiration came just a block away when he walked into Little Amps at Green and Muench streets. While waiting, he was drawn to the local artwork for sale on the walls of the coffee shop. It was a “eureka” moment.
“I thought, ‘I can do that,’” he said. “There’s got to be plenty of local artists looking for places to exhibit their stuff.”
Taylor continued to ponder the idea.
“Traveling, your spirits are elevated because you’re traveling, and you’re more open to seeing things like artwork,” he said. “You might think, ‘I might like to buy that.’”
He contacted several arts organizations before the Susquehanna Art Museum put him in touch with its director of exhibitions, Lauren Nye, who is also a freelance art consultant, to help find artists and curate their work at his Delaware Street Airbnb.
Taylor asked Nye to put together work by 12 local artists for the first exhibition at his Airbnb. They are thinking of rotating artwork every six months.
“So many artists responded positively saying, ‘I have so much work sitting around’—about 30 to 50 artists,” Nye said. “I told them this is sort of an experiment.”
Artists were eager to help prove the hypothesis.
“When Lauren invited me to participate, I was immediately enthusiastic,” said Gail Coleman of Mechanicsburg. “It is important to be open to new and creative ways to exhibit visual art. The idea that original local art can be an attraction to potential Airbnb visitors makes so much sense.”
After selecting the pieces, Nye writes a label to describe the art and the artist, how they’re connected locally, artists’ websites, the cost of the work and shipping information.
“It’s a little bit like an integrated gallery experience,” she said.
She hangs the pieces and handles sales, if any guests request to buy the art.
“The person who is going to plunk down $100 [some pieces go for more than $500] on a piece of artwork isn’t everyone,” Taylor said. “I don’t know what I should expect.”
As of this writing, no pieces had sold in the five months since the art was hung, but that isn’t their only goal.
“Even if their work doesn’t sell, the artists get a little self-promotion,” Nye said, adding that the experience of “living” with art is much different than viewing it in a gallery.
For that reason, Coleman said that she usually looks for “art” Airbnbs when she travels, as does photographer Deb Schell of Harrisburg, another artist whose work is exhibited. She recalled an artist’s small house where she stayed outside of Denver, Colo., last year that featured work by the artist, her daughter, lots of plants and light that was just “so unique and interesting.”
“So, when I saw the call for artists for this, I thought that would be cool,” Schell said.
Taylor and Nye both note that artists are protected by Airbnb’s insurance, so they don’t have to worry about damage or loss. Additionally, Taylor said he priced his property to attract “pretty responsible” guests.
Nye’s typical freelance work as an art contractor includes installing art in people’s homes and offices and helping facilitate art sales, but she’s never done something like a whole house.
“I think there’s lots of types of spaces that would benefit from original artwork,” Nye said. “People often default to inexpensive things when dealing with a space.”
Cheap, commercial pieces become “background noise,” Nye said, little more than something to fill an empty wall.
“Having original artwork that is eye-catching enriches your space,” she said. “You’re actually experiencing something that someone has put a lot of time and love into.”
That Taylor was the visionary for an arty Airbnb makes him chuckle a little.
“I have an appreciation for the general arts community as a whole, and I’m certainly glad to foster that,” he said. “This is my first foray into art.”
His Midtown Airbnb is promoted as an “Airbnb Plus,” which means he has a checklist to ensure that guests get a top-of-the-line experience. He stocks the kitchen with food and drinks—including alcohol—has a computer and printer, bicycles and other amenities not always found in your average Airbnb.
Even with COVID cutting into travel, Taylor’s two units (he has another around the corner on Susquehanna Street) are booked.
“The house is decorated with local art, has all the amenities you could think of (bikes were a huge plus), and is extremely clean,” wrote a guest named Christine, who stayed at the Delaware Street house in May. “We… are so grateful to have had such a beautiful home to stay in during our time in Harrisburg.”
Taylor recently considered that, along with local art, he could add local charm by stocking Little Amps coffee, alcohol from Midstate Distillery, Hershey bars and other local products to really give his guests a “taste” of the region.
“The only problem now is I wish people would buy it,” Taylor said of the art on the walls of his Airbnb. “I was thinking I should buy some for myself.”
Dustin Taylor’s Airbnb is located at 266 Delaware St., Harrisburg. To find out more, visit www.airbnb.com.
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