Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n- The Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio launched COVE in 2017. <\/li>\n
- COVE aims to lower workplace incidents and funnels revenue to the museum. <\/li>\n
- The business\u2019s workshop model and modules contribute to ongoing growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
What can a Fortune 500 company learn from an art museum? Quite a lot, it turns out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio<\/a> (TMA) has spent the past decade building its business, the Center of Visual Expertise (COVE<\/a>), which educates employees on visual literacy, allowing them to spot and avoid hazards on the job.\u00a0<\/p>\nIn 2024, employers reported roughly 2.5 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in private industry and more than 5,000 fatal work-related injuries across all sectors, according to the most recent available data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\nCOVE\u2019s benefits are significant and twofold: Not only does the business help reduce workplace incidents, but it has also generated millions of dollars for TMA over the past several years, during a time when museums are facing financial pressures and decreased attendance.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201c\u200aWe were attracted not just to the revenue potential, but to the idea that art historical expertise could be productized in a way that keeps people safer and saves lives,\u201d TMA director Adam M. Levine says. \u201cAs art historians, we are helping people go home in the same position they come to work, [and that\u2019s] sort of magic.\u201d<\/p>\nImage Credit: Jennifer Beachy. COVE\u2019s chairman and managing director Doug Pontsler, left, and TMA\u2019s director Adam Levine, right.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBuilding on visual literacy and a track record of safety<\/h2>\n
The idea for COVE began to take shape in 2015, thanks in part to the foundation laid by Levine\u2019s predecessor Brian Kennedy, who prioritized visual literacy at TMA.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mike Thaman, then the CEO of Fortune 500 company Owens Corning and a museum board member, commented on how visual literacy might help companies think differently about workplace safety.<\/p>\n
The idea stuck with Doug Pontsler, then the vice president of operations, sustainability and environmental health and safety (EHS) at Owens Corning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Owens Corning has a strong track record of safety. The company won the Green Cross for Safety from the National Safety Council (NSC). Additionally, Pontsler served as president of the NSC\u2019s Campbell Institute, which shares best practices to help organizations of all sizes improve workplace safety and operational performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aIn the EHS space, the challenge is, how do you continue to get better?\u201d Pontsler, now chairman and managing director at COVE, says. \u201cBecause if you\u2019re not making progress in all aspects of environmental health and safety, you\u2019re going backwards. You can\u2019t just tread water.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/B-Roll-at-TMA.00_46_23_12.Still002.jpeg?w=1024\")
Image Credit: Courtesy of COVE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nNonprofit doesn\u2019t mean for loss: COVE brings returns<\/h2>\n
Applying TMA\u2019s visual literacy expertise to on-the-job hazards was a natural next step. The TMA team developed a business plan, received board approval and launched COVE in 2017.<\/p>\n
The museum board signed off on a certain amount it was willing to invest in COVE, and in the first year, like most startups, the business operated at a small loss, Levine notes. However, every year since, COVE has returned money to the museum.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aWe are a nonprofit, but nonprofit doesn\u2019t mean for loss,\u201d Levine says. \u201cIf you are a nonprofit that has fixed assets, then you must run a structural surplus, or else you are deferring maintenance. Sure, you could say that that\u2019s what a capital campaign is for, but it would be nice to grow the organization rather than bail the organization out.\u201d<\/p>\n
To date, COVE counts numerous public and privately held companies, including Owens Corning, PENTA Building Group, American Axle & Manufacturing and DTE Energy, among its clients. <\/p>\n
The workshop model, foundations of hazard identification<\/h2>\n
The logic of COVE resonated, but an initial challenge lay in how to convert the intellectual property within an art context to one that would be useful for a frontline worker, Pontsler says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
COVE adopted a workshop model, primarily taking place in museums and led by people with EHS experiences from major companies across industries.<\/p>\n
The business also offers licensing and train-the-trainer modules, empowering organizations to scale safety awareness across teams and locations, and relies on speaking engagements to extend its reach.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/2020_02_18-and-19_COVE_Workshop-at-TMA_120.jpeg?w=1024\")
Image Credit: Courtesy of COVE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nToday, COVE hosts 10-12 workshops a year open to employees from different companies, alongside dedicated workshops for specific clients. <\/p>\n
COVE\u2019s core workshop, Seeing Safety: Foundations of Hazard Identification, introduces participants to what visual literacy is and why it matters to people as individuals, then explores the connection between that and the work within EHS.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aWe do become habituated to our environment,\u201d Pontsler says. \u201cWe\u2019re \u200aaround something so much that we just no longer see it. So we want to make the work environment fresh and new all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The workshops, which combine a lecture and interactive components, apply art historians\u2019 structured approaches to recognizing hazards in the workplace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For example, just as artists use the five elements of art (line, shape, color, value and texture) to create a composition, COVE harnesses those elements to decompose a composition in the work environment. A search for lines could turn up a stray cord. Another for shapes might reveal a precariously perched box.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aWhen you\u2019re used to seeing stairs, you look, and you see stairs,\u201d Levine adds. \u201cWhen you\u2019re used to looking for texture, you see that the tread\u2019s worn. So in some ways it\u2019s as simple as giving someone an alternate framework to scan their environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additionally, every COVE workshop features a back-to-back drawing exercise. In pairs, one person selects an object in the art gallery to describe to the other, who then sketches it sight unseen.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/2020_02_18-and-19_COVE_Workshop-at-TMA_6.jpeg?w=1024\")
Image Credit: Courtesy of COVE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201c\u200aThey\u2019re intimidated initially because it involves drawing,\u201d Pontsler says, \u201cbut it\u2019s really not a drawing exercise. It\u2019s a communication exercise. And once people realize that, they get a big kick out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pricing structure for workshops and modules varies, often dependent on the size of the client organization.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With these methodologies, the leading indicator of success is an increase in the number of hazards reported and a decrease in incidents reported, Levine says. He notes that one early client doubled the number of hazards its employees reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Art and business: Reflect on the past for a better future<\/h2>\n
Now, COVE\u2019s work has expanded across North America, Europe and Australia, with plans to continue growth. <\/p>\n
As a business in the thought leadership space, one of the biggest challenges remains fostering enough engagement to educate people on COVE\u2019s mission, Pontsler says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aIt\u2019s not a product someone can order from Amazon that shows up at their desk, and they can do something with,\u201d Pontsler explains. \u201cWe\u2019re building human capacity to be better critical thinkers, problem-solvers and communicators.\u201d<\/p>\n
To that end, COVE must constantly examine its messaging to determine what\u2019s resonating and what isn\u2019t, Pontsler says.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/B-Roll-at-TMA.00_43_37_13.Still009.jpeg?w=1024\")
Image Credit: Courtesy of COVE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHaving spent nearly 40 years at two Fortune 500 companies, Pontsler appreciates COVE\u2019s willingness to move on from what doesn\u2019t work and progress quickly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aThere\u2019s a lot in the arts about reflecting on the past and what it\u2019s taught us, and taking it and drawing interpretation from that in terms of what it might mean for our future,\u201d Pontsler says. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do in business. We\u2019re just trying to learn and get better. Or at least understand where we are and why.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\nKey Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n- The Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio launched COVE in 2017. <\/li>\n
- COVE aims to lower workplace incidents and funnels revenue to the museum. <\/li>\n
- The business\u2019s workshop model and modules contribute to ongoing growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
What can a Fortune 500 company learn from an art museum? Quite a lot, it turns out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio<\/a> (TMA) has spent the past decade building its business, the Center of Visual Expertise (COVE<\/a>), which educates employees on visual literacy, allowing them to spot and avoid hazards on the job.\u00a0<\/p>\nIn 2024, employers reported roughly 2.5 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in private industry and more than 5,000 fatal work-related injuries across all sectors, according to the most recent available data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
What can a Fortune 500 company learn from an art museum? Quite a lot, it turns out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio<\/a> (TMA) has spent the past decade building its business, the Center of Visual Expertise (COVE<\/a>), which educates employees on visual literacy, allowing them to spot and avoid hazards on the job.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2024, employers reported roughly 2.5 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in private industry and more than 5,000 fatal work-related injuries across all sectors, according to the most recent available data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n COVE\u2019s benefits are significant and twofold: Not only does the business help reduce workplace incidents, but it has also generated millions of dollars for TMA over the past several years, during a time when museums are facing financial pressures and decreased attendance.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aWe were attracted not just to the revenue potential, but to the idea that art historical expertise could be productized in a way that keeps people safer and saves lives,\u201d TMA director Adam M. Levine says. \u201cAs art historians, we are helping people go home in the same position they come to work, [and that\u2019s] sort of magic.\u201d<\/p>\n The idea for COVE began to take shape in 2015, thanks in part to the foundation laid by Levine\u2019s predecessor Brian Kennedy, who prioritized visual literacy at TMA.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mike Thaman, then the CEO of Fortune 500 company Owens Corning and a museum board member, commented on how visual literacy might help companies think differently about workplace safety.<\/p>\n The idea stuck with Doug Pontsler, then the vice president of operations, sustainability and environmental health and safety (EHS) at Owens Corning.\u00a0<\/p>\n Owens Corning has a strong track record of safety. The company won the Green Cross for Safety from the National Safety Council (NSC). Additionally, Pontsler served as president of the NSC\u2019s Campbell Institute, which shares best practices to help organizations of all sizes improve workplace safety and operational performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aIn the EHS space, the challenge is, how do you continue to get better?\u201d Pontsler, now chairman and managing director at COVE, says. \u201cBecause if you\u2019re not making progress in all aspects of environmental health and safety, you\u2019re going backwards. You can\u2019t just tread water.\u201d<\/p>\n Applying TMA\u2019s visual literacy expertise to on-the-job hazards was a natural next step. The TMA team developed a business plan, received board approval and launched COVE in 2017.<\/p>\n The museum board signed off on a certain amount it was willing to invest in COVE, and in the first year, like most startups, the business operated at a small loss, Levine notes. However, every year since, COVE has returned money to the museum.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aWe are a nonprofit, but nonprofit doesn\u2019t mean for loss,\u201d Levine says. \u201cIf you are a nonprofit that has fixed assets, then you must run a structural surplus, or else you are deferring maintenance. Sure, you could say that that\u2019s what a capital campaign is for, but it would be nice to grow the organization rather than bail the organization out.\u201d<\/p>\n To date, COVE counts numerous public and privately held companies, including Owens Corning, PENTA Building Group, American Axle & Manufacturing and DTE Energy, among its clients. <\/p>\n The logic of COVE resonated, but an initial challenge lay in how to convert the intellectual property within an art context to one that would be useful for a frontline worker, Pontsler says.\u00a0<\/p>\n COVE adopted a workshop model, primarily taking place in museums and led by people with EHS experiences from major companies across industries.<\/p>\n The business also offers licensing and train-the-trainer modules, empowering organizations to scale safety awareness across teams and locations, and relies on speaking engagements to extend its reach.\u00a0<\/p>\n Today, COVE hosts 10-12 workshops a year open to employees from different companies, alongside dedicated workshops for specific clients. <\/p>\n COVE\u2019s core workshop, Seeing Safety: Foundations of Hazard Identification, introduces participants to what visual literacy is and why it matters to people as individuals, then explores the connection between that and the work within EHS.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aWe do become habituated to our environment,\u201d Pontsler says. \u201cWe\u2019re \u200aaround something so much that we just no longer see it. So we want to make the work environment fresh and new all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n The workshops, which combine a lecture and interactive components, apply art historians\u2019 structured approaches to recognizing hazards in the workplace.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, just as artists use the five elements of art (line, shape, color, value and texture) to create a composition, COVE harnesses those elements to decompose a composition in the work environment. A search for lines could turn up a stray cord. Another for shapes might reveal a precariously perched box.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aWhen you\u2019re used to seeing stairs, you look, and you see stairs,\u201d Levine adds. \u201cWhen you\u2019re used to looking for texture, you see that the tread\u2019s worn. So in some ways it\u2019s as simple as giving someone an alternate framework to scan their environment.\u201d<\/p>\n Additionally, every COVE workshop features a back-to-back drawing exercise. In pairs, one person selects an object in the art gallery to describe to the other, who then sketches it sight unseen.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aThey\u2019re intimidated initially because it involves drawing,\u201d Pontsler says, \u201cbut it\u2019s really not a drawing exercise. It\u2019s a communication exercise. And once people realize that, they get a big kick out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n The pricing structure for workshops and modules varies, often dependent on the size of the client organization.\u00a0<\/p>\n With these methodologies, the leading indicator of success is an increase in the number of hazards reported and a decrease in incidents reported, Levine says. He notes that one early client doubled the number of hazards its employees reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, COVE\u2019s work has expanded across North America, Europe and Australia, with plans to continue growth. <\/p>\n As a business in the thought leadership space, one of the biggest challenges remains fostering enough engagement to educate people on COVE\u2019s mission, Pontsler says.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aIt\u2019s not a product someone can order from Amazon that shows up at their desk, and they can do something with,\u201d Pontsler explains. \u201cWe\u2019re building human capacity to be better critical thinkers, problem-solvers and communicators.\u201d<\/p>\n To that end, COVE must constantly examine its messaging to determine what\u2019s resonating and what isn\u2019t, Pontsler says.<\/p>\n Having spent nearly 40 years at two Fortune 500 companies, Pontsler appreciates COVE\u2019s willingness to move on from what doesn\u2019t work and progress quickly.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aThere\u2019s a lot in the arts about reflecting on the past and what it\u2019s taught us, and taking it and drawing interpretation from that in terms of what it might mean for our future,\u201d Pontsler says. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do in business. We\u2019re just trying to learn and get better. Or at least understand where we are and why.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n What can a Fortune 500 company learn from an art museum? Quite a lot, it turns out.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio<\/a> (TMA) has spent the past decade building its business, the Center of Visual Expertise (COVE<\/a>), which educates employees on visual literacy, allowing them to spot and avoid hazards on the job.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2024, employers reported roughly 2.5 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in private industry and more than 5,000 fatal work-related injuries across all sectors, according to the most recent available data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nBuilding on visual literacy and a track record of safety<\/h2>\n
Nonprofit doesn\u2019t mean for loss: COVE brings returns<\/h2>\n
The workshop model, foundations of hazard identification<\/h2>\n
Art and business: Reflect on the past for a better future<\/h2>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
\n