In the heart of Boston, Artists For Humanity (AFH) provides a dynamic hub where high schoolers dive headfirst into the exhilarating world of art and design. Since its inception in 1991, AFH has become the largest employer of teenagers in the city. More than 300 young visionaries unite with seasoned art and design mentors, along with the vibrant business community, to learn, collaborate and grow.

“Our teens are capable and intelligent, and all they need is opportunities to find success,” said AFH cofounder and Managing Director of Programs Jason Talbot. “We are of the opinion that if we can put our teen artists in a world-class, fully outfitted facility like this, they can thrive and shine and make the most of their lives.”

When we learned about the amazing work AFH was doing, we saw a fantastic opportunity to provide the teen artists with a unique canvas: the XLERATOR® Hand Dryers and XChanger® Combo Kits in the facility’s restrooms.

Picture This

Excel’s exclusive digital image technology has been used to create custom covers for top brands, sports teams and products around the world—but this is the first time it was used with original artwork. Excel employed it to transform the hand dryers into an extension of the masterpieces exhibited throughout the rest of the AFH building.

“We provided high-resolution files of our art to Excel Dryer,” said Rich Frank, director of business development at AFH. “They were able to apply that art directly to the dryers. They look amazing, like cool sculptural pieces. You can tell they’re hand dryers—just the coolest hand dryers you’ve ever seen.”

Beautiful and Practical

The custom XLERATORs do more than beautify the restrooms. They also help AFH’s state-of-the-art EpiCenter, the first LEED Platinum-certified building in Boston, increase hygiene and efficiency. The XLERATOR offers 95% cost savings over paper towels, eliminating labor, maintenance and waste while creating a more hygienic restroom environment.

“There’s less mess in the bathrooms. Paper towels aren’t flowing all over the place,” said Talbot. “As artists, we’re painting. We get our hands dirty. So, [handwashing] is an active part of our day.”

Excel Dryer’s Electrostatic HEPA Filtration (eHEPA) is proven to remove 99.999% of viruses from the airstream¹. In addition, XLERATORs with eHEPA eliminate the multiple unnecessary touch points associated with paper towels—as well as the risk of bacteria on used paper towel waste.

“We have eHEPA filters in all the dryers, which is a great feature,” Frank added. “It gives people a sense of safety and comfort.”

Some of the hand dryers are also equipped with Excel Dryer’s XChanger Combo Kit, an ADA-compliant recess kit. The kits promote maximum restroom accessibility and provide a simple retrofit solution for recessed paper towel dispensers and trash bins.

“We want to be welcoming to everybody. Having these kits—and adding the custom art—it’s probably the best bathroom experience in Boston,” said Frank.

A Picture-Perfect Collaboration

Excel Dryer is honored to support and showcase the work of these talented young artists. It’s thrilling for the teens to see their artwork featured in such an unexpected and energetic way.

“This is the next wave of community leaders, civic leaders, designers, creators,” said Frank. “When they see their art in these spaces, it’s so exciting to say, ‘I made that.’ The feeling to have their work seen and valued by many people is uplifting and sets our young people on a great trajectory for successful futures.”

Talbot agreed, adding, “This was an awesome partnership. We didn’t know how beautiful the hand dryers would be, but when we saw them, our eyes were popping out of our heads. It was the talk of the building; everybody was super excited to have the works of art helping us dry our hands and keeping everybody healthy.”

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Author Bio:

Joshua Griffing is the director of marketing and international sales at Excel Dryer, a family-owned and -operated company that revolutionized the industry with the invention of the XLERATOR® Hand Dryer. 

About Artists for Humanity EpiCenter and Excel Dryer:

The unique designs created by the nine student artists can be seen at the Artists For Humanity EpiCenter, 100 W 2nd Street, Boston. They are available for sale exclusively through Excel Dryer. A percentage of the proceeds is donated to Artists for Humanity. Visit go.exceldryer.com/afh-case-study to learn how to specify or purchase Excel hand dryers and/or accessories with AFH designs. 

Excel Dryer manufactures the touchless line of high-speed XLERATOR® Hand Dryers worldwide for hygienic, cost-effective, and sustainable hand drying. The XLERATOR reduces facilities hand drying expenses by 95% versus paper towels, while eliminating their labor, maintenance, and waste. Combined with the most options and complete line of accessories including an electrostatic HEPA Filtration System proven to remove 99.999% of viruses from the airstream*, the best hand drying solution can be designed for any restroom environment.