Chet Gold and Ariel Adkins met in 2020, when Chet performed his music & spoken word in a program called Beyond the Uniform at the Museum of Modern Art, highlighting the creativity & unique perspectives of the museum’s security officers, where Chet held the role of Security Manager.  

At the program, Chet spoke about the positive impact that working alongside Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, 1914 - 26, during his museum security shifts had on his creative energy. About his time spent with the Water Lilies, he has reflected that, “Negative thoughts just didn’t work in this room … I think the painting is just too beautiful to support anything that’s not optimism.” 

Though he wears a uniform at work, Chet’s personal style is colorful and lively, reflecting his personality. Ariel and Chet decided to collaborate on a hand-painted garment inspired by Chet's favorite work of art. The jumpsuit was designed to embody the energy of the artwork while also making Chet an extension of the work. The garment is hand-dyed and painted. 

Ariel hand-delivered the jumpsuit to Chet while he was working a security shift at MoMA. A few days later, the MoMA team shot a special video featuring Chet discussing his love of Water Lilies and its impact on him, and he wore the Artfully Awear jumpsuit as his attire for the special video feature. 

The jumpsuit has become his signature garment, worn on special occasions and for shoots such as the album cover for his 2021 album Love is the Leverage.

In February 2022, to announce UNIQLO NYC Nights, free tickets to the museum for New Yorkers, the image of Chet in his custom Artfully Awear jumpsuit was featured in an out of home and online campaign across the 5 boroughs of New York City. It received a full-page ad in The New York Times on February 25, 2022.

Since this collaboration, Chet Gold has left his position as security guard at MoMA and gone on to pursue his art full-time. You can see more of his work on his website here.