Blog Posts - Karen McCooey

It is my privilege to be serving you.

12/20/2014

Just saying thank you.
-Karen 12/20/2014, 6:01 a.m.
www.RichardAndKarenMarie .com

Karen, do you have any promotions going on ?

12/15/2014

Yes, the Georgetown University print is free when you let us frame it for you for $550 -; or buy the print unframed for $250-. As long as you place your order by December 22nd, we can get it to you in time for Christmas. Hover over the "Private Art Collection" tab above and select "Georgetown University by Gable". Thank you for asking.
-Karen, 12/15/2014, 8:28 a.m.

Karen, will you be changing Persona's design aesthetic?

12/10/2014

Our design firm, Persona Studios, has a long and rich history. Of course, I learned from Richard, who I regard as a design genius. I learned too from our clients. They are the ones who have to keep their customers happy, their food delicious, and their business profitable. Just this past May, in The Wall Street Journal, reporter, Jemima Sissons, wrote about many chef-owners around the world reaching out to designers who could give their restaurant a local "flavor". They want to avoid the "'I could be anywhere' blandness that comes from ... a stark-white Modernist room." This is where Persona Studios fits in. At the same time, it is my job to make sure the design idea, and its execution, remain globally relevant and make sense to today's ever-demanding guest. Knowing how to change a design to meet that need is the challenge. The constants that the club, hotel, resort, or restaurant can count on us for having are the finest taste, second only to having the talent to getting at that illusive "soul". Richard's legacy.
-Karen, 12/10/2014, 7:03 a.m.

Karen, have you relocated to Connecticut?

12/9/2014

No, I have not relocated to Connecticut. While I am looking into business opportunities here, my corporation (although in my heart it will always be Richard's and my corporation) remains based in Washington, D.C. I have plans to move back to Georgetown soon. In the meantime, I live and work out of my home office here in Greenwich, which is a beautiful town. And, I'm enjoy being so close to NYC and to my "up north" family and friends.
-Karen, 12/9/2014, 11:51 a.m.

Karen, what exactly is World AIDS Day?

12/1/2014

"World AIDS Day" was part of the first global health day that began in 1988. Now "World AIDS Day" is held on December 1st of each year and it's huge. It "is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. " .Just about every country and community has an initiative going on today. I want to be a part of it and I thought you would too.

Here in the U.S., since 1985, there have been Presidential Proclamations signed to officially mark this day and bring us into the global effort. Yesterday President Barack Obama did the same. I posted a copy of the proclamation on ww.RichardMcCooey.org. "World AIDS Day" is one of the 8 official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization see: www.WHO.int. RED is Bono's initiative, asking companies like Apple.com to donate all their sales today to the effort. 650 babies are born every single day with the HIV virus in Africa, and Bono believes that suffering can be brought down to zero. While we can't donate every dollar in sales today, we can donate a percentage; I know every dollar makes a difference. I know it adds up.

So, if you can make your purchase on our site today, that would be great. Why? Because it matters. Our check will be made payable to: The United Nations Foundation, in Richard's name, see: www.RichardMcCooey.org for more information.

-Karen 12/1/2014, 8:26 a.m.

Karen, did you raise the money for GU Rowing's boat?

11/28/2014

Yes! We did raise the $18,000- for the Georgetown University Rowing Teams launch ! Sorry we were delayed in keeping the page updated on the www.RichardMcCooey.org website, but you can read about it there. So many thanks go to so many people for their involvement. In the spring, they will christen the boat the "Richard McCooey". I have no words.
-Karen 11/28/2014, 1:22 p.m.

Karen, what is your next design project?

11/26/2014

Our next design project is the pub in the Army Navy Club of Washington, DC. Michael Foster, AIA, owner of the awarding-winning firm: MTFA Architects, has invited Persona Studios in on the job. I'm looking forward to working on this space for four main reasons: doing work that Richard and I enjoyed makes me feel close to Richard, I enjoy working with the MTFA team, I'm grateful to be able to continue to develop as an art and design consultant, and finally, creating a space in which our retired and active soldiers will be proud to spend time, is an honor. (I will be posting photos of the progress.)
-Karen 11/26/2014, 6:22 p.m.

Karen, how can your Trophy Ceremony label empower men and women ?

11/25/2014

I want to see mountains conquered; mountains of oppression. They exist absolutely everywhere, all over the world in peoples' minds. Oppressive thoughts lead to oppressive behaviors. It has been deadly. Both men and women suffer, and children suffer. Wearing our shirt with the Trophy Ceremony label says : "I am a champion!", "We achieve goals!", "Our team matters!". But it's not for athletes alone, everyone benefits from the idea of holding a trophy high above one's head. The powerful feeling generated inside each individual, as a result, can help everyone conquer these mountains. Trophy Ceremonies are held on the top of proverbial conquered mountains. With our logo, not only does a man hold a trophy high for the men's apparel logo, but also a woman holds the trophy high for the women's apparel logo. This has never been done before. Women have their own logo now. All of us, men and women alike, have been wearing a logo of a man riding a polo pony, or an alligator, or a sheep dangling from a ribbon for decades.
-Karen 11/25/2014, 10:17 a.m.

Karen, how do you decide which original prints and posters to sell?

11/24/2014

We own duplicates of some prints and posters. For example, the French travel poster that I have posted for sale on our site is one of two that we own. Oftentimes Richard and I would forget whether or not we had a particular piece. If we came upon an antique or vintage print or poster and loved it, we bought it. Hence the duplicates, and sometimes triplicates. Another reason to sell an original from our collection would be to tighten up our own categories. The limited edition print by the renowned marine artist, John Stobart that I have up for sale too, is a good example. Having only one piece by this artist made it an easy decision to sell it. This will allow someone else to enjoy it and allow us use the proceeds to add to one of our already established categories. There can be other reasons too of course, but I'd say these are the two main reasons.
-Karen 11/24/2014, 6:22 a.m.

Karen, what brings the seemingly disparate parts of your business together?

11/22/2014

Bringing our whole story together was the ongoing quest for Richard and me. We have so many products and services that we want to bring to people. The website, as it is constructed now, took a lot of discussion over a long period of time to design. Allow me to be bold and state that we are fashioning ourselves after Ralph Lauren, only on a much smaller scale. I see it as starting with the individual by offering Trophy Ceremony shirts, then moving on to the home by selling pieces from our Private Art Gallery, then going to the national and global community with our Hospitality Design Team, Persona Studios. The thread running through it all is our collective personality, our voice, our particular style. I want to continue creating the world that Richard and I envisioned for everyone. - Karen 11/22/2014, 8:34 am

Karen

Designer. Artist. Framer.

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