Today we’d like to introduce you to Marian ORourke-Kaplan.
Marian, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Walla Walla, Washington and as long as I can remember I loved creating things. My first love was fashion, sewing unique clothes that allowed me to stand out from the crowd. After graduating with a B.F.A. in Fashion Design, from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri I relocated to Dallas, in 1971, to pursue a career in the Fashion Industry. Working my way from assistant designer through designer, production manager and operations manager I became skilled in all facets of the design manufacturing process.
Throughout my twenty-one-year fashion industry career, business travels to New York, Los Angeles, Montreal, and Europe, inspired me to design accessories. In order to improve my skills and increase the materials and methods, I could work with I studied Jewelry making at El Centro College, Richland College and Northlake College. It became an avid interest and took me to a Summer workshop at Pendland College in North Carolina to study with Pat Flynn, a highly regarded jewelry artisan from New Paltz, New York. During those years, I sold my work to individual customers as well as specialty boutiques such as The Gazebo, in Dallas.
In 1992 I started my second career as a member of the Fashion Design Faculty at the University of North Texas, Denton. While at UNT, I maintained a consistent record of design work; had many opportunities to act as a consultant to small start-up apparel operations and had an excellent record of accomplishment with designs acceptance into juried exhibitions through professional associations; I was active in. I won awards for design through the Threads Challenge via ASDP (Association of Sewing and Design Professionals), being published in the Threads magazine three times as well as winning 3rd place in Design at the Joint Symposium between ITAA (International Textile and Apparel Association) and BIFT (Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology) in Beijing, China in 2012. I exhibited my fashion and jewelry at the UNT Art Gallery, the 1995 DWCA (Dallas Women’s Caucus for Art) national juried exhibition “Time Span”, the L.A. Thompson Gallery in Dallas, and the Michelle D. Long Gallery of Coppell. I sold my “treasure Boxes” to the Dallas Museum of Art Gift Shop as well as Neiman Marcus Stores nationwide during this period.
I retired from academia in May of 2018 after 26 years at UNT. I then launched my third career by pursuing my art full time. I have focused on two mediums, fused glass and mixed metal jewelry. I built a new website, built out my home studio to accommodate both my fused glass and jewelry making passions. I pursued some boutiques, held trunk shows and started applying to art fairs to get my work out in the public’s eye. I was accepted into the Urban Artist’s Market in Addison in October 2019 and had a successful show with my fused glass home decor work. I look forward to the spring show and other opportunities that come my way.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One big challenge that has presented itself is the overcrowded jewelry market. Many shows that I have applied to are closed to jewelers as they already have a large number participating. The fact that I am also working in fused glass has helped me get my name out there. I have had success with trunk showings of my jewelry in a retail setting and plan to continue that path as well as exploring an Etsy or Facebook store to expand sales.
Another challenge is price points. There is a resistance to the higher price range items in some venues and finding the right venues to be able to get a fair price for original work takes some effort and careful analysis.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with MOK Design – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
MOK Design has two categories of product: fused Glass home decor and mixed metal, semi-precious stone jewelry. In my fused glass articles, my fashion background shines through in the color combinations and striking patterns seen throughout my body of work. I create bowls, plates, platters, totem/sun catchers and mobiles.
My jewelry work shows a great influence of the fashion world I’ve been a part of my entire career. I design bold pieces that turn a simple ensemble into a statement. My main items are necklaces, brooches and earrings. I experiment with many textures, natural stones, varied ornaments and materials, and a mix of metals played against each other. I create cold connections and utilize several patina’s which take the more basic metals such as copper or brass into another dimension.
Both categories have unique patterns and details that make them stand apart from other work seen in the market place.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
No big changes in store, just increasing my visibility through more venues and development of additional styles of product that will increase my success at the art shows in which I participate.
I have had four glass pieces accepted into the “Gift of Art” show at the MCL Grand Gallery in Lewisville December 7-28th and I will be exhibiting in the spring Urban Artist Market in Addison May 2020.
Pricing:
- Jewelry ranges from $80- $250
- Fused glass ranges from $35 – $200
Contact Info:
- Address: 2812 Cambridgeshire Dr
Carrollton, TX 75007 - Website: www.mokdesign.com
- Phone: 214-683-4446
- Email: moktx1@gmail.com
- Instagram: orourkekaplan
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