Artists Registry
New York NY United States
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Artist's Statement
Statement of Work
RISE ABOVE
In the days following September 11th, 2001, Karen Simon, a graphic designer working in lower Manhattan created this inspirational graphic framing the tragedy against a backdrop of the American flag with the inspirational words “Rise Above” sending a message of hope for the future. She hoped to help ease the pervasive feelings of hopelessness and fear in NYC after this unthinkable tragedy.
She enlisted the help of outdoor media companies who donated space for two billboards at the Lincoln Tunnel and at the Midtown Tunnel. Hundreds of thousands of people saw the image over an eight-month span. This image has been accepted into the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and The Library of Congress.
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Karen Simon brings a fresh and committed approach to the creative process, backed by over 30 solid years of experience in advertising, marketing, design and illustration. A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Karen entered the field of advertising joining Leber Katz Partners in 1979. As an Art Director, her client list included The Ad Council Against Drunk Driving, Ralph Lauren Cosmetics, RJR/Nabisco and Hartmann Luggage.
In 1986, LKP merged with Foote, Cone and Belding. Karen took on new account responsibility including AT&T Network Systems. Her award winning work on this account helped this division launch a successful spin-off, Lucent Technologies. It also resulted in FCB being invited to the table to pitch for AT&T's Long Distance business which FCB won.
In 1994, Karen parlayed her technology expertise to acquire the position of Creative Director for BoxHill Systems. Karen established the in-house design department responsible for creating a corporate identity system, advertising program, direct mail, catalog, product design and web site.
Karen founded Simon Design over fifteen years ago. Simon Design was restructured in 2003 to create Simon Does. Using an innovative and collaborative approach, Karen finds unique, custom solutions to clients needs. Her client list is diverse and includes major corporations and nonprofit organizations such as The American Civil Liberties Union, Pfizer, PPNYC, The Empire State Pride Agenda, Children's Rights, Hitachi Data Systems, Angel Records, The Rockefeller Foundation, and The Ford Foundation.
In addition to her BFA from Parsons School of Design, Karen graduated with a BA from the Fine Arts department of Binghamton University. She has taught Advertising Design at The Fashion Institute of Technology and guest lectured at Pratt Institute. Karen is the recipient of numerous regional and national design awards. Karen's work is part of the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institute and the Library of Congress.