Karen Okner, president and show house producer, believes in artful living. She views each property she creates as a canvas celebrating the talents of pinnacle artisans, designers, and products, giving them the opportunity to shine in unmatched home environments. After producing Mesa Modern, one of the most successful Mid-century Modern design homes of Coachella Valley’s 2019 Modernism Week, her passion for curating and building show houses was ignited. Drawing on her 20-plus years of experience with fine art, graphic design, and gallery management, Karen was led to create the Design Collaborative, a collective of the best dream makers and builders in the business.
Chip Tom
Heather James Fine Art
Chip Tom is the Senior Curator for Heather James Fine Art and is based in Los Angeles and Palm Desert. He has curated many acclaimed art and design exhibitions globally, including Ketty La Rocca, and The Other Side: Chinese and Mexican Immigration to America. Chip has worked with museums ranging from Centre D’Art Contemporain, Geneva, to the USC Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena. Most recent projects include serving as the guest curator for Art Macau 2019. He received his BA from Yale University. Chip lectures extensively with recent groups including the California Desert Art Council, and Yale University Alumni.
Heather James Fine Art will be opening the vault for Morningstar Modern to select from the gallery’s most prized pieces in their esteemed collection. With works of masters such as Calder, Picasso, Basquiat, and de Kooning on display, Morningstar Modern will exhibit a record breaking $20 million in fine art. With an inimitable caliber of artwork adorning the home, the stage is set for private soirees, press launches, networking events and more to engage new designers, highly target prospective luxury clients, members of the press and more.