Denise Kaplan, president of Frame Décor & Gallery, Inc., Marlboro, announced the specifics of an
effort by the art business community in New Jersey on behalf of Hurricane Katrina evacuees.
Perth Amboy has renovated 100 apartments and made them available for 100 Gulf Coast families
recently displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
Originally approached by designer Ed Lewis to assist in furnishing and decorating the units,
Kaplan and Frame Décor initially thought of donating a few prints that could be framed to suit,
but instead decided to do more.
The art business community was recruited, and they have responded.
Laura McMahon, of Nurre Caxton, guided Kaplan to Fred Katzman, Neilsen-Bainbridge's
director of operations at its Monroe Township facility, his assistant, Maria Santos and Andres
Farjardo, distribution senior supervisor. They put together a donation of more than 100 mat boards
and frames (essentially much of the raw materials) for the framed art part of this project,
Kaplan also contacted Kathy Carter-McLin, marketing communications manager of Tru Vue Glass. Tru
Vue donated 10 boxes of glass for the project.
Kaplan is now in the process of culling prints from Frame Décor's inventory, mounting, matting,
and framing at least 100 framed pieces of art for the families.