Jay and Karen: Partners in Everything - Working Together to Make an Impact
Jay and Karen, our five children, and now our granddaughter and grandson (and one more on the way!), live lives that celebrate community service and volunteerism. We raised our family in Mount Kisco, which we have called home for more than 35 years, and we have deep roots in this community. We see The Aesthetic Sense: Goods for the Soul as a retail source for good: sort of “world peace and understanding through shopping.”
One ideal forms the foundation of our new collection: the most cherished items, regardless of price, are those that reflect not only the buyer's taste, but values as well. Along with so many of our friends and clients, we have come to cherish increasingly those goods that are authentic and that are ethically sourced. We are proud that our new collection reflects this commitment to such goods.
We are also committing ourselves to presenting unique products from artists and craftspeople who we want you to know, understand, and "meet." To that end, we will endeavor to bring you on the journey from artist's inspiration to creation to showcase. Moreover, in addition to representing renowned artists, we will provide first-time exposure and a sales venue for local and cottage industry artists and artisans. We hope that the gallery will enhance community culture and served as a community resource. In furtherance of these core values, Karen is an advisory board member of Fair Trade Judaica, a national organization that promotes fair trade as a Jewish value through educating the Jewish community and by expanding the production, distribution, and sale of fair trade products; Jay is an active volunteer in a number of local organizations. A portion of our profits will be donated to charity.
eCommerce only - Stronger than Ever!
We have closed our brick and mortar store, and moved our enterprise on-line. While we miss seeing our clients on a daily basis, we are very excited!
Why?
For 17 years, Jay and Karen operated The Aesthetic Sense: Fine Art and Judaica, creating a place to showcase the finest and most unique Judaica from around the globe. Looking to develop and use different skills, 2 years ago we both took the opportunity to pursue other career paths - both of us devoting our time and energy to the nonprofit world. And so we said what we thought was a final farewell to our friends and clients at The Aesthetic Sense.
During those two years, we took a journey and rediscovered the things that delight our souls. We used our time on hiatus to reconnect with people, places and things that inspire and energize us. While on this journey, we realized how much we missed The Aesthetic Sense and all that it meant to us.
Then, not long ago, we were invited to speak to a group of artists showing at a juried Judaica show about the joys and pitfalls of being in retail. Of great surprise to us, speaking to the artists, walking though the displays, and just feeling the exciting buzz, had a quite unexpected side effect and impact on us. It made us realize that we have retail in our blood and, notwithstanding the wonderful work we have both been doing in the nonprofit world, that we want to get back in.
We were driven to re-introduce The Aesthetic Sense as the home for all things "good for the soul" which will inspire, delight and give meaning to our daily lives. And so we came back.
But times are changing. To reflect these changes, we moved our model to an on-line format, welcoming clients from around the globe. To ensure that our clients receive the personal attention that they deserve, we are happy to FaceTime or Skype and show you things in which you are interested. In addition, local clients are still invited to view our merchandise at our distribution center. Feel free to contact us to make an appointment.
The Flagship Gallery - Closed the Door, but not the Soul
Building a new and beautiful flagship gallery, one worthy of the art work and functional creations it will host, was sometimes fun and exciting, other times daunting and overwhelming, equal parts amazing and frustrating, usually all at the same time! We brought in the amazing architectural design team of Ruth Bushko and Linda Dishner, two of the most talented, creative, and easy to work with women that we know. They listen. They respect timelines and budgets. Most important, they are not afraid to challenge what they perceive to be mistakes even as they listen.
And listen they did. They listened to what we wanted to do, the community we hoped to create, and the respect and love we have for the work that we display. They brought in a great team: a carpenter, a painter, and an electrician. We laughed, we argued, we bantered, and we got it done. The result: a major overhaul of the space. New ceilings, new floor design, new lights, new shelves, new counter, new - new everything.
The flagship gallery remains alive in our hearts -- the perfect home for our goods for the soul.
The Aesthetic Sense Then -- And NOW!
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1997The Aesthetic Sense: Fine Art and Judaica Opens Its Doors -
2013The Aesthetic Sense: Fine Art and Judaica Says Farewell -
Early 2013The Idea Percolates: Relaunching a New and Evolved Aesthetic Sense -
June 10, 2015The Aesthetic Sense: Goods for the Soul opens its doors again and launches its eCommerce site.
Our clients and our artisans are our friends and our peers, and we cherish and actively nurture those relationships.
The Aesthetic Sense recognizes the individuality of not only the artist, but of the client, and will encourage the client to express his or her personality in making the purchase. We can never underestimate the value of establishing, maintaining, and strengthening interpersonal relationships with vendors, clients, and professional associates, with mutual respect and shared passions serving as the foundation of these relationships. We are the destination of choice for clients seeking timeless pieces with an emphasis on a superior user experience.
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