Art Placements in Renowned Episodic Television Series "Law & Order: Organized Crime"

Back in Spring of 2022 I was approached to curate a collection of artworks for the iconic television series "Law & Order: Organized Crime." The brief shared by the art department team lead was for several eye-catching pieces by an African American artist, or artists, to be used in a downtown NYC Gallery setting.

In the fall of 2021, while visiting Martha's Contemporary Gallery in Austin, TX, where I live and work, I came across a bold and vibrant piece by local artist Dawn Okoro that definitely caught my eye. For months it stayed in my mind, so for me the choice was clear.

Dawn's work is typically larger in scale, rendered in bold, bright colors, often incorporating gold leaf, with gyrating figures dressed in patterns that hearken to Dawn's Nigerian heritage and love of fashion. I absolutely fell in love with the work and so presented it to the art department for their consideration.

There was so much enthusiasm for her work, it was ultimately decided to place several of her pieces on two sets that would be involved in the storyline over several weeks of the season.

Millions of viewers had a chance not only to see Dawn's work, but hear Jennifer Beal, who was cast as the Gallery Director, mention Dawn's name and the title of one of her pieces "Effacement" in the dialogue - something unheard of in the industry.

For me, it was thrilling to be a part of the behind-the-scenes process. All of the decisions that have to be made in such a compressed period of time to bring a show like that to life. I had no idea how dynamic and complex it would be. Working with the caliber of creative talent I encountered with the art department was a professional dream come true.

The ultimate moment, of course, was watching the set come to life on live TV and seeing Dawn's pieces on the screen with the actors. It was surreal! Equally exciting was witnessing the reaction to Dawn's Instagram posts during and after the show aired. Thousands of reactions of delight and praise from fans, friends and family. I was smiling from ear to ear.

For me, this is what it's all about.