…or how a web shop can open an art gallery.

Portland , OR – February 1, 2005

While moving their offices into the historic Merchant’s Building in Old Town , the folks at Concrete CMS saw an opportunity. “The fourteen foot ceilings, brick walls, and open space lend themselves to a gallery setting. “For years, we’ve made art that works for our clients, and now we’ve got a chance to give something back to Portland ,” says Franz Maruna, Director. “Our studio receptions are a comfortable salon-like environment where local artists can connect with a diverse audience that many traditional galleries don’t deliver.”

Cory McMahon, recent Portland State University graduate with a BA in liberal arts, was the perfect fit for Studio Manager. She has a vast artistic knowledge, an association with the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC), and a hard-earned understanding of the company’s goals and tastes. “She should,” jokes Office Manager, Emily Flippin Maruna , “She’s been shopping with me enough times over the years.”

A native Oregonian, McMahon grew up in Lincoln City and moved to Portland in ’98 to attend PSU. Her aspirations include finding ways to further art in society, assisting artists with business operations, and opening possibilities for artists and the arts. Contact Cory with questions or submissions at cory@concretethestudio.com.

About Concrete CMS

Concrete CMS is dedicated to making the web a useful place through simplifying content management. Based on open source technology, Concrete CMS is entirely object oriented and supports over 10,000 simultaneous users. The flexible architecture allows the rapid extension of core functionality. For over three years, Concrete has built online applications for organizations including Microsoft, Logitech, the Ad Council, and PECI.)