We are serious about frames. 

Frames serve two key functions. First, most obviously, a picture’s frame distinguishes the art from the not-art and draws the viewer’s attention to the art and shapes how the viewer sees the art.

The more important purpose of the frame is to protect the art.  Just as walls get bumped and bashed, so too art gets bumped and bashed. Equally damaging are environmental harms. UV rays fade the image and darken the paper. Pollutants and moisture in the air cause hazing, degradation of the medium, and foxing and other damage to the paper. And the framing itself can cause damage: Acid in the matboard and in the art’s substrate, for example, will burn the paper over time.

Our frames protect your artwork.

When purchasing art from us, in virtually every case your art will be protected by UV-filtering glazing. We use UV-filtering glass specially-made for fine art or, to protect against breakage for larger works, UV-Filtering Plexiglass. The filtering blocks 99% of UV-rays.

Our mats are always acid-free, as are our backer boards. We primarily use 100% cotton rag matboard, with buffering materials to counteract against acid that may be found in the work. We seal the backs of the frames (either with acid-free framer’s tape or an acid-free dust panel) to keep pollutants away from the art.

In short, when we frame the work, we protect against Ultraviolet light that burns and fades the work, we seal the frame package against environmental pollutants, and everything inside the frame is acid-free to avoid the acid burn that afflicts so much art.

Our frames suit your artwork.

Real art deserves real framing.  A smart picture on the wall shouldn’t be dumbed down with a cheap frame.  A self-important frame is just as bad. And don’t even think about using an over-the-top frame. The frame should be a thing of beauty but it’s beauty should derive from and resonate with the art. It should never be more than the art.

Whenever suitable to the work, our frames will be solid hardwood, typically of a simple, unfussy design. We usually use a simple waxed finish for good protection with ease of long-term care. We also frequently use metal frames of the highest quality when it better suits the work. And whenever we have the opportunity to reframe a work in its period or artist-installed frame, we do so.

The hanging wire we use on the back of the picture is coated with a rubberized coating to avoid degradation of the wire over time and to make a more secure hanging. We generally aim for the top of the wire to be about two inches from the top of the picture to make it easier to position your hook.

If you are trying to carefully align the artwork horizontally with other works of art, which might require very careful vertical alignment, please let us know. We will happily install a turnbuckle in the wire, which will allow you to make small adjustments in the length of the wire, and thereby tweak the height of the picture, without damaging your wall with multiple holes.