Custom Framing-Pandemic Style

Reflecting on the past year, we find ourselves overwhelmed with gratitude.

Thank you, Red Wing Framing customers, for making us essential.

This past year, the word "essential" has taken on new meanings. It's become a label for nearly everything—essential workers, essential businesses, essential services, and even essential… custom framing?

Yes, indeed.

Dear customer and friend, by entrusting us with framing, preserving, restoring, and enhancing your cherished items, you have made us essential. We've seen a significant increase in family mementos, treasured photographs, personal crafts, stitchery and needle arts, children's art, sports memorabilia, spiritual art and icons, historical figures and items, political posters, and even "saved" thrift store artworks. Thank you. You are 100% essential to us. Our hearts are full, our shop is bustling, and we proudly continue as dedicated preservers of personal, collective, and public essentials. Make an appointment with us today to preserve and display your treasures.

A few favorites from our team:

Stitchery! Valerie shares, "Stitching is very comforting to me. It's one of my personal passions, and I was able to get some great stitching done this past year. Seeing how others have stitched through the COVID year has been a great joy. Our creative passions help slow down life's craziness and leave treasures for generations. Let's keep creating!"

Florals! Clare adds, "One of my favorite quotes is by Lady Bird Johnson: 'Where flowers bloom, so does hope.' This past year, hope has been in great need and short supply for many, so it makes sense that people want to be surrounded by the simple, timeless beauty of nature. Flowers don't care about pandemics or politics. They simply deliver elegance, grace, and steadfastness. Flowers bring hope of renewal and will always look great in a frame on the wall facing your Zoom webcam!"

Puzzles! John says, "Puzzles have boomed in the pandemic era, and we've had a lot of fun seeing what our customers have put together. Pandemic puzzles will represent various memories of these times. They bring a sense of comfort and maybe even exemplify a 'job well done' while waiting to go back to work. Or maybe a puzzle is just a puzzle!"

Revive the Past: Make the Old New Again

As we reflect on 2019, we've been inspired by the influx of antiquated artworks, thrift store treasures, historical relics, and discovered family heirlooms that have found their way into our workshop. Starting the New Year, we're energized by our customers’ "old is new" projects and can't wait to see this trend continue. While brand-new pieces have their charm, in a world increasingly focused on "reduce, reuse, recycle," we're excited to motivate YOU to have some framing fun with your "old" treasures.

We have a few customers who are top-notch treasure hunters, masters in the art of unearthing "lost art." They find old, discarded, and forgotten artworks in secondhand shops, antique stores, and online platforms like Etsy and eBay. Originals, prints, etchings, drawings, paintings, needleworks—the variety is endless, and each piece carries its own history and character. Our mission is both preservation and presentation—we prepare the art to be displayed in a way that honors its aesthetic essence and ensures it will be protected for many years of enjoyment. Old family pieces and "lost and found" childhood artworks have also topped the frame-worthy list. It's amazing what a fresh frame and mat can do to rejuvenate these pieces!

Another facet of the "old is new" movement is the restoration of vintage family photos. Our digital experts can revitalize, refresh, and digitally repair your cherished photographs. Need extra prints of Great Aunt June for your cousins? Discovered a photo with an old coffee stain across Grandma’s smile? We can fix that, and we can print that! We're also specialists in caring for original photographs. Preserving old photos is both a science and an art, and our certified professionals will help you make the right choices with materials and mounting processes to ensure the safekeeping of your photographic heirlooms. The safest place for your old photos—if not tucked away in an acid-free album—is in a frame with UV-protective glass and archival materials.

So, what do you have stashed under the bed in that old family box that might be worth displaying? How about that drawing your daughter created in 8th grade, or Great Aunt June’s cross-stitch sampler? Maybe you've stumbled upon a painting at the Salvation Army that deserves a revival?

Art is all around us, and we challenge YOU to make the old new again.

We're here to help you transform your cherished finds into stunning displays that tell a story. Whether it's in person, via email, text, or video, let's bring new life to your treasured pieces together

New Gallery Collection: Alphonse Mucha

We are excited to showcase the first framed pieces from our collection of Alphonse Mucha prints. Mucha, a Czech artist (1860-1939), was known to have “drawn before he could walk.” His artistic career skyrocketed after he was urgently selected to create a poster for the Parisian stage star Sarah Bernhardt's production of Gismonda. Bernhardt was enamored with Mucha's work, and his creation transformed the art poster industry. For years, Mucha's talent was in high demand. Today, we can appreciate his works in various forms, including print reproductions of his production posters and decorative panels. Mucha was celebrated for making beautiful art accessible to a broader audience, offering his prints and posters at affordable prices. According to the Mucha Foundation, "It was Mucha’s belief that through the creation of beautiful works of art, the quality of life would be improved. He also believed that it was his duty as an artist to promote art for ordinary people.”

We are delighted to present our first set of framed Mucha prints, now available for viewing and purchase in our galleries. Each piece is framed with exquisite, preservation-quality materials to honor the artist's compelling vision and the inspiration and beauty he sought to elevate for everyone. Silk mats, museum glass, and delicate-style frames highlight the magnificent women in Mucha's works, offering viewers a unique experience with each piece.

Learn more about Alphonse Mucha at www.muchafoundation.org and visit our galleries to see the collection for yourself! Both framed works and prints are available for purchase in our gallery.

The Identity Project

Supporting Local Art: Riverside Central Elementary School Exhibit

In June 2018, we had the great privilege of supporting a fantastic local art exhibit developed by Riverside Central Elementary School in Rochester, MN. Over 530 students at Riverside created collages and artworks featuring their own portraits, encouraged to let their personalities shine and truly be themselves. The artwork is exhibited at the Minnesota Children's Museum of Rochester and will eventually be incorporated into an outdoor mural on the school.

Our role? Framing and printing!

Six students were chosen to have their artwork reproduced and professionally framed for the exhibit. Additionally, the framed pieces will be auctioned to benefit arts education at Riverside and the mission of the Minnesota Children's Museum of Rochester. We were thrilled to work with the project coordinators and, of course, the amazing young artists.

Our framing choices honored the individuality of each artist and their piece. Frames were selected to reflect the student's portrait, coordinate with the collages, and align with each artist's personality. Each student also completed an artist profile, which was displayed alongside their framed artwork.

As we always say, we heart kid's art, and this project stole our hearts in a big way. Show your support by visiting the exhibit, running through September 9, 2018, at the Minnesota Children's Museum of Rochester.

Thank you to Riverside School principal Matt Ruzak, fourth-grade teacher Melanie Shaw, instructor and coordinator Lida Casper, and the Minnesota Children's Museum of Rochester for their support of this project and media release.

Worth It.

What Makes Something Worthy of Framing?

Does it need to be a masterpiece by a renowned artist? Should it have a hefty price tag or historical significance? Sure, in May 2018, the Peggy and David Rockefeller family auctioned $600 million worth of original works by Monet, Renoir, and Picasso in New York City. These pieces undoubtedly fit all those criteria, and we would be honored to frame the work of such masters.

In the business world, perceived value is defined as "the worth a customer ascribes to a product or service." In our world of framing, perceived value extends beyond monetary worth to encompass the sentimental and emotional value a customer assigns to the artwork or object being framed. Our most cherished projects are those that resonate with our customers' stories—their hearts, histories, lives, families, memories, and hopes.

So, what if your project is just something your child drew in kindergarten, an old needlepoint your grandmother stitched, or simply a picture you found and liked? (Yes, we hear the word "just" a lot.)

Frame-worthy? ABSOLUTELY!

There is no price tag that can capture the true worth of such projects. Consider the value to you or your child who sees their artwork professionally displayed, fostering encouragement for creative and educational endeavors. Think about the value of preserving your grandmother's stitchery, a piece passed down through generations, keeping her name and story alive. And even if it's "just a picture you liked," that connection alone merits preservation. The reasons to frame something don't have to be deep or philosophical, but the impacts of these projects can be truly priceless.

You have entrusted us with your project to frame. We are honored to learn and share in your story. Fine custom framing is our passion and our story, and we are equally privileged to work with your $66 million Van Gogh or your late pup’s paw print in plaster. If it matters to you, it matters to us.

So, is it frame-worthy? Yes, and you don't need to justify it.

Frame Story: Dan and His "Fur Family"

Meeting Dan: A Journey in Framing and Friendship

We first met Dan in 2015 when he visited our Red Wing shop after a Google search for framing and printing. Dan’s initial project utilized both services—printing his commissioned artwork and framing it. He was a pleasure to work with, easygoing, and appreciative of our high-touch service style.

"You all took some time to get to know me and you listen to my input when selecting frames. I was involved in the whole process. How often does that even happen anymore?" Dan remarked.

Meet Dan, Paavo, and Miss Belle! Paavo resides at Wishbone Ranch and is part of the non-profit "This Old Horse" retirement program. "Miss Belle" is a young Friesian cross who is still in training. "They bring a lot of joy and meaning into my life," Dan shared about his horses. In addition to being a horseman, Dan is a cat lover! Here's Angel and Smushie.

We are proud to continue helping Dan tell his story by framing his many commissions. Dan prefers framing that complements both the artwork and his home decor style, and he appreciates our Tru Vue museum glass for its unmatched clarity and UV protection.

"I have been super pleased with all the work you’ve done. Important since I look at them every day!" Dan shared.

Check out a few of Dan's amazing ‘pet’ projects!

Cead Mille Failte

"A hundred thousand welcomes" is the English translation of this Gaelic salutation. This cross stitch was expertly mounted over an archival board and framed with a perfectly patterned moulding. These projects showcase the time, talent, and creativity of needle artists, and we are experts at helping our customers achieve their finished piece. I wonder how one might express "a hundred thousand stitches"?