January 13th, 2010
The staff and facilities of Metropolitan Frame Company will be unavailable from January 23 through January 26th so they can attend their industries National Conference and Trade Show in Las Vegas, Neveda. The brief closure dates will effect the Walnut location on Monday the 25th and Tuesday the 26th and the Corona location Saturday the 23rd and Tuesday the 26th.
Our staff of seven will attend workshops and lectures in everything from preservation to gilding to picture frame history. We will also attend our industries largest trade show in search of new products and solutions to share in our marketplace.
- Andrew Stemple
April 9th, 2009
- Platte River Art Services at 350 N. Santa Fe Drive in Denver, CO
A legend among regional picture framers, Platte River Art Services has closed its doors. Wednesday April 8th, at 10:30 in the morning, the employees were told to go home as the phones were turned off and doors closed forever. Platte River had been climbing out of a costly expansion mishap in 2007, recovering from that misfortune would require a good economy and a few good strokes of luck. Instead they were dealt the same hand the rest of us are dealing with and the region has lost a valuable institution because of it.
Founder Bob Pietlock brought archival expertise and hand gilt frames to the Front Range and Rocky Mountain Region, he made it possible for businesses like Metropolitan Frame Company to exist by educating the market of these products and services. Bob Pietlock made it possible for the framers that followed him to do good work!
I have known Bob for 15 years; we met when he graciously agreed to consult with me as I opened our first retail store in 1994. I walked through his facility like a kid in a candy store, and I quickly set my sights on where I wanted to position my company in the marketplace. Metropolitan Frame now works with the countries best frame makers, companies from New York serving the country since the turn of the century, but Platte River achieved the same mastery in their home grown facility making it possible for museums and collectors to manage their artwork locally.
Bob called me within hours of closing his doors, he wanted my permission to refer his customers to MFC; the ultimate compliment. With that said, I extend a warm welcome to Platte River’s loyal customers; you have my word that Metropolitan Frame will uphold the passion and expertise of Platte River Art Services.
- Andrew Stemple
March 4th, 2009
2006 AP photo vs. Fairey's "Hope"
Before his Obama obsession, Fairey was known for his graphic interpretations of pop cultural icons like Andre The Giant, Andy Warhol and even the Corleone family. His Obama imagery has thrust him into the mainstream with print collectors and Barack enthusiasts, and now we will find out if the mainstream rules apply to him.
In early February, the Associated Press threatened Shepard with copyright infringement for his Hope image born from a photograph taken by photographer Mannie Garcia. The A.P. says the image belonged to them and required their permission while Fairey’s attorney argues that he his protected under the Fair Use Project. Fairey’s reaction became a lawsuit against the A.P. seeking a declaratory judgement to state he did not infringe on The A.P.’s copyrights. To make things even more interesting, photographer Mannie Garcia would like to cash in on Fairey’s success as well, however he had a freelance contract with A.P. at that time and took the picture while on assignment on their behalf. I don’t have a dog in this fight; I just wanted to summarize the latest Shepard Fairey headlines and provide the following links as his Obama images have been very popular in our frame shops over the past twelve months.
obeygiant.com
huffingtonpost.com
artsbeat.com
espressobeans.com
- Andrew Stemple
February 26th, 2009
Andy Libertone, a fixture in Denver’s art landscape for the past 35 years has an exhibit at Spark Gallery opening February 26 through March 21. Perhaps best known for his public sculptures like the Gazebo at 6th Avenue and Broadway in downtown Denver, the show titled “Ink & Steel” showcases his steel sculptures and the original drawings that inspire them.
Untitled; Metallic Ink on Paper
Born in New York City, Andy attended Parsons School of Design, San Fransisco Art Institute and Stanford University. He is widely collected in private and corporate collections, has participated in numerous group and one man shows, and has exhibited in the Blatimore Museum of Art, Denver Art Museum and Joslyn Art Museum.
Metropolitan Frame has worked with Andy for years, I collect his work personally and encourage you to see his show and learn more about him at www.ajlibertone.com.
- Andrew Stemple
October 5th, 2008
Termed an art incubator, the new RedLine art center will have it’s inaugural event October 24th, 2008. Self described as an urban laboratory to connect emerging artists with their potential, founder Laura Merage’s vision is to assist emerging artists as they build their portfolios and take their careers to the next level. Located in downtown Denver, RedLine received a design award from the AIA for the remodel of it’s facility, the former warehouse shell was filled with art studios, gallery space, administrative offices and a dramatic exterior face-lift. The center will host 15-20 resident artists at any given time for a 2-3 year period; in exchange for the affordable studio space artists agree to engage in healthy criticism and debate among the visiting artists, exhibits, lectures and direction from the centers judges and leadership board. Metropolitan Frame Company is working with RedLine and it’s artists providing framing and presentation expertise. For more information on RedLine and their inaugural event, visit redlineart.org or contact Sara Chaitin at schaitin@redlineart.org.
- Andrew Stemple
September 22nd, 2008
Working with Civic Entertainment Group out of New York City, Metropolitan Frame Company worked among the hustle and bustle deadlines of the broadcasting and political world helping CNN (Cable News Network) temporarily transform local restaurants in Denver and St. Paul into the “CNN Grill” during the Democratic and Republican National Conventions of August 2008. The production schedule was rapid and exciting; MFC was responsible for framing medium to large (48×72 inch) photographs of news correspondence and presidential candidates. The images were digital files sent from New York to Infinite Editions in Wheatridge, Colorado to be printed. Ron Landucci did an excellent job printing and delivering them to us (overnight, 10-20 pieces at a time) so we could then frame them either overnight or in the same afternoon to keep pace with the demanding schedule. During the last days of the Democratic National Convention, New York sent Ron the last ten images to print on a Thursday evening. He delivered those prints to us around noon on Friday; they were then framed, crated and in St. Paul on Saturday morning!
The project came to us at the referral of Gifford Ewing. Gif is an amazing photographer best known for his black & white images of Maine and the Rocky Mountain region. Civic Entertainment Group chose his work for the Denver CNN Grill to represent the local landscape. If you know Gif’s work it’s no mystery why he was chosen for this project, and if you don’t know his work you need to; please view his work and read more about Gif at ewingphoto.com.
- Andrew Stemple
May 10th, 2008
Best known for working among retail and creative markets, Metropolitan Frame Company has purchased TimeFrame Incorporated to enhance its position in the production framing market.
Metropolitan has always offered what many call wholesale discounts to the creative trades, basically discounts to artists, art consultants, interior designers, galleries, and museums, but these buyers need materials and treatments that cannot be achieved at true wholesale prices. Production or Wholesale framing refers to large volume related projects with hundreds of pieces over a specified period or all at once.
TimeFrame will essentially be folded into Metropolitan Frame becoming its wholesale division. The merger will add projects with names like Ritz Carlton, Westin, Hilton, and St. Regis to its portfolio.
- Andrew Stemple
January 15th, 2008
Founded in 1990 by Andrew Stemple, the company originally known as Animal Crackers Framing & Art Services was born in a college classroom. Writing a plan for a then fictitious business, it needed a name that was fun, easy to remember, and fell into alphabetical listings quickly.
The true inspiration came while working on the assignment at home. Mom sent a care-package full of cookies, fruit, and a big bag of Animal Crackers. The name did very well in the small somewhat unrecognized world of picture framing, but as the company followed Andy’s apatite further and further up the food chain it became increasingly difficult to make the name “Animal Crackers” synonymous with fine, museum quality picture framing. The name change process started in September of 2007 and was introduced to the marketplace in January of 2008.
We’ve never looked back, our new name has been a great opportunity to update the company, it’s allowing me to get out of bed and do my best work for the customers, employees and company as a whole, and I truly believe the new name has already helped solidify our position with collectors and museums around the country.
- Andrew Stemple
