Skip to content

Frame It adding arts and crafts

Whimsical art dolls, locally-made jewelry and hand-built ceramic and glass items are making their way into Red Deer’s The Frame-It Store.Shop owners Matt Gould and his life and business partner Keith McPhedran are diversifying their custom-framing business by opening an in-store Makers’ Emporium
WEB-gallery
Matt Gould

Whimsical art dolls, locally-made jewelry and hand-built ceramic and glass items are making their way into Red Deer’s The Frame-It Store.

Shop owners Matt Gould and his life and business partner Keith McPhedran are diversifying their custom-framing business by opening an in-store Makers’ Emporium. “Fine craft and art from near and far” is now selling in the retail outlet in the downtown Co-op strip mall.

“The goal is to offer framing, plus,” said Gould.

As a textile artist himself, he felt it made sense to dedicate some store space to a commercial gallery that gives talented local and provincial artists more exposure, as well as a place to sell their creations.

As well as the custom framing mainstay of the business, one-of-a-kind items will be sold in the emporium, ranging from hand-painted and embroidered art dolls made by Charity Beasley and Kristin Guttridge of Red Deer and Innisfail, to intricately crafted silver jewelry by Red Deer’s Candice Meyer.

Local glass artist Darren Petersen, ceramicists Dawn Detarando and Brian McArthur, and painter Ruth Moore will also have items displayed for purchase on commission, along with arty objects from across Alberta and B.C. Small felt animals, organically dyed silk scarves, monster-motif change purses, hand-built wooden boxes, and ceramic sculptures are all part of the eclectic mix — as are framed examples of Gould’s own textile art.

Gould’s award-winning embroidery-based works have been displayed throughout Canada, including the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery.

In switching out the mass-market prints that used to hang in the store that he and McPhedran purchased in 2012, “I was looking for work that’s ... hand-created, because what’s the point of bring in stuff that’s made in China, or getting stuff that sells in Wal-Mart?” said Gould, who went through the Alberta Craft Council for artist contacts.

He believes original art he’s brought in will give people a lot of bang for their buck, but it’s “an education process” to get members of the public to appreciate the value of the painstaking creation process.

The Frame-It Store, with three longtime staffers, opened in 1981. Initially, store employees helped customers frame their own prints. But the concept was abandoned after staff found they were spending as much time supervising as it took to do the framing themselves.

Gould was a regular customer who became the shop’s third owner three years ago. He feels his biggest challenge is the same one faced by many small businesses — stimulating business in a slower economy.

Framing is a discretionary purchase, as is art, but Gould feels the combination will be a winning fit at The Frame-It Store.

“We’re so happy for Red Deer to have this kind of gallery installation available. We’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback.”

An open house will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 25, to launch the Makers’ Emporium, with some of the artists in attendance.

lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com