Nick's Favorite Framing projects from 2017

As we start the new year I wanted to review some of my favorite framing projects from last year. If you see any framing techniques or styles that you would like to replicate with one of your own pieces, stop on down for a one-on-one framing consultation!

Vintage David Bowie Poster

Hand Painted Kenyan Rug & Pillowcase

A Mark Hamill Signed Star Wars Poster

Stephen Sheffield's Hand Sewn Collage

Andrew Seguin's Cyanotypes for Panopticon Gallery's First Exhibition

A Selection from Newport Art Museum's 'be of love and other stories'

Holiday Framing

Everyone has those prized images from their past or beautiful images of their children or grandchildren. You've got to do them justice and get those memories framed. Framed images make great presents for the holiday season or any other time of year. We here at Panopticon have a huge range of custom and ready made frames for your treasured images.

When you come in to the shop, our staff will be there to work with you through all of the steps of framing an image. First we will help you pick out a frame and mat color and shape that suits your image. Then we will discuss mounting and glass options. Our job is to make sure you love whatever display we come up with. We also work within your budget to make your image look the best that it can without breaking the bank.

Custom Wood Frames

We love these custom wood frames from a local wood worker. The details and precision are amazing! Each molding can be made with Ash, Cherry, Maple, and Walnut woods with the option of staining or painting.

Here is Tony King's photograph we framed with the clear lacquered ash & maple splines:

Assembling the matte, glass & frame

Finished framed photograph

Detail of the maple spline

One hanging option: french cleat

Second hanging option: wire with d-rings

Artist Spotlight: Fern Nesson

Fern Nesson is a fine art photographer living in Cambridge, MA. She practiced as a lawyer for twenty years and taught history at the Cambridge School of Weston and, for the past ten years, she was the College Advisor at the Commonwealth School. Fern is currently in her first year of the MFA program at Maine Media College. Her abstract work is rooted in the elegance of light and line and is currently on display in our gallery until May 14, 2016.

"Light Lines 1"

• You have a background in law, how did you transition into the art world?

FN: I have taken a long journey through many, varied careers – lawyer, American historian, fiction and non-fiction writer, history, math and law teacher, college counselor -- but the spine of photography has run throughout my life. My father gave me my first camera when I was 8 and he taught me to develop my photos in the darkroom not long after. Since then, I have been engaged in looking at the world through a camera.

Until recently, photography was my hobby. I knew several great photographers (my father included) and followed their work with interest. About ten years ago, I interviewed my father and we published a book of his work. I have also collected photographs for many years. I am proud to own photographs by Michael Kenna, Ansel Adams and Bruce Cratsley, among others.

Several years ago, I decided to pursue my own photography more seriously. My initial goal was to learn to take better photos. I began by reviewing my past work and publishing several books of my photographs. Then I took a workshop in photography at the Penland School in North Carolina. Finally, last year, I quit my counseling job to do photography full-time.

It’s taken me a long time to accept the challenge of pursuing life as an artist but I am so thrilled to be doing it! Photography provides, as always, a wonderful way to experience the world and the improvement in the quality of my work as a result of studying and practicing it full-time is immensely rewarding.

"Morning Light 1"

• You are currently attending the low residency masters program at Maine Media, tell us a little bit about the program. How has your work changed since starting your studies there?

FN: For my first semester, I am completing synergistic studio and academic projects, both entitled “An Exploration of Seeing.” Since November, I have taken over 20,000 (!) photographs, read a dozen of the great books about “seeing ” and written three lengthy papers describing the evolution of my own artistic vision. As an intellectual and artistic experience, a Maine Media education can’t be beat!

"Light Lines 3"

• Your abstractions of light and shadow show a playful & insightful side to subjects we see everyday. How do you choose what you point your camera at?

FN: Light is the theme in all of my work. I don’t shoot objects for themselves; I shoot their interaction with light: are they illumined from within? Are they transparent? Are they reflective? Are they suffused with light? Do they glow? Are they in shadow? Do they sparkle? My subjects are quite varied but it’s all about the light.

"Morning Light 5"

• What inspires you as an artist?

FN: I am drawn to elegance. In choosing a subject or a scene, I seek elegance in pattern, line, color and shape. I prefer the intricate, small detail, over the panorama. My photographs are abstract but not in the sense of removing detail; just the opposite. I focus on an element and I abstract it through the use of an unusual perspective or point of view.

"Light Lines 5"

• Your current exhibition in our gallery space is a selection of images from various portfolios. How do you feel the individual pieces interact with one another as a whole?

FN: The photographs in my show, “The Light Dances,” are selected from three different series, which I shot in 2015-6. Although they are of radically different subjects – trees at night, a Calder stabile, and the curtains in my bedroom – they have certain underlying and essential characteristics in common.

First, they are each about light: light as it illumines and ennobles a dark object, light as it enhances a sculpture by throwing off shadows, light as it sparkles and brightens a cold winter landscape.

Second they are multiples. Varying the point of view on a single object takes advantage of all angles of the object and allows maximum concentration upon its interaction with light. The multiplicity of views points up what is so great about our existence: we all see things differently from each other and it is that very diversity that makes art and life so interesting.

Third, they use the power of black. Light as a subject shows up so beautifully when it is contrasted with black. Color can seem sometimes to be cheating; it can make even a dull picture interesting but black is a challenge. If you use it well, you get drama; if you use it badly, you get nothing.

"Stabile 1 - 4"

Packing Tips: Safe ways to wrap & handle Your Artwork

Here at Panopticon we have seen it all for packing material; Blankets, towels, trash bags or worst of all nothing. Framing is expensive and we have some tips on how to keep your frames and artwork safe!

1. Cardboard Corner Protectors

You can always DIY them yourself using scrap cardboard, buy them from Amazon in small batches or order bulk from Uline. This will prevent any rubbing / scratching of the frames. Corners are helpful if you have multiple frames that are all the same size. However, this will not protect the whole frame or the glass/PlexiGlas.

1. Properly Stack them

Make sure to stack your frames vertically and to place them glass to glass and back to back while storing them. This will prevent the hardware from rubbing against your frame. The metal hardware and wire will ding the wood or scratch metal frame very easily. This goes for when they are wrapped or unwrapped.

1. Bubble Wrap

Keep your towels for the beach! While towels might be helpful at home this is not a good or effective solution for preventing damage, as there is no spring to the towel. Foam wrap or bubble wrap will take the impact and prevent your frame from getting damaged. You can order bubble online, pick it up from Uline or your local office supply store.

1. Use Two Hands

Always pic up your frame using two hands! If it is a large image and you grab it by the top it can pull and your glazing can pop out of the frame. Ten and two just like driving school.

1. Have us wrap it for you!

If all of this material is too much to handle we can ease your burden! Wrapping images properly is fun for us. We take care of your beloved artwork and make sure it is safe for handling and transport. If it is local we can deliver it for you or even ship your images. Let us know!

UV Glass – Small Upgrade that makes a BIG difference

UV Glass is like putting sunglasses on your artwork without any tinting and all the benefits!

The upgrade from premium clear (regular glass) to UV Glass (conservation clear) is not an expensive jump in price.  It is usually only a few dollars difference (depending on size). This way when you hang your artwork you don’t have to worry about the sun fading it!

Artist Spotlight: Lindsey Beal

"Foundations" (Daguerreotype)

Lindsey Beal is a photo-based artist in coastal Rhode Island where she teaches at Rhode Island School of Design, Massachusetts College of Art & Design and the New Hampshire Institute of Art's MFA program. She has an M.F.A. in Photography from the University of Iowa and a Certificate in Book Arts at the University of Iowa’s Center for the Book.  Her work can be found at Boston's Panopticon Gallery, Miami's Dina Mitrani Gallery and Portland's 23 Sandy Gallery. Her work combines historical & contemporary women’s lives with historical photographic processes. She is interested in the photograph as object and often includes sculpture, papermaking and artist books into her work. Her work has been shown at national museums, galleries & universities, including recent solo shows at the Griffin Museum of Photography and Danforth Art Museum.  She has been featured on Lenscratch,  LensCulture, Light Leaked, & Don’t Take Pictures and has been published in Diffusion, The Hand, Square Magazine, View Camera and 500 Handmade Books Volume Two.  She recently earned a travel grant from Duke University and the Juror’s Award for Medium Festival’s “Size Matters” exhibit.

"Figure #19" (Ambrotype)

• When and why did you first start using alternative photographic processes in your work?

LB: I originally worked in silver gelatin and then color film, first printing in the darkroom and then scanning my film. When I was applying to graduate school, I knew that I wanted to learn alternative photography but I didn’t know that I would end up working pretty strictly in those processes! Two things were the catalyst for that. First, I was working all-digitally in my “Reproduction(s)” series and missed the tactile and physical work of the darkroom. This lead me to go back into the darkroom but working with historical photographic processes, as well as with printmaking, artist books and papermaking. Secondly, through studying the history of photography (which I love!), I was frustrated by the lack of explanation of what these processes were and how they were done. While there are some great videos now created by the George Eastman Museum and the like at the time, I wanted to see how these iconic images were made--not a short summary in the margins of a textbook or as a label on a slide. I think if you see how a daguerreotype was made, it makes the history of photography so much more real and you appreciate how hard it was to get those first images.

"Ball Grip" (Ziatype)

• How has your work evolved and changed throughout the past few years?

LB: My work continues to explore combining historical photographic processes with women’s lives past and present and has recently focused on how women use technology for pleasure. I am also exploring clothing such as corsets and stays that changed women’s bodies, as well as historical OB/GYN tools used in delivering babies. However, I recently opened up this idea of how the past is present that runs through my work by looking at how social media is similar to the Victorian practice of keeping commonplace books. So this idea of technology and how the past & present overlap, could be something I continue in future work.

"Diaphragm"  (archival digital)

• You recently attended a workshop on Daguerreotypes taught by Jerry Spagnoli at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. Can you give us a look into that week learning this historical process?

LB: Penland is incredible and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn a new craft or process, or to get inspired by working with instructors who are world-renown in their craft and to be with other like-minded creatives. The daguerreotype (becquerel) class was the shortest session I attended at Penland (one week!) to learn this intensive process. But Jerry is an incredible educator and we all came away with some incredible plates and a firm grounding in the process. Generally, at Penland there are demos all week so you get a comprehensive education in the process and then practice it yourself with guidance by the instructor and studio assistant. In the evenings, there are artist talks, open house & art openings and plenty of time for inspirational conversation. One thing that is a strength for a place like Penland, is that there is a lot of room for collaboration with the other studios and with your classmates. I have attended three times and have seen some beautiful collaborations between photography and the book arts & letterpress studios.

• Tell us a little bit about your current solo exhibition at the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham – how did the exhibition come to be & how did you work on the installation? In a way this show is a retrospective for you and it includes most of your projects – how do the individual pieces interact with one another as a whole?

LB: I was first introduced to the Danforth with their call for entry for their photo biennial two years ago when Francine Weiss juried the show. That show, artist talks and openings introduced me to so many in the New England photography community, (many who have become close friends). Jessica Roscio is the amazing curator there and we got along so well, bonding over photo history and early women photographers. We stayed in touch, meeting a few times with my new work. As curator, she invited me to be in a show she was curating on the interior and domesticity. This summer I brought all of my work to the museum and we went through it, with Jessica pulling work that worked together and addressed the show’s theme of making the private public. You are right that “Private Lives, Public Spaces” is a retrospective (minus my cyanotype work) and for me it is pretty amazing to see all of my work in one space. Although all of my work addresses past and present women’s lives, usually using historical photographic processes, I compartmentalize my work into separate series. To have them all interacting with each other in one space was overwhelming in a positive way. The dialogue that occurs between the series in the way that Jessica installed and curated it brings out the common themes of the work.

"Venus Figurine" (handmade paper & bell jar)

• Because your work is rooted in alternative photography how does presentation come into play? For example your “Transmission” series are all presented in Petri dishes with gold metal labels fixed to the frame. Do you have the end exhibition in mind when you first begin a project?

LB: Since I began working in photography, I wanted to present prints in a non-traditional format that encourages viewer interaction or creates pieces that act as three-dimensional objects. Early on, I created installations using fabric and scrolls or silver gelatin prints. From there I created wallpaper from my photographs to completely cover a space. Even my wet plates from my “Venus Series” were originally installed unframed on a picture rail that blended in with the gallery wall.   I create the prints first with the idea that they will altered in some form or turned into objects. The work’s content needs to fit with the installation or sculptural process so some time and research is needed with the prints. For example, with the “Transmission” series, I took cyanotypes and created circular prints, embedding them in resin within a glass Petri dish. From there, I took inspiration from Victorian natural history museums and the way they present specimens using glass and wood cases. I mounted the plates with copper wire in shadowboxes and used the Latin names of each STD which were engraved on brass name plates.

"Bacterial Vaginosis" (cyanotype embedded in resin & petri dish)

• How has modern technology played a role in your approach to such historical processes?

LB: I incorporate digital photography, editing software like Photoshop and inkjet printers to print my negatives into the historical processes I use. Although I work in historical photographic processes, traditional bookbinding and papermaking, for me, these processes can still utilize contemporary technology. These processes force me to slow down and focus on the process, yet with digital technology, I can slightly speed up my workflow. Being able to use digitally edited images and printing them as negatives through an inkjet printer onto materials like Pictorico film gives people the option to go back into the darkroom. In this way the historical and the contemporary can be easily combined.

"The Electric Coronet Beauty Patter" (Ziatype in vintage case)

The bling bling frame

We recently framed a piece for a client in a beautiful water gilded frame and wanted to share the intricate process the frame makers go through to create such stunning frames. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67LM4Iovll4

The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold.

Here is the frame we used:

Staff Intro - Bruce R. Wahl, Company Bad-A$$

Introducing..... BRUUUUUUCE!!

The newest member of the Panopticon crew, Bruce R. Wahl joined us just last year as a part time-er. He is currently finishing his Bachelor of Fine Art in Photography at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and is a freelance photographer working for clients throughout the Boston area. He brings years of photographic experience as well as some pretty sweet facial hair to the Panopticon team.

You can usually find Bruce at the matting table or jumping into the Panoptivan for a delivery, where ever he is you can be sure there's a story he will have to share.

When he is not at the office or at school, you can find him nerding out over old school motorcycles & film cameras, editing his own work, chillin with his cat Mr. Whiskey, and perhaps indulging in a glass of whiskey (yes there is a coincidence with the cat name) or a brew-ski. Needless to say Bruce fits right in here!

Jaime Johnson - Same print, Different presentations

"Spine" Courtesy of  Jaime Johnson, Tea-toned cyanotype on Japanese rice paper

Don't Take Pictures Magazine is a biannual print, online & tablet-ready magazine run by Kat Kiernan who is receiving this years Rising Star Award at the Focus Awards hosted by The Griffin Museum of Photography.

The online magazine also sells an exclusive limited edition images by an artist featured in the magazine. Working with the artist, they select an image, which is then hand-printed by the artist, signed, numbered in an edition no higher than five, and priced below $200. Because they believe in helping emerging artists build their careers, the full amount of the sale goes to the artist!

First, let us say that this is a FANTASTIC print program that not only helps the artist but opens the door to smaller or new collectors. Liz & Shannon from the office recently purchased the same beautiful print by Jamie Johnson through the program. Since presentation is a big part of what we do here at Panopticon, we wanted to show the way that each print was framed to suit the collector's taste.

Shannon's Frame:

- 8ply mat board

- slight bottom weight

- decorative brushed silver & gold wood frame

Liz's Frame:

- 4 ply mat board

- heavy bottom weight

- dark natural wood frame with a silver beaded fillet

About the artist:

Jaime Johnson grew up in Mississippi where the sounds of wild animals outside her window became her daily melody.  Jaime received her BFA from the University of Mississippi in Imaging Arts and her MFA in Photography from Louisiana Tech University. Johnson was awarded Honorable Mention for her experimental short, Flutter in the 11th Annual Oxford Film Festival in 2011.  Jaime was named a finalist for the 2015 Clarence John Laughlin Award and her work has been shown nationally in venues such as the Center for Fine Art Photography, The SOHO Photo Gallery in New York, The New Orleans Photo Alliance, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art . Her work has been published in Shots Magazine, Don't Take Pictures, Light Leaked, and Seites, and her series Untamed recently won the Grand Prize in Character: Portraits and Stories that Reveal the Human Condition, sponsored by Maine Media Workshops.

Make sure to check out Jaime Johnson's website and Etsy shop!

Sum sum summertime- that's a wrap!

Whoa! Summer is always an exuberant time to go down the Cape, have some BBQ and for us down at Panopticon Imaging, make work! Our artists have been busy, so we have been having a great season of working with them on finalizing images, prints and exhibitions! We were so excited to work on so many of these projects we lost track of the time, but don't worry- there were a few outing with the Panopti-crew where we were able to steal some sun and fun. We ushered in the season with quite a bang at the Magenta Foundation's Flash Forward Festival! We have been working with the Festival and it's artists for the last three years, and it is always fantastic and quite a different array of work every time.

This year we helped with the printing and installation of the 7 shipping containers that were on the Rose Kennedy Greenway for all of May! In coordination with the Fence, this outdoor exhibition was so much fun, and such a great experience working with the international artists that made up the roster. Each shipping container held a solo exhibition from artists like Angélica Dass and Gregor Schmatz. 

Angélica Dass's solo exhibition in the shipping container.

Along with the Fence, we had the great pleasure of working with Boston Globe Legend Bill Brett on his Flash Forward solo exhibition.   We take great pride in managing and implementing all production for these kinds of exhibitions- from the proofing with the artists, printing, framing and even delivery to the exhibition venue.  This was the fist of the two large-scale exhibitions we helped produce at the beginning of this summer, the second being a brand new relationship we started with artist Emil Cohen!

The crew with Emil Cohen at the William Scott Gallery

Emil Cohen came to us for assistance in producing his solo exhibition, "Portraits in Provincetown" at the William Scott Gallery that was held in July.  The exhibition would be of 76 portraits he made of the good people of Provincetown, both large and small scale to be displayed.  The portraits are beautiful as well as playful and sometimes mischievous- just as you might expect from P-Town. Working from London now, Emil needed to produce the exhibition remotely, and we were happy to take on the task.  When the exhibition was finally ready for air-time, we took that opportunity to join him in P-Town for a little out-of-office research and development.  We hope if you were there this summer, you were able to see Emil's work, or him photographing for the project!

Our whole summer did not just consist of large-scale exhibitions, though.  We work on any photographic endeavor, and were happy to work on both printing and framing projects for a multitude of new clients.  Artists such as Lazaro Montano stopped by to have one of his great Color Block pieces printed and framed; as did Toni Pepe, who had some of her new work in this summer's Community of Artists exhibition at the Danforth Museum of Art.  It was also great to do some expert framing for the end-of-summer exhibition Landscape as Fetish at Gallery Kayafas, introducing us to the work of Angela Mittiga and Mark Dorf. 

Finished framed work by Lazaro Montano

It has been a delightful season, and we hope that the fall brings even more exciting projects as we get to see what everyone has been working on all summer! And don't worry, we haven't slowed down one bit.  We are currently preparing artist Betsy Schneider for her exhibition at Harvard's Carpenter Center, and looking forward to the great work that will be in the Griffin Museum of Photography's annual Atelier exhibition in September! Stay tuned for more, and have a great rest of August!

Somerville Toy Camera Festival

"Childhood(The Boat)" by Andrea Buzzichelli will be featured at the Nave Gallery Annex during the Somerville Toy Camera Festival

We are proud to be a supporter of the 2015 Somerville Toy Camera Festival! In it’s 3rd year running, the team that puts on this marvelous, analogue photography driven extravaganza is bringing exhibitions, photography events and panel discussions to celebrate the art of all things lo-fi photography. Jam packed with work selected by Juror Aline Smithson, the over 100 artists shown between the Festival's 3 locations will bolster your love for photography and surprise you with the immense variety and beautiful imagery that can come out of a toy camera. From holgas to lomos to self-made pinhole cameras, ‘toy camera’ seems like a simplification for artists that are attracted to making pieces without control, and enjoying the results in the beautiful unknown that will be on display.

"Ungaurded Area" by Toy Camera Festival Juror Aline Smithson

We at Panopticon look forward to the festival every year, as we get to work with some of the artists on their prints and framing presentation. Let’s be honest, the opening receptions are also some of the most fun! Between the Nave Gallery in Somerville’s Teele Square, the Nave Annex in Davis Square and the Washington Street Art Center outside of Union Square, you will not be at a loss for stimulating exhibitions to see.

"Spring Time" by Francine Weiss will be featured at the Washington Street Art Center.

The openings for the festival will run the weekend of September 10-13. This year also has the exciting addition of workshops and an artist panel discussion! Please check out all of the STCF events as they get closer on their website, and enjoy the great photography with us!

Frederica Paoletti will be featured at the Washington Street Art Center.

Jane Mansfield & Sofia Loren Iconic Image

This iconic image of Jayne Mansfield and Sophia Loren came in other day from a wonderful client. Needless to say we were so excited to frame this beautiful image. This image was taken at a party at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood. Loren is quoted as saying:

"Paramount had organized a party for me. All of cinema was there, it was incredible. And then comes in Jayne Mansfield, the last one to come. For me, that was when it got amazing. . . . She came right for my table. She knew everyone was watching. She sat down. And now, she was barely . . . Listen. Look at the picture. Where are my eyes? I’m staring at her nipples because I am afraid they are about to come onto my plate. In my face you can see the fear. I’m so frightened that everything in her dress is going to blow—BOOM!—and spill all over the table." Full article in Vanity Fair Magazine.

Girls, Guns and Glory - Pledge Music

Girls Guns and Glory is local band raising money for a new band through the Pledge Music Project! As a reward, the band is offering limited edition posters from their first album cover.

We are happy to lend a hand in the printing and framing of this original artwork, and hope you'll support the band and others like them in making the world a more interesting place. Check it!

Nubar Alexanian- When the Fish Came First

We had the pleasure of working with the talented Nubar Alexanian for this upcoming exhibition "When The Fish Came First". The show runs May 28th - June 28th with an opening reception on Thursday, May 28th from 6:30-8:00pm at the Rocky Neck Art Colony. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet with the artist and view his beautiful works.

When The Fish Came First Gloucester Photographs by Nubar Alexanian

Rocky Neck Art Colony- The Cultural Center Gallery 6 Wonson Street, Gloucester, MA 01930

Artists Reception Thursday, May 28, 6:30­-8:00 PM

Press Release: The Rocky Neck Art Colony is pleased to announce the exhibition: When The Fish Came First, Nubar Alexanian’s photographs of Gloucester, opening May 28 and running through June 28, 2015 at the Cultural Center Gallery, 6 Wonson Street, Gloucester. Spanning forty years, the exhibit features a stunning series of color photographs originally published in GEO magazine in 1981 and never before exhibited. For this work, taken over an eighteen month period, Alexanian accompanied the Brancaleone family of Gloucester on four ten­ day trips to Georges Bank aboard the Joseph & Lucia II. It is the most comprehensive contemporary document of commercial fishing in New England before its steep decline.

While the Joseph and Lucia series forms the heart of this collection, the exhibition’s upland component features large format black and white panoramas juxtaposed with images of everyday life and the intimate and collective rituals that give Gloucester its unique character. “In his fish photos Alexanian finds a metaphor of the people of Gloucester ­ endangered, atavistic, communal ­ and they're as riveting as they are forlorn." Christopher Millis, The Boston Phoenix When The Fish Came First is a watershed one-­person exhibition that should not be missed.

Staff Intro: Nick Schietromo - Framer Extraordinaire

Nick Schietromo is our framer and has been with Panopticon for about 2 years! When you visit the office he can be seen working behind our professional matting and framing table. He is very meticulous, thorough framer and a talented photographer too!

One of things that sets us apart from other companies is that almost all of the staff here are working artists. Nick's work has been exhibited in such galleries as the Nave Gallery, New York Center for Photographic Arts,  The Photographic Resource Center , Gallery at Panopticon Imaging and the Vermont Center for Photography. Not to mention he was an Honorable Selection for the 2015 Magenta Foundation - Flash Forward. Also, we share Nick with Gallery Kayafas where he is the Assistant to the Director. Any questions concerning printing and framing presentation are welcomed and returned with valuable insight from Nick.

https://vimeo.com/112804347

Some facts about Nick. He loves cult classics,  collecting vintage images at the Brimfield Antique Show,  snacks, tattoos and vinyl records.

Flash Forward Festival

The countdown begins, only two days till the Flash Forward Festival begins! We are proud sponsors of the festival and we are happy to have printed some of the exhibitions (Incubator, Boston: Irish, Purity, Humanae, Futuristic Archeology, Toy Stories, While Strolling Up Larchmont & Amerikanare) not to mention the countless artists we worked with for framing. It is 10 days of exhibitions, openings and talks showcasing International and New England artists.

Check out there full schedule of events for times/date for openings all over the city!

Dates: April 24–May 3, 2015

Johanthan Hansen- Cuba From a Different Angle

We recently had the wonderful opportunity to print and frame Jonathan Hansen's entire exhibition! His work will be on display the Belmont Gallery of Art. The exhibition run from April 10 – May 15, 2015. There is an upcoming Gallery talk with the Artist, April 30, 7:30pm.

Jonathan Hansen is a Senior Lecturer on Social Studies and Faculty Associate, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University, is currently working on a biography of Fidel Castro (Young Castro, to be published by Simon and Schuster). Research for the book provides frequent occasions to travel to Cuba. While on these trips, he has become inspired by Cuban people and culture, and has taken many intriguing photographs which are shown in this exhibit.

Staff Intro: Paul Sneyd - Captain of the Ship

Paul Sneyd has been a Master Printer for over 35 years. His darkroom career began in 1977, when he joined Jet Commercial Photography. During the next 10 years, Paul was the sole printer for Jet's five commercial staff photographers. In 1987, Paul became the master printer for Panopticon Gallery of Photography, one of the oldest photographic galleries in the United States. He would spend the next 20 years printing for Panopticon's many reputable artists and exhibitions before becoming the owner of Panopticon Inc. in 2007.

Throughout the last 35 years, Paul has printed for and worked with many local and national photographers including : Harold Feinstein, Isa Leshko, Stanley Forman, Agnieszka Sosnowska, Paul Ickovic, Asia Kepka, Bradford Washburn & Ernest Withers, among many others.

He has produced images for and has working relationships with a large sum of New England galleries, including the Boston Public Library, Focus Gallery, Griffin Museum of Photography, Harvard Law School, Museum of Fine Arts, North River Arts Center, New Bedford Whaling Museum, Panopticon Gallery, and the South Shore Arts Center.

Paul has been happily married to his lovely wife Patty for 24 years. They have two wonderful daughters and many dogs. He is an avid fisherman, red wine drinker and all around great guy!

Handmade Wood Frames

We now have these beautiful, handcrafted frames made locally. Bring in some of your beautiful photographs and we will frame them in these amazing frames! All are made custom for our clients. Natural woods, dove tailed, stain and spline options which are meticulously assembled for your next project.