A show needs frames that match across the series, stay undamaged on the way to the venue and suit whoever buys the work. We plan the framing around your list of works and your date.
We frame work for artists who are preparing an exhibition or a sale, in our workshop at 1242 Davie Street. Framing for a show has to do three things that framing for one wall does not. The frames must match across the series. They must stay undamaged when they are carried to a venue and back. And they must suit a buyer you have not met, who may want to change the frame later.
One frame across the series
When every work in a series has the same frame, visitors compare the works and stop noticing the frames. A plain moulding, the shaped length of wood or metal a frame is cut from, in white, black or natural wood keeps attention on the work. Paintings on canvas usually go in floater frames, open trays that leave a narrow gap around the canvas, all built to one depth. See floater frames for canvas.
A series uses a large amount of one moulding. We check what is in stock before you settle on it, because a moulding that has to be ordered changes your dates.
A series is simpler to frame when the paintings share a size. Parallel Reflections, an oil on canvas of a wooden box with small scenes painted inside it, is 100 by 120 cm, and one floater frame at one depth would suit a group at that size.
An original drawing is framed so that a buyer can change the frame later. The Last Channel, a graphite drawing on artboard of a figure with two stacked television sets for a head, 30 by 40 cm, is one of the originals in our gallery.
If several works on paper can share one outer frame size, the show is simpler to hang and the frames can be used again. A sheet that did not sell can be lifted out, since the hinges are removable, and a new work on the same size of sheet can take its place. Bring your list of sizes while some pieces are still unfinished and we plan the frame sizes with you. Our guide to matching frames across a wall covers how much a set can vary.
Glazing for work that travels
Glazing means the sheet of glass or acrylic at the front of a frame. Acrylic is lighter than glass and does not shatter, which makes a framed work safer to carry and to stack in a car. It scratches more easily, so the faces need a layer of soft material between them when frames are stacked. Glass resists scratches and suits work that will hang in one place after the show. Tell us which matters more for this exhibition.
Your date
Come in when you know the list of works, even if some are not finished. Our rush service is 24 hours when the moulding and glazing are in stock, as explained on the rush framing page. A whole series often needs more material than is in stock, and an early visit leaves time to order it.
Canvases
If your paintings need stretching before they are framed, our canvas stretching for artists service handles batches and holds one bar depth across a series.
What changes the cost
The number of works, the size of each, the moulding and the glazing. Fewer different sizes means fewer different cuts of mat, backing and glazing. Each work is quoted separately.
Framing is a service
Having work framed here creates no obligation on either side about showing or selling your work at the gallery. That is a separate conversation, and you would be the one to start it.
Walk in at 1242 Davie Street with one finished piece and your list. Enter your email on this page for a 10% framing code to show at the shop, and see custom framing for everything else we do.
How it works
1
Bring it in, or send photographs
Walk in to 1242 Davie Street during opening hours. If you are not in Vancouver, send the dimensions and a photograph and we will work from that.
2
We look at the actual piece
What it is made of, what condition it is in, and where it is going to hang all change the answer. You get a straight recommendation and a price for your piece, not a rate card.
3
It is made by hand and fitted
Cut to the piece, using conservation materials, and finished with hanging hardware rated for the actual weight.
Common questions
Should every piece in an exhibition have the same frame?
Every piece in one series should usually have the same frame for an exhibition. Matching frames let visitors compare the works and ignore the framing. Works of different kinds, such as canvases and drawings, can use different frame types in one shared finish. Bring the list of works and we suggest how few frame types the show needs.
Can a buyer change the frame on a work on paper after the show?
Yes, a buyer can change the frame on a work on paper after the show when it has been framed with removable hinges and acid-free materials. The sheet is held by small paper tabs at the top edge and nothing is glued to it, so a framer can lift it out and reframe it without harm to the work.
Is it better to sell works on paper framed or unframed at a show?
Works on paper that hang on the wall at a show are better framed, because a frame protects the sheet from handling and shows the buyer the finished result. Extra works can stay unframed in clear sleeves for buyers who prefer to choose a frame themselves. Many artists do both: framed work on the walls and unframed work in a box that visitors can look through.
Can the same frames be used again for my next exhibition?
Yes, the same frames can be used again for your next exhibition when the new works are on the same size of sheet. The hinges that hold a sheet are removable, so an unsold work is lifted out and a new one goes in. Planning shared sizes across your work is what makes this possible, so decide the sizes before you start a series.
Does having work framed at the gallery mean the gallery will show my art?
Having work framed at the gallery creates no obligation on either side about showing or selling your art. Framing is a service that any artist can use. A conversation about being shown at the gallery is separate from a framing order, and it would be started by you.
How far ahead of an exhibition should an artist arrange framing?
An artist should arrange framing as soon as the list of works for the exhibition is known, even before every piece is finished. The only fixed time we quote is our rush service, 24 hours when the moulding and glazing are in stock. A full series often needs more of one moulding than is in stock, so an early visit leaves time to order it.
Which glazing is best for framed work that has to travel to a venue?
Acrylic is the glazing we recommend for framed work that has to travel to a venue. It is lighter than glass and does not shatter if a frame is dropped or knocked in a car. It scratches more easily than glass, so put a layer of soft material between frames when you stack them, and carry them face to face.
10% off your custom framing when you show this code at our shop
We frame, stretch canvas and reframe by hand, in our own workshop inside the gallery at
1242 Davie Street. Enter your email and your code appears right here. Show it at the
counter and we take 10% off the job. The code does not expire.
Send the measurements, what it is made of, and a photograph. We will tell you what it actually needs, including when the answer is that it needs less than you expected.
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In-shop offer · 1242 Davie Street, Vancouver
Get 10% off your framing at our shop
Add your name and email and your code appears on the next screen. Show it at the counter
and we take 10% off any framing, stretching or reframing job you bring us. It does not
expire.
Exceptional Service and a Truly Memorable Art Purchase
I had a wonderful experience with Van Art Hub Gallery. I came across two pieces by Melina Ghaemi — *Mad Mirrors* and *Small World in the Hands of a Stranger* — and immediately fell in love with them.
I contacted Van Art Hub Gallery, and they were incredibly helpful throughout the entire process, from arranging the payment to organizing the shipping. At first, I was a little skeptical and nervous about how everything would work, especially since the paintings were still in Iran and it was shortly after the war. But the gallery handled everything with such professionalism and care that my concerns quickly disappeared. Amazingly, they were able to get the paintings to Canada in just two days!
The pieces are absolutely captivating. Even when I picked them up from the frame maker and was simply carrying them to my car, several people stopped and asked me about the paintings. That says a lot about how striking and special Melina Ghaemi’s work is.
A big thank you to Van Art Hub Gallery for making this experience so smooth and enjoyable. I truly appreciated their professionalism, communication, honesty, and integrity throughout the entire process. I would happily work with them again and highly recommend them to anyone interested in purchasing art through the gallery.
I got my order today and your work is really good. I didn’t expect to get a certificate for this painting, it was a surprise. Thanks for caring about small details.
The support team was really helpful and followed up nicely, wich I really appreciated. The painting is just like the photo – great quality and very detalied. I just wish it arrived a bit sooner, but honestly it was worth the wait.
I received my painting today. The support team was great and very responsive. The artwork is exactly what I was hoping for – even more beautifull in person. Truly a valuable piece. I’ll definetely order again. Thank you!
