Georgian Frame Gallery is celebrating 35 years in business as part of Collingwood’s Downtown core.
Don Nicolson first opened the store on Dec. 1, 1983, and his daughter Margot Nicolson bought it from him in 1997.
“It’s a little surreal,” said Margot of the 35th anniversary. “You never think of yourself as the old guy on the street.”
But Georgian Frame Gallery has spent decades creating custom frames for all kinds of art and mementos.
Margot recalls creating a frame for an X-Ray image of a Mayan tooth implant made of seashells to hang in a local dental implant specialist’s office.
She framed a 300-year-old mandolin, once played by a master musician. She’s created frames for dance costumes, old photos, letters, and many other items that carried memories for people.
She’s currently framing a set of four silver spoons purchased in 1914 and handed down as a family heirloom. Each spoon bears the flag of a British Ally in the First World War.
Aside from adding a digital mat cutter, Margot hasn’t expanded the business her father started. She sells art prints, posters, and limited editions, but she hasn’t added her own printing operations. She sends her customers to Gabriele Photography for prints.
“We’re a small town, we support other businesses,” said Margot. “The downtown businesses for the most part, don’t step on each other’s toes.”
In 35 years, Margot and her father saw many ups and downs in general economic trends, but, she said, their customers kept coming in and kept things going for the business.
“Collingwood is fortunate, we have a very strong downtown,” said Margot. “Even in bad economic times, our downtown is stronger than others.”
Framing is, according to Margot, a niche business, and she’s managed to hang on to some loyal customers. The parents her father served are now grandparents of the customers she’s serving.
“I like the stories of the personal mementos or the memories attached,” said Margot. “I love creating something unique just for them.”
Part of Margot’s success, has been to master a supporting role.
“We frame for the artwork,” she said. “So the artwork is enhanced.”
She asks several questions to her clients before choosing a frame and mat, and though she puts a lot of work into a frame, she wants her work to go unnoticed.
“At the end of the day, I want people to say, ‘What a great piece of artwork,’ not ‘what a great frame,’” she said.
Margot is celebrating her store’s 35 anniversary with an open house on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. she will be having guests from the Canadian Regional Art Project including artists Davis Ward and Wayne Mondok at the store with some of their original work, and work from other artists in the project. There will also be Home and Away calendars for sale with proceeds going to the Canadian Regional Art Project.
Georgian Frame Gallery is located at 172 Hurontario Street, Collingwood.
