The Art Place began in 1975 as mostly a frame shop in Alton Bay. The business opened under the ownership of Pat LaPierre, also selling her own artwork and that of a few friends. Past owners, Barbara Gibbs and her husband Walter took over The Art Place in 1981 and after a few location changes, some added artists, and about 3000 frame samples, they were still happy to be in the business, and on the Main Street of Wolfeboro. They were most grateful to their customers, some who have been with them since the inception of The Art Place. Barbara and Walter retired from the business in June of 2022 and are happily enjoying their retired life here in the Lakes Region.
The Art Place is now owned by Chris Walton, purchasing the business from Barbara and Walter in May of 2022. Chris has an extensive background in the art and custom framing business, working for his families business, Rowland Studio in Concord, NH.
Over the years, the shop has framed just about everything, from a large Japanese kimono to a small butterfly, but most recent unique item was a small painting on a spider web. Typically The Art Place does framing of diplomas, photographs, original artwork, prints and posters, etc. Specialty framing of many different textiles from needlepoints and cross-stitch, to sport jerseys in shadow box frames, and silk and linen artwork. Quality custom framing is what the business has built its name on.
Some of the more unique jobs have been the framing of a piece of popcorn that looked like a flower; a piece of the original Mount Washington (it pretty much looked like a charred piece of wood); a vintage sword; a button collections, as well as a helmsman’s wheel. They have done framing for colleges and prep schools, hospitals, inns, decorators, museums, and designer showcase houses. The core of the business is still each individual customer.
In the 43 years since The Art Place’s beginnings, conservation framing or the preservation of artwork has taken on a more important role in the framing industry. Staying up on the techniques and materials of their craft requires constant reading of periodicals, going to seminars, workshops and expos. Materials used in framing have also changed over the years. Today there are mat board materials that can actually protect the artwork from further damage by “eating up” bad molecules. The glass used for picture framing has changed the most over the years. Conservation glass protects the artwork by blocking out 99% of the ultraviolet rays. The Art Place recommends conservation glass in nearly all their framing jobs because it looks like regular picture glass and keeps the longevity of the artwork. The Art Place and their employees are easy to work with and share a passion for helping others in the field of art and framing.
The gallery of The Art Place has changed over the years, from simply displaying one person’s artwork, to having gallery shows, to currently representing over 20 artists. At one time, The Art Place had mostly only antique prints—they still carry a nice selection of antique prints and postcards; however, they have increased their space and therefore, carry originals in various mediums, as well as limited edition prints of artwork of the lakes regions and beyond. The lake maps are a big seller at The Art Place, carrying printed maps, watercolor maps of all the lakes, and 3-dimensional wood maps. Also, map clocks, map trays, and tide clocks for local coastal areas.