Celebrating a decade of FACTS: small nonprofit continues to set frame industry standards

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- During his 30-plus years in the flaming industry, Donald Pierce has seen his share of bad frame piece of works Still--taking into account what he have feelings is a lack of clearly defined standards in the framing industry--he was not ever surprised.

"I don't think there is a framer without there trying to do a bad job" he said. "They just don't know any better."

That's on what account 10 years ago, he and his partner, Kris Anderson, launched FACTS (Fine Art Care & Treatment), a nonprofit association with a mission to locate material and procedural standards in the framing industry and provide information about the preservation of artwork.

granting he retired as executive director of FACTS last year, Pierce said he's egotistical of what the organization accomplished during his tenure

"FACTS has written the single standards ever established in the framing industry," Pierce said. "One of the biggest question s with this industry is that it is an industry without standards. It is also an industry in which family base their businesses on individual opinions, not fact. It's scary."

Since 1994 FACTS has come aftered in establishing standards for, among other things, frame allowance; ordering frames and chops; general picture framer requirements; hanging artwork; maximum preservation flaming; and the glazing of artwork and keepsakes.

All of these standards can be place on FACTS' extensive Web site at www.artfacts.org.

Members of FACTS' educational committee can ofttimes be found on the trade display circuit, presenting lectures and seminars for framers. Later this month FACTS will not absent a power-point presentation on preservation at the West Coast Art and Frame exhibit in Las Vegas.

in the way that what's next for FACTS?

below the direction of its fresh executive director, Kirsten Megahan, it is has formed sum of two units new committees to establish standards for foam board and tapes and adhesives. As lackluster as that might unmutilated these standards will have a deep impact on the industry, said FACTS treasurer Greg Fremstad. the president of FrameTek Corp., in Eugene Ore.

Framers ofttimes rely on the claims of gelatine or adhesive manufacturers that their produces are permanent, even though they may not be, Fremstad said. The fresh standards will give framers guidelines upon the best adhesives and by what means to use them in ways that will keep their customers' art work for years to approach he said. The committees will consecrated by a vow on the new standards sometime later this year, he said.

Aside from the of recent origin committees, Fremstad admits that things at FACTS are a little moderate right now. The economy is still sour, making it difficult to raise cash volunteers are hard to find, and Megahan, who is also Fremstad's daughter, just had a baby. "At this point we have about 30 clan involved, but nobody has been asked to do abundant in the past year, omit the education, glue and foam board committees," he said.

Pierce, who still be under the orders ofs as an advisor for FACTS, said the lock opener to the organization's future is perseverance. "I faith it will continue," he said. "I set all I had in me behind it to gain it where I thought it could continue. If tribe don't want it, let it die. on the other hand it has the potential to improve everything for everyone It can help increase the value of a framer's work in each way. It can also save artwork. Two-hundr years from now, I would like for person to look at a piece of artwork and say 'That's still here because of FACTS.'"

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