H Marion Blog

In light of the Chicago Blackhawks’ recent Stanley Cup victory, Jan was once again invited to appear on WGN News to provide some insight on how to best preserve historic and sentimental artifacts. Generally, the most effective method of preservation is to frame your items as quickly as possible to prevent degradation from improper handling, storage, and UV light exposure. Remember that each item is unique - your framer can recommend the most appropriate framing method for your specific project.
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NeoCon is where the design world comes together - three days bursting with new thinking, new resources, and new products topped off with networking opportunities, fun and parties. This is the largest design tradeshow of its kind in the world; an opportunity to view all that is essential to this industry whether it be related to healthcare, hospitality, residential or sustainable products.

This year, we had the opportunity to showcase some of our offerings, the most innovative of which is our Prints on Demand program. Available  artwork  can be printed in any size, on any of five unique substrates including aluminum, clear acrylic, bamboo, paper and canvas. This printing innovation breaks down the barriers that used to impose limitations on the choices available to designers and clients alike - it has truly revolutionized the entire design process.

In the Chicago area, hospitals and medical centers looking to de-institutionalize their ambience are increasingly turning to H. Marion Framing, as the perfect purveyor of healing images, from limited-edition to poster-quality to fine art, and now, on any substrate.

For the past two years, H. Marion Framing has been an active component in the support system for Bears Care®.  We have created custom-designed shadowbox framing for jerseys. These one-of-a-kind presentations are then sold through silent auction at functions such as the Bears Care® Gala, “Brian’s Song…So That Others May Live to Sing,” named in honor of Chicago Bear Brian Piccolo who lost his life to cancer nearly forty years ago. Since 1996, proceeds from the event have totaled over $8 million, used toward the battle against breast and ovarian cancer. These diseases have touched all our lives in some way, and Bears Care® is dedicated to raising funds to support research and treatment programs; to helping find a cure, and H. Marion Framing is proud to help.

This is a truly unique evening that gives guests the opportunity to meet and mingle with Chicago Bears players, coaches and staff, while raising money for the cause. For more information about the upcoming 2010 Bears Care® Gala, or if you are interested in attending, please e-mail bearscare@bears.nfl.com or call 847-739-5325.

As an environmentally-minded business, H. Marion Framing is proud to support companies like Larson-Juhl which harvests locally grown, sustainable lumber to produce its beautiful wood mouldings, thereby reducing both fuel consumption and vehicle emissions, as well as excess packaging material waste associated with shipping. Larson-Juhl provides its scrap material to local businesses - shavings are used for animal bedding at area farms, while larger scraps are used to make paper or to help generate steam energy.

H. Marion Framing is thrilled to offer clients Larson-Juhl’s Biltmore Collection of art, matboard & frame moulding lines. The Biltmore Frame Collection was Larson-Juhl’s and the U.S. framing industry’s first certified forest-friendly PEFC collection. PEFC, which stands for Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, traces the chain of custody of lumber product from forest to final product, as regulated by the Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC. Through PEFC, consumers can be confident that they are purchasing a product that is from a well-managed, sustainable forest.

Larson-Juhl’s additional conservation efforts include their recent contribution of 4,600 trees to the Urban Tree Canopy Initiative in Maryland, in conjunction with the company’s Global ReLeaf Forest Foundation. The Global ReLeaf program stems from its parent organization, American Forests, and was created both to educate people and to take an active role in helping improve the global environment. Since 1991, American Forests has planted more than 25 million trees with the help of over 500 projects like Larson-Juhl’s Global ReLeaf program, which has itself funded the planting of over a quarter of a million trees in the U.S. and around the world.

Spring cleaning time is fast approaching, and you may find treasures that you never knew you had. A look around the house could yield photos or objects hidden in an attic, an old trunk, or even a shoebox. These items often give glimpses into family history. What better way to preserve these memories than to frame them?

Snapshots and memorabilia tell a story, and are a nice way to remember a special person or activity. Embellishing the frame design with both a photograph and added certificate of recognition makes an impressive presentation. The person you are honoring or the family you are presenting to will have a memory to last a lifetime.

A nameplate with a description of the person’s accomplishments can also add to the design. Perhaps the person wrote something, and you want to use an excerpt beneath their photo. Collages of photographs or magazine articles can also be incorporated with a small commemorative plaque for a unique arrangement.

Whatever finished product you aim to achieve, we have the resources to create a beautiful custom-made mat and frame design for your project. We can frame your family photos using design styles and colors to achieve just the right look for your home. Whether your furnishings are contemporary or antique, we have the right design for you. A wall of family history is a pleasure for you and a conversation piece for your visitors.