Four Bridges Art Festival, Chattanooga, TN, April 21-23, 2017

This year I was fortunate enough to jury into the 4 Bridges Art Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the stunningly gorgeous Lookout Valley.  The show, held at the First Tennessee Pavilion, started with an evening Preview opening on Friday, April 21, 2017 and continued all day Saturday, April 22, and Sunday, April 22, 2017.  

This picture is from the evening preview where they had tables loaded with all kinds of flavors of chocolate truffles with names like "Bittersweet", "Champagne", "Brie de Pear".  You can see by the empty trays near the end of the evening that the truffles were very popular.

Drinks and hors d'oeuvres were served to the happy, lively crowd. Lots of fabulous art and artists. 

A jazz/blues musician played to the crowd and one couple decided to swing dance to the music.

Luckily, we were under cover in the First Tennessee Pavilion because steady rain and chilly wind gusts would have completely washed out the show if we had been outside.  The key word for Sunday was "monsoon".  You can see in this photo above, taken at 3 p.m. Saturday, that the only people in the aisles were artists playing on their devices.  

Even so, there were a few serious collectors who turned out for the show.  This was my first time exhibiting but others, both artists and patrons, told me that usually the venue is shoulder to shoulder with the crowd jostled along where it can be hard to see the art.  One buyer was thrilled that there were fewer people in attendance and she could actually see the artwork.

All and all, a lovely show with friendly, gracious people.   Chattanooga is a small city on the move with many people I talked to having only arrived in the last year or two.  Many credit the new Tennessee Aquarium built 10-12 years ago with revitalizing and turning the city around.  

Thanks for following along.

Happy Trails!

Cheers,

Charlene 

Frame Suppliers for the Artist and Collector

Frames are the bugaboo for an artist.  The challenge is selecting a frame that best complements a painting while satisfying a wide variety of tastes and decorator ideas of the collector while balancing the budget.  And finding suppliers that actually have frames in stock!  So many are back ordered for six months or more.  That is an unacceptable wait time either for the collector or the exhibiting artist.  

Here's a list of frame suppliers to suit a wide variety of needs.  Many serve both the wholesale and retail markets.  Wholesale only are listed towards the end. I'll continue to add to this list as I learn of new suppliers.

1. ArtfulPictureFrames.com  This company serves both wholesale and retail customers.  Good quality frames at good prices.
2. ArtFrames.com  Serves artists and collectors.  Carries a beautiful Tuscany linen frame with a touch of gold I am in love with.  Popped this painting sample in it to see how it looked.  The proportions aren't right but I get an idea of how it would look with this painting.  I'm salivating.  Yum.
   
   
3. DickBlick.com   Affordable frames and art supplies.  For artists and collectors.
4. www.FrankenFrames.com  "Affordable, classy frames".  For the artist and collector.
5. www.CanvasPlace.com  Shadow box and floater frames.  For the artist and collector.
6. www.KingOfFrame.com  Quality plein air frames for the collector and artist.   
7. www.MetroFrame.com  Floater frames for paintings.  For the artist and collector. 
8. JerrysArtarama.com   Wholesale and retail art supplies and frames.  Free shipping if you meet  minimum order requirements.
9. ASWexpress.com   This is a wholesale club with a membership fee and is best for artists who buy a quantity of frames and art supplies.  The catch is that the shipping fees can eat up any discount.  The same people own ASW and Jerry's (which often offers free shipping) so I usually compare the deals at both sites before placing an order.
10. www.JFM.net  Wholesale only.  Very good quality.  Check to see what they have in stock.
11. www.FloridaFrames.com  Frames for the wholesale market.  Lots of plein air styles to choose from.
12. www.OmegaMoulding.com  Wholesale only. Very high quality, beautiful frames.  Frame moulding lengths or chopped and joined.  Regional delivery with their own vans - great for large frames that tend to get damaged with commercial shippers.  Based in Chicago and New York.
13. www.CashMoulding.com Wholesale only.  Large selection of moulding (chopped and joined, if needed) from many suppliers.  Regional delivery with their own vehicles - great for large frames that tend to get damaged with commercial shippers.  They are based in Birmingham, AL.  
14.  http://www.laframe.com/  Just discovered this supplier and I still need to check them out but they have some different styles I haven't seen but have been looking for.
15.  www.AspenMoulding.com This company, based in Indianapolis, caters to art galleries, frame shops, artists, photographers, interior designers, decorators, and art consultants.  You must have a tax ID number to purchase from them.
16. www.San Diego Frame Company.com   This is a wholesale company of ready made and custom frames based in California. They own the factory across the border in Mexico and can custom make whatever you want.  They make the mouldings and can finish the frames to your specifications.  High quality.

Please let me know if you have a supplier with good, quality frames that I can add to this list.

Thanks for tuning in! 

Charlene

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