I attended the Salt Institute's Documentary Photography program in the Spring of 2001. The school…read moreis phenomenal and I really can't say enough about the caliber of instruction and the quality of the work being put out by this small institution. That being said, go check out some of the extraordinary photographs on display in the gallery. You will not be disappointed.

So here's the deal. You probably don't always need custom framing. You may not need it for years…read moreand years. But one day, there'll be one special something. It could be a piece of art, a limited edition comic book, a quilt or a special piece of clothing from a passed loved one, a bunch of pressed flowers...whatever. Whatever that something is, you're going to want it framed a little better than what you can buy off the shelf at Target or Michael's. Maybe a lot better. Whatever. There's only one place to take it. Period. Grapheteria is a small shop with a small team. And they are hands-down the best framers you're going to find. Not in Portland. Not in Southern Maine. Not in New England. The best framers, period. Now, full disclosure, the folks at Grapheteria used to be a client of mine (lots of years ago). And they're definitely friends. And for all that, I write with full confidence that their work is worth every single penny, half penny, sickle, copper, coin, and/or cent you invest in a job with them. Because that's what it is - an investment. Every piece of custom-framed art we have in our home has been handled by the folks at Grapheteria and our home is better for it. Their process is conversational and intuitive while bearing in mind cost sensitivities and design preferences. They will guide young artists to lower cost options to make their work POP for a first show and still stay affordable and can help serious collectors with archival and museum-quality glass to preserve high-end artwork. I cannot recommend Lisa and Jim and their team highly enough. And the fact that Nat Geo photographers, nationally renowned painters and emerging artists all trust work to them should say volumes.

I am from out of town and needed an embroidery piece framed. I saw the other Yelp reviews and…read moredecided to give Grapheteria a try. Well, they could not have been more helpful, instructive and courteous! They said my piece would be ready in 2 weeks, and they were exactly right. When I saw it, I realized that they are very thorough and experts at what they do as the piece came out beautifully. My thanks to everyone for their help in getting my piece framed. It now hangs proudly in my dining room!