Just as bread and water are food for the body, art and music are food for the soul. And this is the significance of this family-owned business. After being awarded the NC Triad Yelp Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And The Frame Connection, in Salem, Virginia, is a perfect example. The local artist and co-owner of this custom framing and art shop, Sean Hatter, worked at The Frame Connection for over 23 years, and this year, after the opportunity of purchasing the business came up, he and his artist wife, Alison, didn't think twice about it, but went on with the heart, and took it. Today, I had the privilege of meeting Sean at the frame shop, conveniently located in the heart of Salem, Virginia, on 19 East Main Street, right next to the Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea Shop. When I walked into the shop, he greeted me and gave me a warm welcome. His amazing personality can only be compared with the quality of his art, which I got to see for the first time being exhibited in his frame shop. I found fascinating how in the small space of the shop, he managed to carry an extensive variety of frames of different styles and prices, including some very nice and elegant ones. All very clean and organized. As well as some framed paintings from local artists and from him and his wife that that were being exhibiting for sale. I immediately fell in love by his painting style which encompassed very detailed fine lines, as well as enough brush strokes to distinguish the painting from being a photograph. I was also very impressed with the samples he had available for customers to take into consideration as they picked the frame and glass type for their particular items they wished to have framed. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their frames and artworks. Sean's fine art current focus is on portraits and landscapes. And his wife Alison's varies from representational, symbolic forms, and imaginative realism. You can see samples of these being exhibited at the frame shop. While I was in the shop, I had the opportunity of witnessing how Sean dealt with a young gentleman customer who wanted to have an eclectic artwork framed, but had a small budget. Before he was aware of his budget, he showed him some really nice frame, and once he became aware of his customer's budget, he brought out a simple, yet very nice frame. And then at the request of the customer, he allowed him to pay half of the total today and the other half when he picked up the completed framework. I highly recommend this frame shop for anyone looking to beautifully preserve a memorable item. read more

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Was looking for a local frame shop and been pleased with every piece Frame Connection has done for me. They have done several pieces in my collection and each one done beautifully. Conservation museum quality work, timely service and at a fair and competitive value. Sean is knowledgeable and has a great eye for design, he has always been kind and professional in all my dealings. A great local shop and worth your support. 4.5 Stars rounded up for the excellent service 01028 read more

The Frame Connection - coffee cup print series, each frame slight variations look great in the breakfast area - Art Galleries Near Me - Salem, Virginia

WOW, what a great job framing our Hoos Championship prized possession. This is not a treasure for the season but a treasure for a lifetime. The Frame Connection selected the frame and colors and everything matched perfectly. Very impressive and top notch framing. Now all our WaHoo fans want one. read more

Just got both of my degrees framed. They did a beautiful and detailed job on both of them. I would definitely recommend them for custom framing. read more