Advocacy for Artists: Giving Back
When I started Frame Destination in my garage back in 2004, it wasn’t purely a business decision. Rather, my frustration as an amateur photographer is what inspired me. I wanted to build a brand that offered something I couldn’t find anywhere else: archival-quality frames hand-crafted for my artwork in digital sizes.
Artists Frame the Way We Do Business
Fast forward a couple decades, and Frame Destination has remained rooted in that early desire to give artists what they need to do their best work. Together with my wife and business partner, Joely Rogers, we’ve expanded our community beyond professional artists and photographers to include professional decorators, homemakers, retired hobbyists, gallery owners, students, teachers, clubs, societies — all members of the art industry.
Refining our Purpose
We distilled our brand purpose to six words: To inspire, honor, and showcase creativity. That purpose plays out by:
• Inspiring ideas through professional art resources, industry insights, and DIY guides.
• Honoring artistic efforts through art scholarships, art and photo club membership discounts, and tailored tools like our GalleryPouch™ art transport bags.
• Showcasing creativity via artist spotlights and quality hand-made framing products that beautifully present works of art to the world.
This three-pronged brand purpose allows for our brand promise of advocacy for artists to flow in many directions.
Advocacy: Let Us Count the Ways
Joely and I define advocacy as to encourage support. Such a broad stroke fosters creativity in how we advocate for artists. Is it philanthropy? Is it promoting artists’ work? Is it sharing opportunities for growth? Is it offering innovative products to expand an artist's palette of tools?
The answer is all of the above! We’re excited to offer many expressions of our purpose and our advocacy promise. Some are new, some are a continuation of previous initiatives, but they’re all designed to benefit you as an artist. Here’s what you have to look forward to:
Club & Student Membership Discount. We are continuing to support our aspiring creatives and pros in the community through our Exclusive Student/Club Discount for university art students and faculty, as well as photo and art club members. The discount is automatically applied, with no code to remember or minimum purchase requirements.
Event Sponsorships. Building on last year, we’re planning more opportunities for art clubs to gain sponsorships and event giveaways ranging from $75 to $1000 per event. Frame Destination is committed to supporting art financially, wherever we can. Do you have an event coming up? Visit our site today to apply for a sponsorship.
NEW Guest Artist Contributions & Exposure. As lifelong learners, Joely and I believe that a variety of voices enhances our perspective. So we're adding more opportunities for guest artist this year to offer insight on topics like Building an Art Career, Marketing Your Art, and Establishing Your Own Artistic Style through Artie's Hot Takes.
NEW Artist Spotlights. Artie’s Eight Q&A — interviews with artists and photographers around the country — continues to be a big hit. Not only will we spotlight 12 new artists, but we’re bringing fresh ways for Artie’s Eight Alumni to present their art to potential buyers and fans through our Artie Inspires and the new Shop the Look initiatives. If you haven’t yet been featured in an Artie’s Eight Q&A, don’t wait any longer! Click here to be considered.
Art Scholarships. Calling all students who share our passion for art and photography: This year we continue offering a $500 Frame Destination Scholarship to four deserving candidates — two per semester. Applications are open to undergrad and graduate students attending any accredited university within the United States, as well as students of Art Renewal atelier programs.
New Decor Products for Professional Decorators. If you earn your living making spaces beautiful, we want to honor your vision and skills with new product lines of classic and trending designs. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter and watch out for new product emails in your in-box soon. Or check out our new 'Shop By' categories.
New Plein Air Products for Painters. Previously, we added a half dozen new frames designed especially for plein air artwork. We’re not stopping there; we’ll be expanding this offering with more stylized frames including smaller plein air frames and frames with deeper rabbets.
NEW Pro Resources. Our industry is constantly evolving. This year we’re offering brand-new professional resources for framers, like an updated framing glossary and an educational framing module that includes tips for matting and canvas stretching. Additionally, we've added new ways for independent and professional creatives or businesses to get more exposure and sell more art at no charge to them.
NEW Affiliate Program. This year we are adding a new opportunity for creatives, pros, and home decorators through a tiered Affiliate Program. Brand Ambassadors can potentially earn hundreds of dollars per month by sharing Frame Destination's high quality handmade frames with others.
There you have it! As this year continues to unfold, we’re right here with you, ready to support, encourage, and advocate. If you have other ideas for how we can enrich your life as an artist, feel free to let us know.
Last Updated Dec 15, 2023