Celebrating a decade of FACTS: small nonprofit continues to set frame industry standards

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- During his 30-plus years in the flaming industry, Donald Pierce has seen his share of bad frame jobs. Still--taking into account what he feels is a lack of clearly defined standards in the framing industry--he was never surprised.

"I don't think there is a framer out there trying to do a bad job," he said. "They just don't know any better."

That's why, 10 years ago, he and his partner, Kris Anderson, launched FACTS (Fine Art Care & Treatment), a nonprofit association with a mission to set material and procedural standards in the framing industry and provide information about the preservation of artwork.

Though he retired as executive director of FACTS last year, Pierce said he's proud of what the organization accomplished during his tenure.

"FACTS has written the only standards ever established in the framing industry," Pierce said. "One of the biggest problems with this industry is that it is an industry without standards. It is also an industry in which people base their businesses on individual opinions, not fact. It's scary."

Since 1994, FACTS has succeeded in establishing standards for, among other things, frame allowance; ordering frames and chops; general picture framer requirements; hanging artwork; maximum preservation flaming; and the glazing of artwork and keepsakes.

All of these standards can be found on FACTS' extensive Web site at www.artfacts.org.

Members of FACTS' educational committee can often be found on the trade show circuit, presenting lectures and seminars for framers. Later this month, FACTS will present a power-point presentation on preservation at the West Coast Art and Frame Show in Las Vegas.

So what's next for FACTS?

Under the direction of its new executive director, Kirsten Megahan, it is has formed two new committees to establish standards for foam board and tapes and adhesives. As lackluster as that might sound, these standards will have a profound impact on the industry, said FACTS treasurer Greg Fremstad. the president of FrameTek Corp., in Eugene, Ore.

Framers often rely on the claims of glue or adhesive manufacturers that their products are permanent, even though they may not be, Fremstad said. The new standards will give framers guidelines on the best adhesives and how to use them in ways that will preserve their customers' art work for years to come, he said. The committees will vote on the new standards sometime later this year, he said.

Aside from the new committees, Fremstad admits that things at FACTS are a little slow right now. The economy is still sour, making it difficult to raise money, volunteers are hard to find, and Megahan, who is also Fremstad's daughter, just had a baby. "At this point we have about 30 people involved, but nobody has been asked to do much in the past year, except the education, glue and foam board committees," he said.

Pierce, who still serves as an advisor for FACTS, said the key to the organization's future is perseverance. "I hope it will continue," he said. "I put all I had in me behind it to get it where I thought it could continue. If people don't want it, let it die. But it has the potential to improve everything for everyone. It can help increase the value of a framer's work in every way. It can also save artwork. Two-hundred years from now, I would like for somebody to look at a piece of artwork and say 'That's still here because of FACTS.'"