Larson-Juhl is the sponsor of the first major exhibition of Western art by African American artists in conjunction with the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, GA. “The Black West: Buffalo Soldiers, Black Cowboys & Untold Stories” is also the first exhibit to tell this often-overlooked story.
     The exhibit features more than 60 paintings, drawings, and sculpture by 16 African American artists. This exhibition will shed new light on the important role African Americans played in developing the West. In addition to the stories of Black cowboys and buffalo soldiers, works of art will also feature Black lawmen, explorers, rodeo stars, and women. Participating artists include Bernard Williams, Ed Dwight, Burl Washington, Eddie Dixon, Bobb Vann, Bob Snead, Michael Godfrey, and many others.
     Larson-Juhl also sponsored prominent actor-artist-historian Bob Snead, who takes his story “The Buffalo Soldiers” to the stage in a one-act play about the life and times of Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper, the first black graduate of the United States Military Academy (West Point). Snead also owns and runs Frame Workshop, a custom frame store and gallery in El Paso, TX.
     To learn more about the exhibit or Bob Snead visit www.BoothMuseum.org or www.BobSneadArt.com,  respectively.

Artaissance Returns to “Celebrity Apprentice”
Artaissance, the online art gallery and newest division of Larson-Juhl, is the major artwork provider for the second season in a row for Donald Trump's reality show Celebrity Apprentice, which airs Sundays on NBC. 
The majority of the artwork featured in the show's boardroom, war rooms, and other high-profile areas are provided exclusively by Artaissance, which allows consumers to custom-size art while selecting the art in the convenience of their homes.
     Artaissance features more than 3,000 images provided exclusively by over 150 international and celebrated artists. Artaissance President and Chief Curator Steve McKenzie, an artist himself, assisted in hand-selecting all images representing 18 different genres. Additionally, Larson-Juhl is also the major supplier of frames for the program.         

Arts Center Benefits from Girl Scout Framing Project
Inspired by her love of history and the arts, Alexis deLucia combined two projects into one to complete her Girl Scout Gold Award, "Preserving Our Past, and Growing Our Future." DeLucia attended both art and ballet classes as a preschooler at The McGroarty Arts Center in Tujunga, CA, Historical Monument 63, once the home of Congressman John Steven McGroarty and his wife, Ida. The home was also called "Casa Churpa Rosa," the hummingbird house.
     Alexis took the artifacts that belonged to the McGroarty estate and archivally framed over 40 documents and vintage photographs. She scanned and cataloged each document in the event that the collection was ever lost to fire (the McGroarty house, built in 1923, did burn during his lifetime). Her project was made possible due to generous donations, including thousands of dollars of picture framing materials from Larson-Juhl as well as Crescent matboards, and Tru-Vue glass. DeLucia's parents' FastFrame in La Canada played an integral part in the process.
     Call the McGroarty Arts Center at 818-352-5285 for more information.

Roma Moulding has made enhancements to its interactive website, www.romamoulding.com. Users are able to access the entire Roma product line, register to become Roma customers, order corner samples and catalogs online, access the Advice Center, and use an online store locator. The site's innovative section, Mirror Creations Tool™, allows the user to custom design mirrors by choosing from the exclusive collection of over 2,000 hand-finished Italian mouldings. An instruction sheet is included. Other improvements to the site include an improved login and registration process and a downloadable PDF section to provide easy access to corporate forms to facilitate the ordering process.

AMS introduces a new website, www.artmaterialsservice.com, with additional hanging hardware, mounting tissue, and laminating product lines along with an updated catalog. Soon to come, more videos on high production framing equipment.

Industry Mourns Loss of Ada Sepp
Ada Sepp recently passed away at the age of 96. She was married to John E. Sepp, co-owner of Sepp Leaf Products, Inc. until his passing in 1991. Their children, Peter and Ines, had long since taken over the family business.
     The couple married in 1939 and lived in Estonia until 1944, then escaped Russian occupancy to a deposed peoples camp in Augsburg, Germany. John and Ada emigrated to the U.S. in 1951.
John E. Sepp Import Agencies was established in 1956, representing foreign manufacturers in the USA. The agency  focused on a few selected manufacturers in the framing industry. In the 1970s the agency began to import gold leaf and gilding products from Germany and Italy under the company name of Sepp Leaf Products, Inc. Today, the company also carries picture frames from Belgium, Italy, and Taiwan in addition to glass tabletops and mirrors.
     Ada took care of the company's accounting and worked until January 2009. She was active in her church and community and Estonian organizations.

Hoelderlin Celebrates 20 Years at Framerica
Framerica’s shipping manager Jeff Hoelderlin has just celebrated 20 years of service. “Jeff has been a leader from day one,” notes Jay Van Vechten, vice president of production. “And he continues to be a leader today.” He can be reached at 800-372-6422.

Correction
The April “Frame Design” column written by Tim Franer, CPF, CMG, mentioned MDF arch matboard from Raphael's. All references to this product should have been Ultralight LDF liners. For more information about these liners, contact Scott Brummitt at Raphael's at 800-881-5191.