(Hello again to Maya from Cincinnati. She is one of the bloggers trying out for a spot on the AT:Chicago team. Her first post is here and comments are welcome!)
With three locations in Cincinnati, Fabulous Frames & Art is a good choice for custom-framing and limited-edition prints, but what really makes it special is its extensive inventory of prints by the late Charley Harper.
A family-owned business for over 25 years, Fab Frames considers itself the world's largest Harper dealer, stocking his limited-edition serigraphs, Giclee prints, lithographs, and posters, as well as greeting cards, books, adornments, mugs, and a new line of licensed home goods by Tag. The store also carries a limited selection of works by Charley's wife Edie and son Brett. Prices vary from $2 for a notecard to the thousands for a rare print.
Harper moved to Cincinnati to study at the Art Academy, where he met his wife Edie. His prolific 60-year career included illustrations for Ford Times, The Golden Book of Biology, and Betty Crocker's Dinner For Two Cook Book, as well as posters for the National Park Service and the Audubon Society. He also created limited-edition prints, many with clever pun-filled titles and descriptions. The Fab Frames site includes an exhaustive catalog of Harper's prints, where you can research publication dates, editions, dimensions, alternate titles, and retail prices.
We've blogged about Harper before and, with the recent publication of three books by Ammo Books, including Todd Oldham's Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life, now's a great time to bring some of Harper's "minimal realism" into your life!
More info: Fabulous Frames & Art
Downtown: 17 West 4th St.
Montgomery: 10817 Montgomery Rd.
Northgate: 9632 Colerain Ave.
-Maya
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
YAY CINCI! We need to hear about all the great stuff that goes on around there... People forget about Cincinnati, but it's a GREAT place for art and design. =)
view barbidahll's profile
Oh my god those towels and dishes!!!!!! Do they sell them online, or just in the store???!?
view snickitysnack's profile
I agree with Bardidahll. I was in Cincinnati for work last month, and I came across this amazing vintage poster shop in downtown called Vintage Poster Bank (http://www.vintageposterbank.com). If you can, definitely visit this store in person - the website doesn't reflect the full inventory of what's available for purchase. The owner is personable, loves to talk about this extensive collection, and the prices are reasonable.
I'm looking forward to returning to Cincinnati for work sometime in the next two/three months. Now I've got two shops to check out!
David
view david's profile
i'm just excited that cincinnati AND kansas city are up for blog spots -- my hometown and my soon to be home. i love that you guys are expanding (i'm slightly biased toward both these cities)
view amberb's profile
Ah, good to see some coverage of my old hometown. There are some truly great places in this city and a lot of history. I look forward to some house tours soon, hopefully?
And three cupcakes to Maya!
view zero's profile
Thanks, everyone! As a transplant, it's easy for me to appreciate everything Cincinnati has to offer, and it's been fun to share some of what I've discovered.
Snickitysnack, the home goods are available at tons of stores or online via Tag.
David, I love the Vintage Poster Bank, too! On the same block is Designsmith Gallery, a great vintage furniture shop. I actually wrote the Cincinnati Design Guide for Design*Sponge, which should be up within the next couple of weeks. Hopefully it will be of some use to you!
view visualingual's profile
Visualingual: right next to the Vintage Poster Bank is a vintage mid-century store called Mainly Art. I would have stopped by, but the owner only had the shop opened during the weekend when I was in town.
I was told by someone (the owner of Vintgage Poster Bank?) that there Frank Lloyd built homes in the Cincinnati area?
view david's profile
David, I didn't mention Mainly Art because it's actually moving out of the neighborhood right about now. It's a bummer, but at least it's not closing.
As FLW, I believe there are three: the Tonkens House in Amberley Village, the Boswell House in Indian Hill, and the Boulter House in Cincinnati proper. Also, Woody Garber is a local architect of note; he designed the main branch of the public library downtown. The next time you're visiting, you might also check to see if CF3 is doing an event; it's a local Modern group. If you're lucky, there might be a home tour or something.
view visualingual's profile
I love Charley Harper! He also did a mural at Miami University, not far from Cincinnati. I can't find an image of it online.
view ClaireW's profile
Great blog, Maya!
To Claire - I can't find a pic online of the actual mural (I know there is one in "Illustrated Life", though), but it was actually made into a print called "Web of Life - Miami University". They are lithographs, but oddly enough are all signed and numbered by Charley. Available online both framed and http://www.fabframes.com/images/lithographs/web%20of%20life%20-%20miami.jpg. Hope this helps!
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