Four Corners Art & Frame Shop

I’ve only recently found myself in a place in life where I can afford things like custom framing, so when I found the first piece of what I hope will become a carefully curated collection of art, I wasn’t sure what kind of costs were involved or the options available to me. I knew it was pricey enough that I should shop around and make sure it was done right the first time, though, so that’s what I did.
I originally went to a frame shop closer to my house to start looking at what was available, and the guy there had a great eye for design. He helped me pick out a ‘look’ that would work both for the art being framed and the room I planned to put it in. Unfortunately, the price he quoted me seemed high even to my estimations as a newbie in the framing world. I decided to go somewhere else and get a second quote before committing.
That and the good word of the owner of Gargoyles Statuary brought me to Four Corners. I’ve passed by here a lot since I’ve lived in the U-​District for years, but I’d never gone in before. There’s a ton of art there and it’s varied in style, medium and subject matter, but as I was mainly in the shop to get the print I already had taken care of, that’s what I’m going to talk about.
Now, before I go any further I should tell you something about this print so you can understand how important this was for me: I found the image in my print online back in April. It was the winning piece in an online art contest, and I liked it so much I tracked down the artist. Turned out he was a highly professional gallery artist that does shows across the country. I was pretty dismayed because I was like, «There’s no way this guy has time to make a single print for some random person.» Well, I got on his Facebook page anyway and made a plea for a print, and it was actually his wife that found my message some months after I posted it. (He really was busy!) She acted on my behalf and got her husband to contact me. Finally, in November, I recieved my coveted print and a nice letter from the artist. Best part? He only charged me what it cost to have the print — a very fine giclée — printed and shipped to me. He effectively went out of his way to have the print made and sent to me for free. I was *ecstatic*.
And I felt the same way when Allison presented me with the finished product. I had the whole nine: frame, fabric mat, museum glass, and even filet. The whole production cost me about $ 150 less than the guy at the first shop quoted me, so it was a wise choice to shop arround. Allison’s work is high quality and her service is superb. She had to set up an account with a new supplier just to get my moulding because the people she normally uses had discontinued it, and she still managed to get the job done in the time she quoted me. She was very friendly and attentive to my project while we were picking out the pieces, and it all came together beautifully. I am very pleased with the first piece of my «for keeps» art collection and I can safely say I will return to Four Corners with future pieces.

A very small but full-​service frame shop with reasonable prices. Most of their real estate is full of prints and posters and other flat stock, framed and unframed.
It’s the U-​District, so parking is kind of a pain most of the time, but there’s a ton of other stuff to do nearby. You kind of have to look sharp to spot the shop, the frontage is tiny.
Inside, the walls are chockablock with prints of all sizes and prices. I could get a lot of presents for family here, for sure. They have a nice variety of classic art prints as well as tasteful graphic design pieces.
I came in for a couple pieces of framing, one on a budget and one with a little more ambition to it. The budget piece was just a fun ebay find for a buddy’s birthday present. The shop hooked up a very reasonable matte and frame combination that worked for the budget we had pooled among the gift-​givers. The second piece was a high-​quality color print worth preserving. Museum glass and acid-​free mounting aren’t cheap, but they came up with a workable arrangement.
They did the work quickly, especially on the budget project. Everything was finished to a high degree of quality, and we had fun kicking off the birthday road trip by picking up the birthday present here. The print project came out beautifully as well, and looks fantastic on my wall.
I should add that the staff here are incredibly charming and fun to talk to. They love their work, and seem to feel genuine affinity for their customers. They make it really easy to plan how to proceed, and their warmth and good cheer are very infectious. They’re a bit out of the way for me, but I can definitely see bringing lots of projects here in the future. I love working with them and love the quality of their work.

Years ago walking down University Avenue, the prints and postcards in the window displays repeatedly pulled me into this little shop. It was decorated to the ceiling with quality prints of paintings by Matisse, Renoir, Sanyu, as well as interesting local artists. I loved the way Allison framed everything and the place had a warm, homey vibe. So last year when an artist friend of mine told me she wanted to have someone frame her art, I suggested she try Four Corners Art & Frame.
She started with a couple collages and was very happy with the results. Allison listened, asked questions, suggested several alternatives until she found what my friend wanted. At present, my friend has had perhaps a dozen of her collages framed here. Some of them are in pairs and some are in series. Each is enhanced by Allison’s thoughtful consideration of them as such. The craftsmanship of the frames — the mitre joints are tight, etc — is excellent too. If I ever decide to have something framed, I will certainly bring it to Four Corners Art & Frame. The place hasn’t changed a bit.

I had a small piece framed here about a week ago. I must say the service was fantastic. There was great communication in terms of the options available and their in stock selection was fairly impressive. The turnaround was great, having my finished piece 2 days after I dropped it off. I could tell care was when making the frame. It came out very sturdy and well done. Competitive prices are a plus as well. Good experience overall.

I love this place! I’ve come back a few times now, and I almost always end up getting something for my walls.
I moved here recently, and decided I needed to upgrade a little from my college posters. I wandered into here one day after seeing a beautiful X-​Ray image of a lily, now hanging over my bed. I’ve come back a few times to buy new things for myself or for gifts, and I always have great conversations with the owners.
What’s particularly nice here is the variety and pricing. There’s a lot of different art, which I’ve noticed is not always the case in galleries. The prices, paritcularly for pictures hanging on the wall, are great. There are some more expensive pieces, but also a lot of really affordable ones too. The pictures hanging on the wall in particular tend to have the best framing and matting (since they’re the examples), but also the highest discounts.
Having bought six pieces there now, I can say for sure that this is my favorite gallery I’ve encountered. If you want some art, go here!

This is a wonderful, wonderful shop. The prices are really fair, and there are so many fantastic and eclectic original art and print pieces to buy. I’ve bought 3 or 4 great prints from their $ 2 box. I’m poor, but their many beautiful pieces and work have kept me coming back. I’ve done multiple frame jobs here, and then compared quotes with other shops. Their prices are pretty unbeatable. They also have great art refrigerator magnets. The owner has great taste, and even better service.

I’ve had some art framed here and they had excellent suggestions and did a great job.

«The Lesbian Kiss” — by Tanya Chalkin
i miss this place a lot.
i never found a reason to go in here, but one day… i was walking home and stepped inside here just for kicks. i was amazed by all the local artwork/​artists and selections of posters offered there. i basically had a phase where i bought every present for all of my friends from Four Corners. their staff is über friendly and nice.
one of my favorite photos of all time was featured here as well. a popular British Photographer named Tanya Chalkin– with her «The Lesbian Kiss» poster. i was so happy to find it there– so i bought every copy they had. =)

Nice variety of prints, cards and framing supplies are available in this tiny shop on the Ave. Gift ideas are plentiful and the prices are reasonable. I like the unique cards they have displayed. If you have something to frame, bring it in to get an accurate quote.