Conservation framing is how Marty & Pat’s protects work that should outlast a trend. CPF-certified framers through the Professional Picture Framers Association use conservation-quality materials so paper, textiles, and photographs are buffered from the environment instead of sealed against cheap board.
Expert matting is part of that same conversation: size, color, and reveal chosen for the piece, not a default white rectangle. The shop cuts mats for artwork, photos, and specialty presentations, including shadowboxes when an object needs depth.
On Camp Bowie, that conversation happens in the room with the work. You can see how a wider mat changes a small drawing, or how a fillet and a second color settle a busy print. The Cultural District and the museums are a short drive east; collectors who live in Ridglea, Tanglewood, and Arlington Heights use the same weekday hours to drop in after other errands on The Bricks.
Conservation choices show up in the stack you cannot see once the frame is closed: boards that will not burn the paper, hinging that can be reversed, glazing that cuts UV when a piece will hang in a bright room. The staff will tell you when a piece needs that care and when a simpler build is honest.
Dimensional work — medals, jerseys, diplomas with tassels, a scarf that should float — still starts with the same materials conversation. See shadowbox framing, jersey framing, and diploma framing when the object needs a box instead of a flat frame. Textiles go to the needlework specialist or scarf pinning bench.
This is still a working shop on The Bricks, locally owned since 1986. Custom picture framing for everyday pieces lives next to this conservation work. National clients can crate and ship; most Fort Worth families simply walk in with what they have.
Visit 5025 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., or call (817) 738-7328. Walk in with the work; the staff will look at it with you before anything is cut.
Questions we hear
What does conservation framing mean at this shop?
It means conservation-quality materials and methods chosen so paper, textiles, and photographs are protected from the environment. CPF-certified framers decide the stack with you — boards, hinges, mats, and glazing — based on the piece, not a one-size kit.
Can you cut a custom mat for a logo or an unusual shape?
Yes. Expert matting is a core service, including sizes and colors for artwork and photos and more elaborate decorative cuts when the piece calls for them.
Is every piece framed to conservation standard?
The shop offers conservation-quality materials and will recommend them when the work should last. Everyday pieces can still be framed well without every archival option. You will hear the difference before you commit.