By Valerie Becker, MCPF

In January, I spent a week in Las Vegas for the annual Professional Picture Framing Convention. It was a great success! My first year on the Competition Board has passed quickly! It is fulfilling to be a part of the team with my colleagues Robin Gentry (Bowling Green, KY), Alan Abeyta (Phoenix, AZ), and Elizabeth Hellsten (San Antonio, TX). Here are some highlights from the convention, held at the Paris Hotel.

The first day was spent unpacking the competition pieces that were sent in for judging. On day two, the judges came in at 8 am and worked late into the night. There were a lot of pieces to judge!

PPFA competitions offer two categories. The PRINT category is a specific artwork chosen by the competition board each year. The challenge is to frame the designated print using proper PPFA established techniques and appropriate design. The OPEN category is a fun group in which the framer chooses his or her artwork or object to design and frame. Since I am on the Competition Board, I cannot compete for the length of my term, however, I am greatly enjoying the educational benefits of being on “this side” of the game!

On the third day, before the tradeshow opened, we hung all of the competition pieces for display. The winners of the competition were announced at the annual PPFA President’s Dinner. The display was huge, inspirational, and demonstrated beautiful craftsmanship.

Congratulations to this year’s
print and open winners!

First Place, and First Time High Point Entry: Karen Fox, Art Heads Custom Picture Framing, Lake Oswego, OR.

Janine Buechner, MCPF, Artists Guild LLC, Sturgeon Bay, WI

After our initial competition duties, it was time for education. The Competition Board taught two classes: Understanding Competition and a Judge Update class. One of the priorities for the Competition Board is to train and recruit judges for the competition.

I was also able to take a few classes for myself, in order to keep my Master Framing designation up to date. My MCPF recertification is required every four years. There was a little time to catch up with my frame vendors, and to hunt for next year’s competition PRINT. The final day was spent carefully repacking the competition pieces for shipment to their owners. It was wonderful to be in the midst of so many fantastic colleagues!

I have two more years serving on the Competition Board for PPFA and I’m looking forward to an exciting year of industry competition, inspiration, and education.