Vgogh helps preserve memories
Kingston business specializes in custom framing
By ALAN K. STOUT
NEPA’S BEST BUSINESSES
When someone chooses to have
something properly framed, they are, in a sense, also making a statement. They
are saying, "This is important to me. This has value to me. This is
something I want to preserve. This is something I want to display."
It is a meaningful gesture,
and though the reasons for the framing may vary from sentimental value to
actual value, Vgogh Gallery & Custom Framing, located at 281 Wyoming Avenue
in Kingston, treats them all with respect and care. The business, pronounced
"V-Go," opened in 2006 and is owned and operated by Ariane Marsico.
A native of Scranton, Marsico
moved to Dallas while in high school. Later, while doing a marketing internship
with Showcase Art and Framing, a New Jersey-based company, she discovered a
great appreciation for all-things-framing.
"It was a two-month
summer internship, and I just feel in love with it," she says. "I
love everything, from the manufacturing to the preserving of memorabilia. And
that's really what we do. We do frame art, of course. Everybody does. But we
mainly frame artifacts, or things that people don't want to get destroyed by light
or the elements, or things that people want to display, such as
accomplishments. That's mainly what comes through the door."
Marsico says that when people
choose to frame something, it's usually not only to properly preserve it for
themselves, but for generations to come.
"They're often getting
it framed for the purpose of passing it down," she says. "It's
usually family photos, which we can restore. And they may have never seen those
photos whole, as they originally were. With all of the digital advances, we're
able to restore things to their original form. A lot of the photos from this
area are from the flood (of 1972), so they have a lot of mold damage, or
they've faded, and we're able to bring 99-percent of them back. We've had
people cry at the counter, because it's the first time they're seeing their
ancestors."
Marsico says all sorts of
other items arrive at the store for framing every day. One recent job involved
a collection of vintage soda cans. Another included World War II memorabilia.
And some come from the world of sports.
"I'm a huge sports fan,
so all of the sports memorabilia that comes in, I'm always excited about,"
she says. "We had a Derek Jeter signed photo come in that was of him
touching the sign in the Yankee clubhouse that reads 'I thank the good Lord for
making me a Yankee.' I've always loved that photo. That was for the
Misericordia University golf tournament, and it came right from Yankee
Stadium."
Though Vgogh's primary focus
is custom framing, it also still hosts a few exhibits each year.
"Originally, we were going
to be an outlet for a lot of local artists, but there's not a big demand for
fine arts in the area," says Marsico. "But we still host two large exhibits.
Usually there's a July show and a show that runs from November through the first
of the year. We've hosted everybody from the Colored Pencil Society to the Wyoming
Valley Art League and a lot of the well-known local artists."
Marsico, 28, and her son,
Noah, live in West Pittston. She says Vgogh has a staff of seven, including two
full-time framers, and adds that word-of-mouth and referrals have been her best
form of advertising. Being located on Wyoming Avenue, where thousands pass by
each day, has also been helpful. She says she still gets great satisfaction
when customers come in to pick up their items and marvel at how nice they appear
after being properly framed.
"That's the rewarding
part," she says. "And that's a new experience every time."
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