Bark Frameworks

Bark Frameworks 4245 12th St., Long Island City, NY 11101
718-752-1919 or www.barkframeworks.com
Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 am - 6 pm
By appointment only.

Bark Frameworks began in 1969 in Jared Bark’s SoHo loft. As of January 2017, we are proud to be 100% employee-owned. We work from our 27,000 square foot building in Long Island City. Since we make all our frames here in our LIC shop, we can offer an infinite variety of new frame designs as well as our frames that have become classics. We started out by framing works by our contemporaries, and over

time our range has grown to embrace the framing of Western works from Impressionism forward. We have designed and built numerous frames for textiles as well as Asian works, like thangkas. The framing of photographs from the field’s earliest days to the present has become a specialty. Our designs for mirror frames are unique as well.

(2/2) Next, Yelena uses a natural bristle brush to tamp the gilding and finish. This helps to even out the overall tone....
06/16/2026

(2/2) Next, Yelena uses a natural bristle brush to tamp the gilding and finish. This helps to even out the overall tone.

Finally, Yelena touches up the strip of gilding.

Next week: the finished frame!

(1/2) Continuing from last week's post about hand finishing a small frame: In these captures, final steps of the finishi...
06/16/2026

(1/2) Continuing from last week's post about hand finishing a small frame: In these captures, final steps of the finishing process before the frame is fit with its artwork. The red birch frame has a wipe and wax finish, which we complete using Danish oil.

After the finish dries (more than 24 hrs later), Yelena now uses very fine grit ( #320) sandpaper to surface the frame, working out any inconsistencies in the wood for a smooth finish. Then, she uses a small paintbrush (and gauze) to tone the thin panel that has been gilded in 23kt yellow gold over red clay, with a light/medium finish.

06/09/2026

(2/2) Here, gilder Yelena Budylina works in our Long Island City shop, applying red bole (or clay) to the panel element to be gilded. Each side of the panel is taped off, to protect the rest of the frame. Later, any excess bole will be gently sanded off.

More on this frame and finish, next week!

(1/2) The first of a multipart post about hand finishing: Our designers work with clients to create one-of-a-kind profil...
06/09/2026

(1/2) The first of a multipart post about hand finishing: Our designers work with clients to create one-of-a-kind profiles for their artworks; and our artisans bring those designs to life! Recently, a collector client brought a watercolor portrait to frame as a gift. The client worked with Bark designer Ethan Ellis to create a design that was elegant and light, and would reflect the tones of the artwork.

Together, the two decided on a modification of our Flamande profile, milled in red birch, to reflect the warmness of colors in the artwork. It was noted on the job sheet that our millers cull wood with more dramatic figure, if possible. A thin gilded panel along the outside edge of the frame also became a part of the design (see slide 2).

Last week, we posted about a special finish we made, reminiscent of Parisian rooftops. The original request for such a f...
06/04/2026

Last week, we posted about a special finish we made, reminiscent of Parisian rooftops. The original request for such a finish came to us from American photographer Irving Penn, and can be seen again here on our Degas Mirror (1878-79, #3). Degas sketched numerous frame profiles during his lifetime, though some were never produced until they were made by us. The artist drew the cross-section for this frame in his sketchbook of 1878-79 (profile #3), studied by Jared Bark in the 1990s at the Bibliothèque nationale de France. This mirror frame is zinc-clad and patinated; we cast and silvered the mirror, which is about 1” thick, in our shop.

For more information on our custom mirror frames, visit our website: https://tinyurl.com/3dv4m5up

Traveling without moving: Here, our R.O.L. 2 profile, one of our more popular, named profiles. In 1990, when we became i...
05/28/2026

Traveling without moving: Here, our R.O.L. 2 profile, one of our more popular, named profiles. In 1990, when we became interested in Dutch frame design, this profile from the 17th century is the first design we produced. From sections of it we have made a number of other named profiles, such as our Stoneyhurst and Ojief profiles. ROL stands for Reverse "Ojief Lijst" (ogee frame, in Dutch).

The corner shown here is zinc clad, finished with a patina and flat lacquer. Bark founder Jared Bark often traveled to Paris to research frame history and design -- and the finish here was created by to evoke the feel of Parisian rooftops, like those captured by contemporary photographer Raphael Metivet, whose photos are shown here. The original request for such a finish had come from none other than American photographer (and Bark client) Irving Penn.

05/15/2026

We had a blast last night, at the opening of “Bark After Dark,” the exhibition mounted by the artists of Bark Frameworks! Myriad creativity was on display, complete with tasty snacks and beverages. Thank you to all who showed up for us! There’s still time to catch our exhibition at 43-01 21st St. in LIC: tonight (Friday) until 9 pm; Saturday, 12-6 pm; and Sunday 12-3 pm. We appreciate your support!

It's that time of year again! Save the date for opening night of the annual Bark staff art show, "Bark After Dark," our ...
05/06/2026

It's that time of year again! Save the date for opening night of the annual Bark staff art show, "Bark After Dark," our ninth exhibition mounted by the artisans of Bark Frameworks (in conjunction with the LIC Arts Open). "Bark After Dark's opens next Thursday, May 14th at 43-01 21st Street (Room 104) in Long Island City. The opening party is from 6 - 9 pm that night -- light beverages will be served. We can't wait to see all of our fellow artists, local friends, and collectors at the event!

Here, some captures from past Bark staff art shows and openings. See you there!

(3/3) Likewise, the Foundation wanted to do something unique for the photographs in this exhibit. “We selected five diff...
04/29/2026

(3/3) Likewise, the Foundation wanted to do something unique for the photographs in this exhibit. “We selected five different silk matboard tones to pair with the sepia tones of 36 historical photographs,” explains frame designer Dareece Walker. In the last few slides, a detail of a custom mat wrapped in white pongee silk, made for a black and white print of Calder in his studio.

“Calder. Rêver en équilibre,” is on view through August 16, 2026, at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, France. For more, visit https://tinyurl.com/39rstuzw



All works by Calder © 2026 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Photos: © Fondation Louis Vuitton / Marc Domage

(2/3) Speaking about framing works for “Calder: Rêver en équilibre” specifically, Bark designer Dareece Walker worked in...
04/29/2026

(2/3) Speaking about framing works for “Calder: Rêver en équilibre” specifically, Bark designer Dareece Walker worked in conjunction with the Calder Foundation, principal lender for the exhibition. Many of the frame profiles for works on paper in the show were based on a slanted-face design which Bark had previously developed for the Calder Foundation. These frames were milled in maple, finished in a black paint casein.

The scoop profile frame for Untitled (1933) by Jean Hélion (shown here) is an example of a frame we designed outside of these typical frame standards. The profile for this painting was developed to accent the curves in the painting’s composition, and give the piece its own presence in the exhibition.



All works by Calder © 2026 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Address

4245 12th Street
New York, NY
11101

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

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