FACTS- WCAF report

[nona powers]

If you are going to Orlando to the PPFA convention, they are very supportive of FACTS and will provide an educational event as well as a presentation to chapter leaders about FACTS. There will be various committee meetings which will be posted a little later.

At the WCAF Las Vegas show, FACTS had an Educational Event arranged by Jim Mille which was very well received by around 75 framers. Debbie Salmon, the person in charge of the WCAF for PFM was very generous about providing rooms for the panel and various committee meetings.

Some of the meetings:

The Tapes and Adhesive committee, chaired by Rick Bergeron from Idaho met and are in the process of setting a standard for Tapes and adhesives as well as providing lots of information you will need. Several representatives were there from various manufactures and distributors. In the not to distant future all committees and members will be listed on the website.

The Foamboard committee has a preliminary standard and are now in the process of refining it for publication. We could use anyone with a chemist or science background or any manufacture of foamboard to review the standard and give input. Jerry Vandergriff is the chair of the foamboard committee. We will also expand the work to include any filler board. In other words, any board to go behind the full four ply back or mount board which has the art attached.

A Mat and Mount Board committee will be forming to review the PMMB 2000 so it can be updated to include any new information or to correct any incomplete or changed information. All standards will be reviewed every five years.

A committee is also being formed to review and update the Guidelines for preservation framing.

Some members of the marketing committee met and plan to send out press releases about the WCAF show and the PPFA show so watch for them.

People from the PPFA will be involved in all of these committees because the framing industry needs standards and Guidelines that are the benchmark for everyone and available to anyone. I'll be calling people for these committees, but if there is an area of interest you might have, please email me and let me know.

Kirsten Megahan the Director of FACTS has some good and bad news. She is expecting another child, congratulations Kirsten but she has to resign as Director. Two small children will be a hand full. The new Director is Gail Packett, she can be reached at gmpackett@MSN.com if you have any questions or concerns. I can also be reached at any time via email, nonapowers@cox.net.

Nona Powers, CPF
www.nonapowers.com
www.artfacts.org

 

[nona powers]

I wanted to publicly thank Jim Miller for all the hard work he has put into FACTS. Most framers don't realize that he has put many hours, very professional hours into furthering FACTS education for framers. Jim is well known in the industry, but if you have not met him, you might not realize he is a nice guy as well as a good framer and wonderful educator.

This is his report on the WCAF panel, I hope he doesn't mind if I share it because it says so well what FACTS is about and what it can do.

We also owe Debbie Salmon and Bruce Gherman many, many thanks for their strong and constant support of FACTS. They get nothing for it except our gratitude.

While I'm at it, I want to also acknowledge the huge contribution that Jay Goltz made to the survival of FACTS. He's about the only guy in the industry who could have hosted and pulled off that meeting in Chicago and again in Atlanta. His contribution made it possible for FACTS to continue and in fact re-invent itself after Don retired and Jay's help should not be overlooked.

There are many other people to thank; the people who served on the panel, they could have been at a very nice reception and they came to serve on the panel instead. As Paul MacFarland said, ”FACTS is important.” All of the committee chairs, the board of trustees, Kirsten, so many wonderful people.



James Miller, MCPF, GCF; Chairman, FACTS Education Committee



Subject:

„FACTS ˆ Setting The Standard‰; Panel Discussion at the West Coast Art & Frame Show;

Sunday, January 23, 2005, 5 pm to 7 pm



The event was planned in cooperation with PFM Seminars, who advertised & promoted it for us, and donated the meeting room and A/V equipment, all at no charge. Our panel discussion was included on the schedule of events as a free class, with a $20 no-show fee (this fee has never been charged, but discourages no-shows & false registrations).



Attendance was 65-75 people, mostly framing practitioners. Considering that it was an evening event on the first day of classes, and the day before the trade show opened, we were very pleased with the turnout. The audience was enthusiastic about the topics discussed, and responded to the panel with good questions and comments.



Our planned purposes of the panel discussion were satisfied in every regard. The planned purposes were to:
Acquaint the audience with FACTS and its purpose of developing, publishing, and maintaining framing standards useful for all segments of the industry.
Stimulate interest in the standards; dispel the myth that FACTS dictates preservation-only framing.
Help framing practitioners understand how FACTS can help them do better, more profitable framing; show how FACTS publications help to educate customers and enhances the framer‚s credibility as a technical consultant.
Panelists were:

Greg Fremstad; FACTS Trustee; President of FrameTek; inventor of several popular framing products, including Nori starch paste packets.

Rick Hird; Attorney; Executive Director of National Distributors Network; former owner of a framing materials distributor.

David Lantrip, MCPF; Manager of Technical Education for Franchise Concepts, Inc.; franchisor of Great Frame Up, Deck The Walls, and Framing and Art Centre stores.

Paul MacFarland, CPF, GCF; President of Art Preservation Resources; educator for Larson-Juhl; framing-industry educator and expert on digital art and canvas-borne art.

Nona Powers, CPF, GCF; FACTS Steering Committee Chairwoman; educator for Nielsen-Bainbridge, framing-industry educator, award-winning framer, color expert, and contributing writer for DÉCOR Magazine.

Jim Miller, MCPF, GCF (Moderator); FACTS Education Committee Chairman; PPFA Certification Board Chairman; industry educator; expert on framing objects and preservation mounting techniques.



The agenda:

1. Moderator Jim Miller introduced the panelists by reading a brief biography of each.

2. Topical discussions followed, according to the list below; moderator asked panelists to comment in random order, and invited rebuffs after all had spoken. Most comments were about 2 to 3 minutes.

3. About halfway through the session and again near the end, the moderator invited questions and comments from the audience. Altogether, almost 1 hour was spent with direct audience participation.



The topics discussed:

1. What benefits do the FACTS standards & guidelines provide for the picture framing industry?

2. Are FACTS standards & guidelines more useful to manufacturers or to framing practitioners?

3. What are the most effective ways to acquaint the framing industry with FACTS standards & guidelines?

4. The framing industry is evolving at a rapid pace. What are the emerging trends, and what should be the role of FACTS in the evolution?

5. Should FACTS develop instructional guides for specific framing tasks, such as preservation hinge mounting or canvas stretching, in addition to the present format of standards & guidelines?

6. PPFA and FATG have developed their own definitions and instructional guides for framing, often called standards. How do these compare with FACTS standards & guidelines, in terms of similarities & differences?

7. FACTS standards & guidelines help to establish "generally accepted framing practices" for framers. How is this helpful?



Based on the panel discussion and audience comments/questions, here are some "talking points" I believe we need to explain and reinforce at every opportunity:

1. FACTS does not suggest that all framing should be done with the best of preservation methods and materials. The intention is to provide guidelines that will help us select the correct materials for whatever level of preservation is appropriate.

2. FACTS standards are comparative. That is, they are intended to help us understand and qualify materials and methods we use. They do not compete with or replace the instructional guides of PPFA or FATG. On the contrary, FACTS standards enhance the usefulness of those instructional, "how to" guides.

3. FACTS is a 501-C-3 charity organization. There is no profit involved, and finances are controlled by federal law.

4. FACTS does not pretend to establish a "framing police". FACTS standards are offered for everyone to use voluntarily, and at no charge. No authority could force framers to adhere to the standards, and that certainly is not the intention of FACTS.

5. FACTS standards benefit framing practitioners by providing clear information about how products and procedures compare to the standards. In addition, the standards help framers communicate with customers about the attributes of certain features, in designing framing for their valuables.



Benefits:

1. Attendees participated in a broad discussion of standards in general, and FACTS standards in particular.

2. This FACTS event received better-than-average turnout.

3. Nona Powers solicited over $500 in contributions.



Conclusion: I suggest that panel discussions be scheduled at every major venue, instead of classes. It is not necessary for panelists to be specially selected experts; any framers acquainted with FACTS could make for lively discussion. However, having recognized names on the panel attracts more attendees.

 

[Jim Miller]

Thanks, Nona.

For the record, nobody has done as much for FACTS as Nona has. She is tireless, tenacious, and a true believer in the value of framing standards.