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Geoff says. They have won many awards over the years, too many to name, but PPF is the official framer for Rhode Island Monthly and won an “RI’s Finest Framer” award in 2015. Last year, Providence Picture Frame
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Providence Picture Frame and Dryden Gallery have a unique perspective on art What started in the mid-1800s in the Arcade has become New England’s biggest and oldest art and frame store. “We have something for everyone in our 40,000 square foot building,” says owner Geoffrey P. Gaunt. PPF specialized in custom framing, art sales, photo printing and restoration, antique maps, art transport and installation, framed mirrors and ready-made frames. “All of our work is done in right here Providence by the best framers around,” Geoff says. “We serve artists, collectors, museums, businesses and anyone else who needs our services - locally, and around the world.” Providence Picture Frame prides itself on providing the best quality, selection, service and prices. Providence Picture Frame started during the Civil War, and kept its downtown home for over a century. It moved to its current location (behind Benny’s on Branch Avenue) in 1976. “We have been successful because we never stop looking for better ways to serve our customers,”
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donated just over $100,000 (in the form of cash and donated services) to non-profit organizations locally and around New England. Geoff Gaunt is the current and fourth owner of Providence Picture Frame. An accomplished woodworker, metalsmith and life-long maker, Geoff’s formal education is in Modern Languages, Photography, and Strategic Management, with an MBA from Providence College. Before Providence Picture Frame, he worked on strategic initiatives for a an international financial firm and was a liaison between that firm and what became Homeland Security after the 9/11 attacks. “After that,” Geoff says, “I wanted to refocus my life on making lives more beautiful rather than simply more profitable.” He teaches framing workshops for RISD and lectures at galleries around New England. He is a member of the Providence Art Club and a Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow. “The East Side is not just our neighborhood, it’s such a rich mix of people who are authentically connected to their community,” Geoff says. He strongly believes in the power of relationships, community action and
giving back. “Here, you can find creative leaders and followers of the arts, education, faith, wellness, medicine and business. Since we’ve been here so long, we really feel like we’re part of this community.” As Providence Picture Frame moves into its next 150 years, there are big changes happening. PPF has recently acquired Picture This (the longtime framer on Wickenden Street). “We’re happy to announce that all of the antique maps, Richard Benjamin’s Photography and great staff from Picture This have all moved over to Providence Picture Frame,” Geoff says, reminding everyone about the abundant free parking by the building. This month is their annual Custom Framing Sale, when everyone gets their deepest Interior Designer discounts (normally reserved for only the highest volume customers). Institutions like Providence Picture Frame, that blend the city’s past with its future, are part of what makes Providence so great. As Geoff says, “It’s such an honor to go into an old home, business or university and see some of our work still hanging on the wall from over 100 years ago.”
Providence Picture Frame & Dryden Gallery 27 Dryden Lane, Providence 401-421-6196 www.ProvidencePictureFrame.com 26
East Side Monthly January 2016