August 08, 2017
It’s not everyday that Frames and Stretchers gets to frame the work of a well-known contemporary sculptor. The Ford Foundation brought us yet another exceptional artwork this time from Melvin “Mel” Edwards. As with other Ford Foundation art we framed the work, "Searching for the Balance", using a prime float technique - handmade mulberry paper hinges applied with rice paste to archival museum board. The look was completed with a black hardwood maple moulding. This large intricate handmade work is part of a group of paper pieces that Edwards has been producing along with his sculpture since the 1970s. The handmade paper background is embedded with the cut-out black tools and other figures.
Melvin Edwards' hand made paper work "Searching for the Balance" framed in the studio
Mel Edwards was born in 1937 in Houston Texas. He had his first one-person show at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in 1965 and has since been honored with more than a dozen solo exhibitions and dozens of group shows. He has had solo exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the L. A. County Museum and the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton. His long and successful career includes having his works represented in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and the L. A. County Museum among others.
Edwards' sculpture, "Steel Life" 1985-1991, showing his use of tools as materials (image courtesy of the artist's website)
His numerous awards include a Fulbright Scholarship to Zimbabwe and he currently spends several months each year working as a sculptor in Senegal. His art is heavily influenced by his African American heritage and he some of his best know works include his ongoing “Lynch Fragments” series of small scale relief sculptures. His style is semi-abstract and draws from the western Modernist tradition of welded steel. Edwards employs a variety of metal objects including hammers, scissors, locks, chains and railroad spikes for his raw material. Many of the works on paper, like the one here, illustrate these objects. When not in Africa he is based in New York City.
Edwards as young artist in the 60s with his relief sculpture and more recently in his studio (images courtesy of Alexander Gray Associates)
The Frames and Stretchers team is thrilled with our ongoing association with the Ford Foundation and many other stellar clients. If you find yourself on the Lower East Side, please stop by our studio for a visit to see what we do first hand!
October 07, 2025
Discover Atomic Metal Picture Frames in Miami at Frames and Stretchers Wynwood.
Located near Wynwood Walls, we create custom welded metal frames with industrial style and museum-quality craftsmanship. Choose from finishes like copper with rivets or rust effects, and design a frame that perfectly complements your art and space.
September 12, 2025
we specialize in designing and fabricating custom frames that merge craftsmanship and creativity. For the El Monte exhibition at Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), our Wynwood team created custom arch frames, circular frames, and wood panels with appliqués, all built to museum-quality standards.
Each custom frame is handcrafted in our Wynwood workshop, where precision and design come together to meet the needs of artists, galleries, and collectors across Miami. From arched and round frames to fully custom welded and wood designs, we offer framing solutions that highlight each artwork’s individuality while ensuring lasting protection.
August 29, 2025
At Frames and Stretchers Miami, we specialize in designing and fabricating custom frames that merge craftsmanship and creativity. For the El Monte exhibition at Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), our Wynwood team created custom arch frames, circular frames, and wood panels with appliqués, all built to museum-quality standards.
Each custom frame is handcrafted in our Wynwood workshop, where precision and design come together to meet the needs of artists, galleries, and collectors across Miami. From arched and round frames to fully custom welded and wood designs, we offer framing solutions that highlight each artwork’s individuality while ensuring lasting protection.
