If there is one thing Michael Mixon, owner of Hanging Around Hoover in Hoover, Alabama, would like everyone to know, it is that everyone is welcome in his shop! His framing project titled “A Clear Message” lets all who come to his shop understand his inclusive stance.

 

 

The Moment

 

The inspiration struck Michael to create this piece because of our divisive and politically charged climate. He wanted everyone to know that no matter who they are, what they believe, or where they come from, they are welcome in his store.

 

 

Michael entered his project – a creatively framed typographic piece reading, “This Frame doesn’t care if you are gay, straight, religious, agnostic, Republican, Democrat, black, white, or brown and neither does the person who built it. All are welcome here.” – in the 2019 Tru Vue® All-Star Framing Competition, “Raise Your Craft to Raise Awareness.”

 

 

The Design

 

For this composition, Michael selected a sleek, mirror-like outer moulding from Larson Juhl’s Wright collection. Instead of traditional matting for the inner portion of his frame, Michael selected a reflective mirror, hoping that viewers would read his message while seeing themselves and others in its reflection.

 

 

While these elements are certainly stunning, it is perhaps Michael’s eye-popping rainbow inner moulding from the Bella collection that best showcases his meticulous attention to detail and creative skills.

 

 

“I am obsessed with matching the pattern in the corners of my frames,” Michael says. “I made sure that lines in the corners of the rainbow pattern lined up and that the color on the inside frame matched up with the color on the outside frame.”

 

 

To protect his composition, Michael selected Tru Vue Museum Glass^® because its UV-protective and anti-reflective properties would help protect the piece from damage while delivering superior clarity.

 

 

The Results

 

Michael’s piece, which now hangs proudly on his shop wall, is as much an eye-popping composition as it is a strikingly clear message of inclusivity greeting all who enter his shop.

 

 

“This frame and message are the first things that my clients see when opening my door,” Michael says. “It should go without being said that everyone is always welcome in my shop, yet in the current social climate, I felt the need to put my thoughts into words and my words in a frame.”

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Michael’s artistry and Tru Vue Museum Glass, Michael’s message will be clear for years to come.

 

 

Have you overcome a customer’s challenge or created something special using Optium Museum Acrylic^®, Museum Glass^®, or Conservation Clear Glass^®? Be sure to enter your project in our Tru Vue “Unseen Heroes” contest on Instagram. Learn how by clicking here.