Ben Gordy Awarded Indiana Artisan Designation

When Ben Gordy was four years old, he followed his dad, Brian, around their garage frame shop, hammering nails into stray boards and the ladder to "help" with the workload.

Twenty five years later the family ladder still shows those early marks, but Gordy has now earned the highest marks from the State of Indiana for his signature gilded frames.

He was recently awarded the Indiana Artisan designation, a standard bestowed on his father a few months earlier. Each was juried into the program on their first attempt, and both men now qualify to participate in Indiana Artisan workshops and trade shows that will boost their frame line's brand.

A Muncie native, Gordy lived in Minneapolis for a few years, where he worked at a large frame shop. Returning to Muncie with his bride and some new framing ideas, Ben found a comfortable home in the family business, where he now serves as General Manager.

"Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company is a family-owned and operated small business in downtown Muncie. The fact that two of our framers would be separately juried into this prestigious program is a tremendous honor and also a responsibility - to our clients, and to the Indiana Artisan program," stated Genny Gordy, president, wife to Brian, and mother to Ben.

"The Gordy men have studied with some of the country's best-known gilders and the depth of their dedication to the art shows up in their craftsmanship, attention to detail, and general enthusiasm about the world of frames. I believe they're up to the task."

Specifically, the younger Gordy has developed a line of gilded frames rooted in the genre of American Plein Air painters like Winslow Homer or Childe Hassam. He has named them, "The Artist Gold Series." Using lower priced metal leaf - as opposed to the true gold leaf they often apply - the framer subtly tones each frame to harmonize with the color palettes of contemporary artists' works, or with particular interiors. This specialty toning effort separates Gordy Fine Art & Framing from other frame shops. In fact, few frame shops in the country offer the traditional gilding services.


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