Design Star 2015- Tabernacle Frame

Design Star 2015

In 2015, Larson Juhl, one of the top international moulding companies in the picture framing industry, held its 3rd annual Design Star competition. Inspiring picture framers to be creative and demonstrate their abilities was the primary goal of the competition. I spent time refinishing pews in my church when I was younger, so ultimately, my inspiration came from wanting to create an element that would fit well in a church setting. In college, I began studying the renaissance era and developed a strong attraction towards tabernacle frames. The architectural elements, along with the artwork contained in them, are what really inspired me to create a divine piece of my own. The Design Star competition was a perfect opportunity for me to push my skills into designing and fulfilling a life long dream of creating a tabernacle frame. 

Tabernacle Frame

 Many different categories are available to enter in the competition such as objects, textiles, photography, etc. The category that I chose was “frame design for mirrors”. I chose this category because of a mirrors ability to enhance the frame and allow it to be the focal point.  7 mouldings from Larson Juhl’s “Water gilded Senelar” line were selected to be used in creating the tabernacle frame. 

The first step in the tabernacle process was to create the interior frame that would house the mirror. Adding columns to the interior frame was the next step in the process. With the columns in place, I was then able to find the angles needed for the entablature and predella. Precise cuts were needed in order to make these elements. This would allow the elements to fit tightly on the column. The mirror was then inserted into the frame, and finalized by combining all the components. The entire process took roughly 40 hours to finish, from design to completion. 

Design Star competition is held in Las Vegas at the annual West Coast Art and Frame Expo. With approximately 600 entrants across all categories, it was largest pool of entrants to date. Each category had a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. The “Design Star Grand Champion” would then be chose from a category winner. The goal of my submission was to place top 3 in my category. Winning my category and receiving the Grand Champion award had me feeling completely overwhelmed.  Currently, the frame is on display at The Frame and I, in my hometown of Prescott, AZ.

Further information and articles can be found through the Picture Framing Magazine ,Frame and I website, and local newspaper. More pictures can also be found in the gallery.