Willowbrook Art Gallery and Custom Framing

Got a signed jersey rolled up in a closet, or a print you’ve meant to frame for years? This is the place in Willowbrook Shopping Centre that does it. Willowbrook Art Gallery has been a family business since 1994. It’s part gallery, part gift shop and part framing workshop, and the frames are made right in the store.

On the walls

• Original art and limited-edition prints, including work by Robert Bateman, Carol Evans, Brian Croft and former Canucks goalie Richard Brodeur
• Collectible gifts from Bradford Exchange, McIntosh Fine Bone China and Jim Shore
• Canvas stretching, image printing and plaque mounting

The framing

This is where it gets fun. Their sample work includes a signed McDavid jersey framed with a photo, a comic book displayed next to its original inked page, and painted ceramic tiles set into a deep frame. Puzzles, photos, textiles and keepsakes are all fair game. Conservation framing uses acid-free mats and UV-protective glass, so the piece doesn’t fade or yellow. Prices start around $79 for basic framing and $150 for conservation. Big or unusual jobs get their own quote, and you can start one online too.

Customers mostly talk about getting good advice on frames and mats, and how the finished piece looked. Plenty of them come back with the next thing.

Coming up

Richard Brodeur is doing a free appearance and signing at the gallery on Saturday, November 21, from 2 to 4 pm.

Before you go

The gallery is in unit 302, inside the mall. It’s open Monday to Thursday from 10 to 7, Friday and Saturday until 9, and Sunday from 11 to 6. Returns are for defective or shipping-damaged items only. Call 604-533-2281 or email [email protected].

For more Willowbrook-area independents, see Shop Local.