Just a few steps away from Irving Street’s bustling Chinese supermarkets and shops, frame shop Artisans of San Francisco is a quiet ode to workmanship and art.
As its name indicates, the artisanal touch is everywhere. While there isn't a handlebar mustache or a mason jar in sight, old-fashioned craftsmanship shines through.
Handmade wooden tables and shelving, built by owner Joe Dellert, line the store. Above them in the wide, light-filled space hang large black-and-white photographs by Dellert, and paintings by his wife, Nancy Buffum. Historic photographs that Dellert sources from a collector in Tahoe are also on display and on sale. And of course, frame moldings and frames spill out in careful arrangements.
Owner Joe Dellert and his wife, Nancy Buffum. Behind them hang Dellert's black-and-white photos and Buffum's paintings. (Photo: Fiona Lee/Hoodline)
Formerly located at 1964 Union Street in Cow Hollow, Artisans is one of the oldest frame shops in San Francisco. It was first founded in 1947, and certified framer Dellert is its fifth owner.
Dellert began working at Artisans in 1988, when he was a photography student at the San Francisco Art Institute. He drove to the city from Colorado in his Honda Civic, determined to make it work.
“I had never done any of this independent stuff,” he said. “And in four days, I found an apartment, a roommate, and this job at Artisans. Go figure trying to do that today.”
Nine years later, Artisans' owner wanted to retire, and Dellert decided to take over the shop.
The store had been located on Union Street since its inception. But in a sign of the times, the decision to move out to the Sunset came when his landlord, the previous owner, informed him that the building would be sold.
Suzie Goussen has worked at Artisans of San Francisco for 15 years. (Photo: Fiona Lee/Hoodline)
Artisans of San Francisco has now been on Irving Street since October 2015. “I chose this location with regard for both my old clients and my new clients,” Dellert said. “There are about five ways to get here, and it only takes 20 minutes to drive. There’s always parking out front.”
Dellert and Buffum are longtime residents of the Outer Sunset, who've lived near Ocean Beach for over twenty years. “We are Sunset people,” says Dellert. “The fog never bothered us; we rather like the rumor of it.”
Artisans offers custom picture framing, including everything from family photographs to custom-built shadowboxes. Dellert sources both the frames and the mats with an eye towards sustainability. For instance, he looks for frame mats made of cotton rather than wood pulp, since cotton can be regularly harvested, while wood pulp requires trees to be cut down. For wooden frames, he looks for FSC-certified frames made of wood farmed in the United States.
Frames at Artisans of San Francisco. (Photo: Fiona Lee/Hoodline)
Framing isn’t what most people would think of as an artistic challenge, and Dellert relishes turning those expectations on their head. Not only has he created custom frames for art, but he also enjoys the challenge of more interesting projects.
“Give me a problem and I’ll solve it,” he says. “Someone just brought me tennis rackets to frame, and not everyone has the skill to frame that. I already know that I’ll make what I call my infinity shadow boxes. If there’s a way to play with the wood, I will.”
With the new store, Dellert is also expanding his business into different directions. He also offers home design services, where he can help clients hang and arrange their art so that it will bring the room together.
Because he’s still committed to his established customers on the other side of town, there’s also free delivery for those who may not be able to make the trip out to the Outer Sunset. “I just saw a client who is 94 years old now. She has been with us since she was 40,” he says.
Dellert appreciates art from both his customer’s perspective and as an artist himself. His latest photography series, “To Think I Saw It On Irving Street," captures a flaneur’s delight in the light, color, and casual observations of his street.
A photo from "To Think I Saw It On Irving Street." (Photo: Joe Dellert/Artisans of San Francisco)
As an artist and photographer himself, Dellert is hoping to make Artisans of San Francisco part of the Outer Sunset’s burgeoning art scene, which also includes nearby 3 Fish Studios, Great Highway Gallery on Lawton, and Far Out Gallery on Taraval. To start, he's hosting a monthly artist meetup for “eclectic artists” and art lovers to meet each other and discover and talk about art.
Artisans of San Francisco will host its first artist meetup on Saturday, March 12th, 5-7pm. Artists can bring a piece of art to display and discuss. Wine and snacks will be served.
