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Serve the customer well. Always quality.
This is the philosophy that Harry Marquis lived by when he turned his basement picture-framing hobby into a lucrative business in the late 60s. His son, Ken, the current owner of Marquis Art and Frame, lives by the same motto. When it comes to picture framing, Marquis tries its best to meet the needs of its diverse customers.
"Nobody can be all things to all people," Ken said. "But, we really try to be."
Serving downtown Wilkes-Barre since 1984, the former American Auto store has art supplies, frames, and two impressive galleries featuring nationally and internationally known artists. It also has an upper floor gallery that showcases the area's local talent.
"We are very fortunate that Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties have an abundance of fine artists," Ken said. "It is our self-imposed mission to support local art."
In the picture-framing business for more than 33 years, Ken and his staff offer a wide variety of custom and ready-made frames to suit the needs of everyone, from newlyweds decorating their new "digs" to people reframing family heirlooms and photographs or artists who wish to have their own creations framed.
"We have quite the mix of customers, and that's why we offer a wide selection of picture frames," Ken said.
Over the summer, the business dodged a bullet after an electrical glitch caused a fire to break out. Fortunately, Ken was in the building when it occurred and immediately called 911."The Wilkes-Barre Fire Department quickly responded, covering the artwork with tarps as they extinguished the flames."
"We didn't have one customer's work damaged, which is remarkable," Ken said. "I credit our local fire department with the professionalism they displayed."
Marquis Art and Frame expanded to Scranton after Ken realized the city was embracing the arts. Local artist Sean Brady's men constructed out of contorted wire rappel down the side of Ken's building. And, painter John Pacovsky's wall-sized fruit mural decorates a vacant building near Mid-town Village.
These are small signs of the arts coming back and being embraced in the downtown, and I expect you'll see more of that to come,"Ken said. |
