We’re more than a little Grateful for this groovy Dead poster and its beautiful Prisma pairing, the fall winner of our Creations Contest. So, we wanted to pick the brain of the framing master behind this creation, Brianna Campbell of Frame De Art in Englewood, CO.

Read on for all the framing facts and unique details about this showstopping piece!

Tell us a little about the piece and the customer that brought it in. 

This poster commemorated a pair of shows for the Grateful Dead with Oxford Circle at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco in 1966. It is actually considered the Holy Grail of concert posters, created by Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelley for the shows.

This edition was printed in 2003 by S2 Editions Ltd, Ateliers under the supervision of master printer Jennifer Ryan and pressman Avelino Ramos. While there were only 350 created, this particular poster is an edition of just 19 that Stanley Mouse personally embellished with a doodle (see the Jerry Garcia angel at the bottom)!

Zeke (our customer) is an art collector with a special passion for concert posters! He is every framer’s dream as he is never afraid to think outside-the-box and always open to one-of-a-kind designs.

Did the customer have any specific thoughts or requests for how they wanted it to be framed?

Zeke was searching for this piece for over a decade! It's the pride of his collection and he wanted to do something special, go big, and try to capture some of the psychedelic aura of the Grateful Dead.

Does the piece have any special meaning or backstory to the customer?

He is not only a passionate art collector, but a lifelong Deadhead. To him, the "Skull and Roses" is a symbol of what the Dead stood for - living free, seizing the day and having fun. He even has the Skull and Roses tattooed on his leg!

Why did you select the moulding and framing combinations?

Prisma happened to provide colors that matched the red, white and blue of print perfectly! We then started playing around on the Prisma visualizer and that’s when the creative juices really started flowing. After going through all the amazing different combos, we found the one that fit the attitude of the Dead.

Any reasons you love this particular Prisma frame?

There is nothing like a seamless Prisma frame to create such a clean, professional look. The details and accents within the frame make it pop in different ways whether you're up-close or looking from far away. When you do custom framing, you want the piece to look custom! Prisma provides a custom look every time.

Where will the customer display the piece?

In his office right behind his chair. It will be the centerpiece of all his future video calls!

 As a framer, what inspired you about this project?

Zeke’s story of how he had been looking for the piece for over a decade was a big source of inspiration for me as a framer. I have been working with him on his art collection for a few years now and wanted to make this piece one of the most special.

I knew right away that a Prisma frame would be the best option for Zeke and his pride and joy piece. Nothing else checked all the boxes for making such a custom design. Using the visualizer to create magic was such a fun and inspiring moment for me. These are the moments that make my job the best!

We want to send a big shout-out to the other finalists as well, David Reiner of Frame Theory and Meredith Leigh Beckert of In The Frame! 

Congratulations again to Brianna and the team at Frame De Art! Brianna is now our third entry into the 2022 Bella Creations Grand Prize Competition for a trip to WCAF or $1,000 cash!

Who will win that? It’s anyone’s ball game and it could even be you! So get those cameras ready and be sure to photograph your next Bella or Prisma Creation and submit it for the Winter Edition, coming up in November!