Jan Marion of H. Marion Framing recently celebrated a milestone birthday and received a truly surprising and heartfelt gift; one designed right in his own frame shop and assembled at his production facility. Unbeknownst to Jan, his mother Florence had assembled for him a memory box, composed of a special photograph and a pair of rather eccentric suspenders to commemorate the occasion. The suspenders, worn by Jan’s late father, Hal Marion, are displayed in an “M” configuration and depict a pseudo-monogram, which encompasses the photograph of Jan and Hal on a whale-watching excursion. The overall composition is very effective, both in terms of meaning and its ability to keep the viewer’s eye moving around the piece. It creates a simple, yet dynamic presentation.

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What do Michael Jordan, Abraham Lincoln, Jane Addams, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ray Kroc, Cammi Granato and Joseph Cardinal Bernardin have in common? All seven famous personalities are featured in an educational installation at Loyola University Medical Center’s Ronald McDonald Children’s Hospital and were recently given a “facelift” by local framer/art consultant Jan Marion of H. Marion Framing Studio.
The installation employs life-sized images of the personalities, along with name plaques that detail information about their lives and accomplishments. While the display is an important educational tool for the RMCH ward, it also provides stimulating relief from the barrage of tests and procedures that young patients endure during their stays at the facility. (more…)

North Shore Festival of Art, Skokie, Illinois

Jan Marion was recently selected to a panel of judges to jury two of Amdur Productions’ outdoor summer art fairs. The first, North Shore Festival of Art in Skokie, Illinois, took place over the weekend of July 25-26. Located at Westfield Old Orchard, this festival realized its second year of success, catering to a discriminating clientele of collectors and patrons of the arts on Chicago’s North Shore. Carefully juried, the festival brought a diversity of paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry, fiber, wood, glass and mixed media to the public.

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by John Oberlin

H. Marion Framing took a step out of season, so to say, when the Glenview, Illinois-based art consultant and procurer began selecting healing images for a cardiac rehabilitation facility expansion at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. The views of nature seen through the limited editions, prints, woodblocks, etchings, giclées, photography, and watercolor originals reflect the local region’s natural seasonal cycle and culture.

Jan Marion, president of H. Marion, wanted to show more than life at the pinnacle of its growth: a tree full of green leaves or a flower in full bloom. He wanted the whole process of life: “Typically when we do healthcare, our images are signs of life. It’s a tree with leaves on it, not a bare tree in the dead of winter. However, within this facility, we weren’t afraid to illustrate the four seasons. It’s a natural part of the cycle there.”

Read the full article in Healthcare Design Magazine’s Feb. ‘08 issue