Johnston Business is Framing Criminals -- And That's a Good Thing

Not much about a collection of pastels at Tom Perrine's Johnston business, Frame Works, is remarkable at first glance. Then you hear who's responsible for the art, and the collection takes on a whole new dimension.

Perrine, the owner of Frame Works, is featuring works of art from inmates at the Mitchellville women's prison -- more formally known as the Iowa Correctional Institution -- as part of a show that raises a small amount of money for the artists and more for the victims of their crimes.

"We have one artist who's 80 years old, and she's still going at it," says Perrine, standing before a dozen or so pastels of water lillies, snow scenes, abstracts and more.

Perrine had sold 13 of the pieces within a short time of the gallery going up, and remaining pictures go anywhere from $20 to $150 -- with 20 percent off the framing at his shop.

"For original art, they're very inexpensive," he says.

Frame Works, as its name implies, well, frames works -- photos, paintings, awards, whatever.

On Perrine's walls are posters from the plays Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Thoroughly Modern Millie, all of which he worked on as a "freelance stagehand" -- often working in wardrobe -- at the Civic Center in Des Moines.

The Mary Poppins poster provides a good example of how framing itself can be an art: Two handles attached to the top of the frame evoke Mary's suitcase, and her umbrella rests between them.

"We just thought it would be something different, and I'm really happy with how it turned out," he said.

He's also happy with his work at the Rex Mathes Auditorium in West Des Moines.

The show he's directing -- Allan Ball's Five Women Wearing the Same Dress -- opened on Sept. 28. It continues Friday and Saturday.

Tickets are still available for $15 at the Tallgrass Theatre website or for $18 at the door.