Sharp Eye, Sharp Wit Keep Dobbs Ferry Framer in Business 25 Years

In Dobbs Ferry, some businesses have come and gone in 25 days, 25 months—few have lasted 25 years.

This month, Andy Bart—owner of on Cedar Street—will celebrate the 25^th anniversary of when his shop first opened its doors.

Meet Bart, and you’ll immediately notice his unfailingly quick wit and cool confidence that he can make your paintings, photographs and—of course—posters pop…for whatever price you’re willing to pay.

(The back story on the shop's name is that in the 80's, when The Elegant Poster was established, posters were very much in vogue. "I wanted to elevate the idea of posters," Bart said. In retrospect, he thinks the name may have limited his clientele but, still, he's very happy he didn't call it "Jim's Framing" or [he shudders] "Andy's Artwork.")

But what you may not know is that Bart often “wakes up in a sweat in the middle of the night” thinking about how to frame particularly challenging pieces. Do them justice.

“I’ve never been more intimidated than when a man came in with original art work and said he wanted me to make it look like it was floating off the walls,” Bart said. He grappled with the challenge, consulting with other framers.

“But ultimately it looked fabulous. I think that project brought me to another level of self-confidence in my field.”

An English Major with an Art History Minor at SUNY New Paltz—where he met his wife Shelley—Bart returned to Mt. Vernon after school to look for a job.

“I answered an advertisement in the local paper for an employee at an art center,” Bart recalled. “It turned out that they needed a framer.”

And the job just clicked…

“I’ve always been a right-brained kind of guy,” Bart said. “I’m creative; I was never going to be an accountant.”

But what people appreciate most about The Elegant Poster, Bart thinks, is his honesty.

“I’m always straight with clients, and I think they appreciate that,” he said. “When someone says, ‘What do you think?’ I tell them the truth. People like that. Part of what they’re paying you for is your opinion.”

In fact, people have come to trust him so much that Bart said many clients just come in, drop off their pieces and say, “Call me when it’s ready.”

He frames a lot of artwork and posters people pick up when they’re traveling. Now, especially, he said, he’s working on a high volume of photographs.

“I have some fraternity photos from the 1890’s,” he said. “I like knowing that I’m giving these people a place of honor in their families’ lives.”

While some people may think it’s silly to pay $10 for a watercolor painting outside the Louvre and frame it for $100, Bart argues that it makes perfect sense.

“My mantra is: ‘People will pay $100 for dinner, and what do they have to show for it the next day? Frame a paining you love, and you’ll have it for the rest of your life.'”

Ironically, to keep his business going for 25 years, Bart has had to keep the left side of his brain active and act as an accountant…his own.

“Of course the economy has affected me to the extent that this is a discretionary business,” Bart said. “Now, whenever it gets quiet for a few days, my stress level goes up more than it did five years ago. But then I remind myself that people will always have walls.”

He’s also willing to be flexible with clients and their budgets. “I can frame something beautifully for $50.”

Bart has one full-time employee Matt Favata, whom he trusts without question to run the shop while he’s on vacation or having breakfast across the street with reporters to reflect on his career.

Much of the art in Bart’s own Tarrytown home has come from his travels to Amsterdam, Italy, Barcelona, France…

“I love collecting posters from museums abroad,” he said. “Whenever I look at them, I feel like I’m traveling back.”

This year marks a number of milestones for Bart: the 25^th anniversary of his store’s opening (Feb. 9), his daughter Isabel’s graduation from college and his 60^th birthday.

“To celebrate the anniversary, I think I’ll just go out for a nice dinner with my wife,” Bart said. “I’m proud of what I’ve done. I think the store’s a class act—something that’s really contributed to the downtown area in Dobbs Ferry. You know, I’ve never had a business plan—that’s for accountants—but I’ve focused on doing my job and doing it well.”

It’s not just that though—almost every art shop has lots of frames to choose from: wood, metal, different colors, textures, widths…

People keep coming back for Andy. Because, after all, go to The Elegant Poster and you know you’ll not only get a quality piece of artwork to put on the wall, but you’ll also get 10 minutes of engaging conversation with someone who’s been in town for 25 years.

That’s not something you can ever take for granted.