Owner: Rachel Burger
By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
Ballantyne Framing & Art, located at 220 Craven Street in Downtown New Bern, has been in business for over 36 years, passed down from Mr. John Ballantyne, to Mary Kay Bills and Marianne Ruiz, and now into the capable hands of Rachel Burger.
This sizable shop features custom framing, with a wide variety of frames made from a variety of materials, as well as custom matting and glass choices. “The idea is to enhance the work of art, without overshadowing it,” says owner Rachel Burger. “The frame and the mat should complement the work.”
Additionally, Ballantyne’s can repair specific components, like a glass replacement or an antique frame that is pulling apart at the seams.
They also specialize in framing things that are more complicated to display, for example a baseball bat, uniforms, collections of military memorabilia, coin collections, flags or practically anything of value that requires preservation under glass.
“Sometimes framing requires a very delicate hand, and many people come to us with requests to frame their cross stitch, or original art that they have created on canvas or a variety of mediums,” says Rachel. “Because everything is custom made, we can do almost anything, on any scale.”
In addition to custom framing and repair, Ballantyne’s is also a fine art gallery with constantly rotating art, displaying Rachel’s work, as well as the work of local artists.
“When you enter the store on the left wall, we have a featured area for our Artwalk artist of the month. Some of the artists are well-known, but we also like to feature younger artists that haven’t been on display before,” says Rachel. “I like having things that other galleries do not have, in a variety of mediums.”
Currently, the galley has work from Chris Lane, who creates vibrant paintings of birds in acrylic and spray paint; Veronica Campos-Hallstrom using alcohol ink that reads like water color but bolder; and Katie Wiggs stunningly beautiful oil paintings depicting fish and marine life. Other notable artists are the photographer Ben Lindemann, Christine Provard, Alexander Lazaroff, Ann Thompson Nemcosky.
The fine arts are constantly rotating in the gallery, so every month is different.
Rachel’s leather artwork is also in the gallery, with displays of wallets, purses, even works of art made from dyed and stitched leather. She holds a degree in History and Art from Appalachian State university. “About ten years ago I wanted to make my own purse and bought a 30 pound box of scrap leather. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I started using leather sewn onto mat board and India ink, carving and tooling, using templates and dyes, and I figured it out. It’s artwork when it is made by hand, mixing craft with creation. I like working with my hands. Art has given me patience, learning how to take things slow, and work small which is the way I like working the best.”