A TYNEDALE framing business has played a key role in ensuring that a major new art exhibition was shipshape for its official launch.

Anne Collier, of Collier Framing in Acomb, was called in by the organisers of The Shipyard Painters exhibition to carry out the framing and re-mounting of many of the paintings.

The exhibition showcases the work of 11 artists who worked in the Tyneside shipyards, such as Swan Hunter, from the 1950s through to the 1990s.

The curators have borrowed artworks for the show from private and public collections and from the artists themselves.

However, many of the paintings needed new frames fitted or picture mounts replaced before they could go on show to the public at The Old Low Light Heritage Centre, in North Shields.

It was all hands on deck to get the pictures framed in time for the opening of the exhibition. But with Anne on board, the job was done in record time.

“The pictures by the shipyard painters now look stunning thanks to the new frames,” said exhibition co-curator Dave Young.

“Although visitors to the exhibition will be focusing on the wonderful paintings on show, the way the artworks are framed also makes an important, and not always appreciated, contribution to the overall look of an exhibition.”

“We’re very grateful to Collier Framing for pulling out all the stops to help make the exhibition a success. We would have been high and dry without Anne’s expert help in putting the exhibition together.”

Anne added: “Many of the paintings had been in storage for years or were without frames and there was a lot of work involved in framing such a large number of pictures.

"Fortunately, we always have framing materials and a large range different picture frame mouldings in stock and with 40 years of framing experience it was all fairly plain sailing in the end.”

The pictures are now framed with conservation standard materials which will protect these important and historic artworks for the future.

The Shipyard Painters art exhibition is already making waves and receiving positive reviews. It continues until September 18.