Artist Collaborations

Collaboration Ethics

ValCo Ornate Frames collaborates with artists in a spirit of mutual respect, transparency, and shared authorship. These collaborations are rooted in the belief that framing is not a secondary or decorative act, but an artistic practice that participates in meaning, presentation, and experience.

 

Artist Agency and Choice

Participation is always optional and initiated by mutual interest. Artists retain full creative control over their work and voice throughout the collaboration. Artists may choose to create new work for a frame, adapt existing work, or explore alternative formats such as digital, projection, or mixed media. Artists may step back or adjust direction at any point in the process.

 

Credit and Attribution

All collaborative works are credited clearly and publicly. The artist and Val Schaefer (ValCo Ornate Frames) are both named wherever the work is shown, documented, or shared. No artwork is presented anonymously or without explicit acknowledgment of authorship.

 

No Spec Work or Obligation

Artists are never required to produce finished artwork upfront. Initial collaboration stages focus on dialogue, selection, and experimentation. Framing does not obligate the artist to complete or finalize work on any timeline beyond what feels appropriate for their practice.

 

Transparency and Intent

These collaborations are intended for exhibition, documentation, and professional development. Any opportunity for sale is discussed openly and only pursued with mutual agreement. No artwork is sold, licensed, or reproduced without the artist’s knowledge and consent.

 

Process and Reflection

Artists are given time and space to respond to how their work changes once framed. Adjustments, revisions, or rethinking are encouraged and supported. The collaboration honors process as much as outcome.

 

Educational and Professional Context

This project exists at the intersection of learning, making, and professional practice. It is designed to support artists as individuals while modeling ethical collaboration, exhibition standards, and real world creative partnerships.