Business Profile: West Art Gallery, Thornwood
Colette Connolly photo
Sunlight, indoor pollution and excessive changes in humidity can all wreak havoc on treasured keepsakes, including photographs and works of art.
But if those pieces are professionally mounted and framed at the West Art Gallery in Thornwood or at its sister store in Yonkers, then there’s a good chance those items will last a lifetime.
That’s the intention of owners Phil and Terri DiLemme, who opened their business in the Thornwood Town Center 26 years ago. The store is known for its custom framing; wide selection of framed art, including pop art, vintage work, abstract floral and landscape prints, and sports memorabilia; custom-made mirrors; needlepoint framing and shadowboxes.
Phil DiLemme, who spends most of his time at the Yonkers location, has plenty of experience in the custom framing business. When he was eight years old, it was hard to stop DiLemme from joining his grandfather at his Central Avenue store, said his wife, Terri. DiLemme’s grandfather first established the business as an art studio.
DiLemme’s grandfather taught him many skills, such as preparing canvasses, making stained glass and learning the ins and outs of restorative work. His almost 50 years of experience are put to good use, said Terri DiLemme, as he supervises all of the store’s restoration projects and the more work-intensive jobs, all completed at the Yonkers location.
At the Thornwood store, with its wall-to-wall collection of fascinating pieces such as a striking portrait of President Lincoln, the black-and-white photos of the New York skyline, and 1950s movie posters, there are lots of familiar faces over the past quarter century, longtime customers who enjoy visiting the store on a regular basis.
Terri DiLemme, who works closely with employee and resident framing expert Teresa Martins, said second-generation customers are using West Art Gallery for all their custom framing needs. That includes framing, posters, family photographs, high school diplomas and college graduation certificates, papal blessings, ketubahs (Jewish marriage contracts), embroidered works and more.
“You name it, we frame it,” said DiLemme, referring to the store’s well-known motto.
A couple of weeks ago, a local family requested that rosary beads from a deceased relative be framed in a shadowbox. Previously, West Art staff even framed a champagne bottle that was part of the official celebration marking the Yankees’ 2009 World Series win.
Despite the fact that several custom framing stores in the region closed during or after the Great Recession and that department stores like Michaels and Home Goods present significant competition, West Art has survived. That is due in part to the store’s competitive pricing strategy and its widespread local advertising.
“A lot of places send out the work, but we do all the framing in-house,” DiLemme said.
The Thornwood store stocks frames with a variety of colors and styles, which they buy in large quantities, in addition to about 200 posters that customers can flip through at the back of the store.
Terri DiLemme has been a regular presence at the Thornwood location for the past four years, and it’s a job she truly enjoys.
“I love the creative end of it and, of course, meeting our customers,” she said.
The Thornwood store is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 914-747-0702 for more information or visit the store’s website at www.westartframes.com.
Colette Connolly is a copywriter and p.r. expert. She owns Connolly Communications, which is based in Bronxville, New York. Colette specializes in providing content-rich, SEO-optimized press releases, articles, newsletters, brochures, and customer success stories.
