New framing shop in Belen features work by local artists, too

BELEN — Valencia County has a new frame shop.

Susan Dubiel Framing opened in September in the location vacated by The Porch on Reinken Avenue in Belen.

Susan Dubiel, who owns the business, previously worked on an appointment-only basis at the Tomé Art Gallery. The move, in large part, was based on wanting to open for walk-in service, so customers could come by on their time.

In addition to her framing, Dubiel also features a variety of art, jewelry and other work by an assortment of local artists, which will rotate through the shop on a regular basis, providing more than just framing to those who come through the door.

“A lot of these people are Tomé Gallery people; they have work on display there as well,” Dubiel said. “I want to keep moving it around so that there is always something new for you to see whenever you come in the store.”

Dubiel’s interest in woodworking began as a child. She began framing because she couldn’t afford to bring things into a shop and have them done, so she decided to learn how to do it herself.

She does every piece of the framing process, from cutting the glass and the molding to making mats herself.

In her fourth month of operation, Dubiel has been blown away by the response to her store.

“So far it has been amazing,” she said. “With the pandemic, the economy hasn’t been great, so I lucked out. It’s just been incredible.”

With people at home more, Dubiel thinks having art on the walls has become more important to people.

“No. 1, they want things on their walls. No. 2, this means something to somebody,” she said, gesturing to a photo she was preparing to frame. “This needs to be displayed and not shoved in a drawer.”

The driving force behind Dubiel’s shop is to make framing affordable for more people. She tells a story about shopping at a major craft store in Albuquerque and being blown away by the prices they were charging for framing.

“I was sort of eavesdropping on what this man was having done because I was curious about the price, and I was blown away when they told him how much it would cost,” Dubiel said. “I wanted to scream, ‘I can do it for half of that.’”