Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Categories
In this Discussion
Top Posters
- Arkady 5356
- miss annie 5139
- andy 4506
- Ali 3405
- krappyrubsnif 3208
- tosscat 2291
- David 2179
- ADGS 1875
- kreuzkav 1733
- Mirandola 1618
Farewell, John Jones
"Dear All,
It is with deepest regret to announce that after 40 years in business, John Jones Art Centre Ltd is ceasing trade on February 14th 2019.
I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have been loyal to us over the years- it has been a real pleasure working with you and an honor to frame your wonderful artworks!
Hopefully, there will be an opportunity in the future when we can work together again.
Best wishes,
Jack
A message from the Jones Family
As many of our clients know, John Jones is a family business, started over 40 years ago by my pioneering father. I joined the business in 1986 at 16, my brother Kristian a year later at 15. Our sister Kelly joined us a few years after and for the last 34 years we have given everything we have to the business – literally blood, sweat and tears. Whilst it’s been incredible, it’s also been very challenging – running a business in the UK is not easy and in the art world even more so. Closing John Jones has been the hardest decision of all, but we feel strongly that now is the right time for us to take a much needed break and put our own families first.
I am immensely proud that we have pushed the limits in framing, defined the standards in the UK, set ourselves as the ambassadors and market leaders of our industry. The art world is a challenging place, but we’ve strived to raise the focus on not only presenting but also protecting art and ensuring its longevity for generations to come.
We’re grateful to our loyal client base who has given us so many wonderful memories. From young artists at the start of their careers, to some of the biggest names in art; we’ve framed for royalty, for rock stars, A-list actors, world leaders and captains of industry. We’ve framed masterpieces, modern art, contemporary work, magna cartas, posters, family photos, football shirts, kimonos, guitar collections, children’s drawings… this list goes on. I can promise you, we’ve given every single work the same focused attention and care, right down to the beautiful piece of embroidery that an old lady from Finsbury Park brought in. We’ve been on an incredible journey and met some truly wonderful personalities.
We’ve built a first class team of dedicated experts over the years, from frame designers and art conservators to metal welders, gilders and joiners – our manufacturing and art teams really are outstanding. I’ve always been so proud to give clients tours of our workshops and show off our staff at work. It’s been rewarding to see so many go on to pursue their own artist careers or set up businesses within the art world that we continue to work with on a freelance basis. We’ve also built strong working relationships with other art professionals who keep the art world moving - curators, consultants, auction houses, museums, shippers, storage, installers, lighting experts, photographers, printers, suppliers, not to forget art colleges. We all play a part.
Our passion has always been the art. It really has been a lifelong effort and I’m proud to say that I firmly believe we leave the art world in a much better state than when we first started.
Matt, Kristian and Kelly"
It is with deepest regret to announce that after 40 years in business, John Jones Art Centre Ltd is ceasing trade on February 14th 2019.
I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have been loyal to us over the years- it has been a real pleasure working with you and an honor to frame your wonderful artworks!
Hopefully, there will be an opportunity in the future when we can work together again.
Best wishes,
Jack
A message from the Jones Family
As many of our clients know, John Jones is a family business, started over 40 years ago by my pioneering father. I joined the business in 1986 at 16, my brother Kristian a year later at 15. Our sister Kelly joined us a few years after and for the last 34 years we have given everything we have to the business – literally blood, sweat and tears. Whilst it’s been incredible, it’s also been very challenging – running a business in the UK is not easy and in the art world even more so. Closing John Jones has been the hardest decision of all, but we feel strongly that now is the right time for us to take a much needed break and put our own families first.
I am immensely proud that we have pushed the limits in framing, defined the standards in the UK, set ourselves as the ambassadors and market leaders of our industry. The art world is a challenging place, but we’ve strived to raise the focus on not only presenting but also protecting art and ensuring its longevity for generations to come.
We’re grateful to our loyal client base who has given us so many wonderful memories. From young artists at the start of their careers, to some of the biggest names in art; we’ve framed for royalty, for rock stars, A-list actors, world leaders and captains of industry. We’ve framed masterpieces, modern art, contemporary work, magna cartas, posters, family photos, football shirts, kimonos, guitar collections, children’s drawings… this list goes on. I can promise you, we’ve given every single work the same focused attention and care, right down to the beautiful piece of embroidery that an old lady from Finsbury Park brought in. We’ve been on an incredible journey and met some truly wonderful personalities.
We’ve built a first class team of dedicated experts over the years, from frame designers and art conservators to metal welders, gilders and joiners – our manufacturing and art teams really are outstanding. I’ve always been so proud to give clients tours of our workshops and show off our staff at work. It’s been rewarding to see so many go on to pursue their own artist careers or set up businesses within the art world that we continue to work with on a freelance basis. We’ve also built strong working relationships with other art professionals who keep the art world moving - curators, consultants, auction houses, museums, shippers, storage, installers, lighting experts, photographers, printers, suppliers, not to forget art colleges. We all play a part.
Our passion has always been the art. It really has been a lifelong effort and I’m proud to say that I firmly believe we leave the art world in a much better state than when we first started.
Matt, Kristian and Kelly"
Comments
Did anything ever come from the promises to replant the trees they chopped down or the pledges to have open community space, gallery shows etc?
The gallery did run for a while - I saw a couple of outre exhibitions there. Sadly the rumour is that they've been struggling as a business for some years. It took them a long time to capitalise on the building, partly because of the Wells Terrace nightmare - the top floor was let out only relatively recently. And with Walnut failing they lost that revenue stream too. And I understand that the core revenue stream was struggling as well. Pity to lose such an iconic local business.
I think it must be the place I've heard a couple of folks mention. Stories of wanting a frame for a picture, then slowly backing out of the shop when told the price!
"Matthew Weiner, chief exec of U+I, said: “We are pleased to have acquired The Arts Building – a warehouse-style building, just 100 metres away from the proposed new entrance to Finsbury Park Underground station.
“Working and living in London is fast becoming more about affordability and convenience over postcode, particularly for location-independent businesses.
“We are more connected than ever before, so it is imperative that the spaces we provide reflect our constantly evolving ways.
“With the wider regeneration projects going on in the area, these characterful offices will create not just spaces in which to work, but places where people will want to be, generating lasting demand and bringing further life to the area.”
"We've snapped up a massive building for a bargain price because the previous owner's business is going down the toilet and they are desperate to sell up. We are going to divide it into offices, probably paint some of the walls yellow, chuck free wifi and shove a few big plants in. We'll rent the spaces out for fortunes because start ups are desperate to be in a warehouse in Hackney or Shoreditch but can't afford it, but they've heard N4 has a lot of cafes for when they don't fancy the office so it's a decent second best."
That ok?
This is somewhat unfair in their case, as the business was badly constricted by the workspace available to them and so either had to move out of the area or develop the plot that they owned and stay in Finsbury Park - and the former option would have necessitated lots of people losing their jobs as they employed very locally.
I have heard convincing rumours of entirely separate issues within the business that started before the redevelopment and were never resolved, but it wouldn't be appropriate to air them in a public forum. I do think it's reasonable to speculate that failure to let the spare parts of the new building (top floor, restaurant) on a permanent basis may have contributed to the decision to pack it in, but I'm led to believe that this wasn't the main factor.
Either way it's a shame. They were a landmark and longstanding independent business in the area. I got to know one of the family a tiny bit when they were trying to get planning permission, and it feels like a real shame for them and the family legacy. At least they've added a building/city block of real architectural merit to the area - the buildings they replaced were ghastly and massive under-use of the space.
It's going to be strange without the leader of the industry we operate in...sad and strange.