50-Year-Old Tapestry Stays Vibrant Thanks To ACRYLITE®

Kevin Rieck does custom framing and shadowboxes. He specializes in museum-grade preservation of concert posters, music memorabilia, sports collectibles, and more.

Kevin had the opportunity to work on a very special project this year. He had to frame a 50-year-old woven tapestry that commemorated the beginning of the Lutheran religion in 1517. Once framed, this tapestry was re-dedicated and displayed inside the Temple Lutheran Church in Havertown, PA to celebrate the 500 year Anniversary of the Lutheran religion.

The planning process was not as easy as Kevin thought. The piece was too large and heavy for typical supplies like a mat board and foam board to be used. Kevin decided that using a wood backing board, wrapped in felt would be best and screwed that to the back of the double shadowbox frame. He then mounted strips of cedar inside the frame to keep insects from attacking the tapestry.

The tapestry was secured to the wood backer with a stainless steel rod and brushed aluminum hardware bolted through the wood. The piece was secured to the wall with a 48" French cleat.

Omega Moulding was the supplier used by Kevin and the frame was from CJ Moulding in Hackensack, NJ. The frame consists of an interior shadowbox moulding fused with a wide decorative outer moulding to provide additional strength to the piece. The rest of the work was done by Kevin himself.

Kevin used ACRYLITE® because of its lightweight, durability, and UV protection. "I used ACRYLITE® UV filtering OP3 for its clarity. I have never had a problem with flaws in this product," Kevin mentions. ACRYLITE® is known for its strength and safety over glass. As this was being hung in a public space with lots of kids running around, ACRYLITE® was a safe bet. The UV protection works to keep this 50-year-old tapestry looking vibrant.

Location: Broomall, PA

Product: ACRYLITE® UV filtering (OP3)

Fabricator: Framing by Kevin

Supplier: CJ Moulding | Omega Moulding