Our Story

Welcome to Excellent Frameworks – Home of the E.J. Hughes Gallery

Excellent Frameworks Gallery has been a staple of Excellence in Downtown Duncan for over forty years.

Locally owned, we cater to our spectacular community and are proud to call the Cowichan Valley home. We strive to provide the best custom framing and gallery services in the valley. Our staff are trained to care for your artwork and help design custom framing that will highlight and protect your art. We feature artists from Vancouver Island and also work with the E.J. Hughes Estate to produce stunning reproductions of his iconic paintings of Western Canada.

Excellent Frameworks is owned by Suzan Kostiuck, B.F.A., and member of the Acho Dene Koe band in Ft. Liard, N.W.T.

Suzan has been custom framing for over fifteen years and has worked with galleries, custom frame stores, and the local arts council. Her love of art and community has found a home within the beautiful Cowichan Valley, where she lives with her husband and two children. Suzan also creates abstract art and is slowly learning traditional beadwork from her home. Suzan has a passion for black and white art, although is also drawn to the works of Alex Janvier, Ted Harrison, and James Lavadour.

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Nik Sylvester is Excellent Frameworks’ main Custom Framer.

Nik is a printmaker and specializes in natural history and fantasy illustration.  With several degrees, Nik is an avid lifetime learner and is able to offer clients insight to each of their pieces. With a wide variety of skills and knowledge, their ability to frame just about anything adds a special quality to their work here at the gallery. Like a cat, they are often too curious for their own good, and alternates periods of questing after new knowledge, and focussing intently on one thing—sometimes something only they can see. Nik specializes in natural history and fantasy illustration, which may seem two entirely opposite subjects, but it all makes sense to them.

 

Kara Van Rijn – Customer Service Representative and E.J. Hughes Representative

Kara joined our team in 2020, and is currently our main service representative, and E.J. Hughes representative.  With training in custom design, Kara can help clients create stunning framing compositions for many styles of artwork, and particularly loves Fibre Art.  She also enjoys running, sailing, knitting and spending time with her husband and children.

Lindsay Myers – Art Supply Representative and Customer service Representative

Lindsay joined our team in 2024, and is our Art Supply representative. With her experience as an artist, and interest in a variety of styles and mediums, Lindsay loves to talk about creating art and can help you find what you need for your project. She also enjoys foraging, collecting creatures and plants for her apothecary.