After 22 years, Armistead's Picture Framing & Gallery on Wyrallah Road, East Lismore has been sold.

New owner, Mia Zapata, took over in January from Rhonda and Derek Armistead, after they were forced to sell due to ill health.

Mia changed the name to Lismore Art & Framing, did a mini-renovation by painting the interior to "brighten it up a bit" and got all the gallery lighting working again as it was still damaged from the 2022 big flood.

Mia is no stranger to the art world so this felt like a natural extension of her talents.

"This is a job I've done before," Mia explained, " And the town needs it."

"We used to have four framing businesses before the flood and now we have two and if I didn't buy this it was going to close."

"I'm a professional artwork photographer and an artist as well. It's nice to be able to support the local arts community, which I'm doing a lot of, which is great."

A professional artwork photographer takes colour-accurate and measurement-accurate reproductions of artwork.

"If you wanted to get prints made of your work or put them on your website or social media, I can do high quality and actual colour photos."

The signage is still to come so at the moment the exterior has the Armistead's branding, however, the Lismore Art & Framing signage is only a few weeks away.

Mia wants to show local artists in the gallery.

"I want local, I want fun, I want bright. I am going to start doing some group shows next month. I'm organising a print show at the moment then I will do a drawing show and a photo show. Then I will open it up to individual artists who want to do small solo shows because that was the other we lost in the flood, the smaller gallery spaces."

"I just thought it'd be cool to have a really small space where people can have a tiny show. People like me who tend to paint small things," Mia smiles, "I struggled to fill in a larger space."

As far as the framing side of the old Armisteads is concerned, it is business as usual for Mia.

"Rhonda and Derek retrained me because it's been a few years since I've worked as a framer, and I've been loving using my hands again and using my brain more. It's been really good."

"We can do photos and artwork. I've got a Japanese fan that's being mounted in a shadow box at the moment so three-dimensional pieces as well. Stretched canvas as well as flow print for canvases."

Once business is steady and cashflow becomes stronger Mia will bring art supplies into Lismore Art & Framing as this is another area in the art world that has suffered since the big flood.

Lismore Art & Framing is open Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and Saturdays by appointment.

You will find Mia at 43 Wyrallah Road, East Lismore.