NEW YORK, NY.- Eli Wilner & Company is pleased to report that, as of May 2026, over $25,000 in funding has been committed to support important reframing and frame restoration projects for museums and institutions across the country. An additional $150,000 in funding remains available to be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis by June 30, 2026. We would be honored if your institution might benefit from this opportunity. New applications are currently being accepted via email at info@eliwilner.com.

Eli Wilner & Company reframed "Heart of the Andes" (1857) for the Metropolitan Museum of Art using a rare original period frame designed by Frederic Edwin Church himself. After extensive searches, this remarkable frame emerged as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Preserved in excellent condition and requiring only minimal alteration, its refined profile, gilded surface, and delicate ornament beautifully enhance the painting and draw the viewer into Church’s lush South American landscape.

Widely regarded by scholars as Church’s greatest masterpiece, the monumental 66 1/8 x 119 1/4 inch oil on canvas was inspired by the artist’s second journey to South America in the spring of 1857. Church sketched prolifically during nine weeks in Ecuador, and many surviving watercolors and drawings from the trip contain elements later incorporated into the painting. "Heart of the Andes" is especially celebrated for its extraordinary detail and remarkably accurate rendering of native foliage.

Caption: "Heart of the Andes" by Frederic Edwin Church, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reframed by Eli Wilner & Company with a rare original period frame designed by the artist himself.