They were fast friends who started a frame shop in El Paso. Five years later, their “extra risky” move has paid off for the local creative community.
EL PASO—In 2021, artist Michael Moncibaiz and framer Michael White took the risk of a lifetime, starting a small business together after knowing each other for only three months. Five years later, El Paso Frame Co. has grown into a cornerstone of the borderlands art community. Beloved by artists and collectors alike, the shop’s reputation extends beyond the quality of its frames. Thanks to the team’s passion for bringing creatives together, EPFC has become a pipeline carrying emerging artists toward national renown.
EPFC’s success was never written in the stars. Starting any business is risky. “A business in the arts? That’s extra risky,” says Moncibaiz. But what made White and Moncibaiz’s gamble work was a special alchemy of technical knowledge and creative instinct.
White brought a background in recorded music, a love of Western art, and technical experience that ranged from fabric wrapping to professional framing. Moncibaiz is a trained painter; he first picked up framing as a side gig after hanging around a Michaels store in 2008. Beyond their complementary skills, the two also shared a love of basketball. This was enough to convince the pair to launch EPFC. “Thankfully it worked out,” Moncibaiz says, laughing.
From the beginning, Moncibaiz wanted the shop to feel and function like an artist’s studio. He recalls that “there was a hunger for something new. Something as simple as a colored frame was incredibly exciting to artists.” EPFC developed an ethos of “framing to the piece.” Rather than matching a frame to furniture or defaulting to gallery specifications, they begin with the artwork and search for a sense of synergy between the two.
For example, Patrick Gabaldon’s vibrant EP Trolley Cars prints are set upon matching mats and frames that extend its colors beyond the canvas, while Tom Lea’s muted desert landscapes sit in solid walnut with natural contours that echo the rolling dunes. The goal is to integrate the frame so fully with the work that, by the time it is finished “you can’t imagine it any other way. It should complete the piece,” White explains. “When it’s done,” Moncibaiz says, “we want to fall in love with the piece all over again.”
As an artist, Moncibaiz understands the impact a good frame can have on an artist’s career. “Artists are focused on making art. When they’re busy working, they’re not necessarily thinking about how it will look when it is installed.” Yet for artists presenting work to collectors, galleries, and museums, those finishing decisions can be pivotal. “If something is framed and ready to go, someone interested in acquiring it doesn’t need to take the extra step of going to a frame shop and deciding what they want,” White explains.
Over time, EPFC has helped long-term clients develop bespoke framing styles that give their work a recognizable visual signature, while providing exhibition space and support as their careers grow. After years of framing photographer Marcus Xavier Chormicle’s work, for instance, EPFC presented his solo exhibition BUFFALO (x8) at the shop in 2025, the same year he won the prestigious US Latinx Art Forum Fellowship. Other longtime collaborators—including watercolorist Lea Magruder, realist painter Marianna Olague, and muralist Christin Apodaca—likewise presented solo exhibitions at EPFC before going on to show their work in museums, national exhibitions, and major art fairs across the country.
I think it’s crazy that somebody from New York wants to send their work to El Paso, but it’s not!
Over time, the EPFC gallery has emerged as one of the few commercial spaces of its kind in El Paso, helping artists move toward institutional exhibitions. The team describes it as a stepping stone between DIY, nonprofit galleries and major museums: “It’s an opportunity for artists to meet new collectors and for collectors to meet new artists.” By occupying this in-between space, the gallery provides an essential platform for artists seeking to build sustainable careers. EPFC’s five-year anniversary exhibition celebrated longtime clients—including Gabaldon, Apodaca, Olague, and Chormicle—whom the team considers “icons” of its community.
Looking ahead to the next five years, Moncibaiz is eager to “push the boundaries, and innovate” both in craftsmanship and in the growth of the brand. He recalls fielding inquiries from clients outside the region who specifically want an EPFC frame. “I think it’s crazy that somebody from New York wants to send their work to El Paso, but it’s not!”
As EPFC scales regionally, a commitment to quality work, personalized attention, and, above all, good vibes remains central. “Our creativity comes from a fun work environment where I’m allowed to experiment,” White says. It’s clear that the team genuinely enjoys what they do, drawing daily inspiration from one another, their community, and the artwork entrusted to them. In the future, they hope to pass their trade skills on to a younger generation. “It’d also be amazing to share with young El Paso creatives that this is something you could do with your life,” White says. “It’s pretty fun to come to work every day.”
