Meet Lance

Owner and Master Framer

Lance Sawyers, founder of Studio 71, has been framing for over 30 years. Starting in small frame shops in the Triangle area, he eventually settled into a more intensive framing apprenticeship in Hillsborough at the now defunct framing division of the Village Companies. There he was framing items full time, learning his new trade and eventually receiving his Basic Framing Certificate and Master Framing Certificate from the Professional Picture Framers of America all during his early 20’s.

His career later included running a frame supply distribution company and a wholesale framing business that gave him additional expertise in the business from sourcing materials from across the world to handling large corporate orders.

Building a reputation at conventions across the U.S. for his custom dioramas and display cases for comic books, action figures, skateboards, and sport memorabilia, he has served artists, celebrities, professional players, and fans from around the world.

Lance decided to open his latest business Studio 71 in his chosen hometown of Hillsborough in 2017. But it was not until the summer of 2019 when he renovated 1950’s garage at the corner of Churton Street and Orange Grove Road that he was able to create a dynamic pop culture gallery, event space and in house frame shop. Here the focus is on using archival framing materials, friendly customer service, and offering a large, unique variety of frame moulding and framed items.

He encourages everyone to stop in to see what is new in the gallery.