u/llamagrammarian

I took down this art frame today to swap out the mat and noticed the appearance of the back - uh oh. I put on a mask I had nearby and then opened the back. I was pretty upset and grossed out. Not only is this a piece I really like/treasure, but it's been sitting above my bed for years. Thankfully most of the mold (that's definitely what it is, right?) has been contained within the frame itself, but still very concerning.

I opened this all in my living room. Obviously decided I needed to dispose of what I could. I stupidly went to fold the mat (now with gloves on), and a small cloud of mold/dust erupted. Egh. I disposed of the frame and mat in a double bagged trash bag and immediately took it out, then opened all windows, wiped down nearby surfaces with clorox wipes, and turned on a large air purifier I have in my living room. Somewhere during this process, I stored the drawing itself in a 3 layers of sealed ziploc bags.

I think the mold stemmed from the mat. I had gotten the mat from another piece of art passed on from a late family member. Although I definitely had not noticed any mold on it before putting it into this frame. Could it be from the drawing itself? That I got during covid. I have no idea tbh. I don't see any mold elsewhere in my bedroom.

I posted on the art conservation sub to see if there's any hope for the piece itself. But I want to also make sure I've protected myself/my place enough health-wise. Any suggestions beyond what I've already done?

Thanks in advance.

Hi all,

I've recently been eyeing this piece that's been on my bedroom wall for years (yes, years 😞🤢). I decided I wanted to swap out the white mat for a different color. The new mat arrived today, so I took down the frame and noticed the appearance of the back - uh oh. I put on a mask I had nearby and then opened the back. I was pretty upset and grossed out. Not only is this a piece I really like/treasure, but it's been sitting above my bed for, like I said, years. Thankfully most of the mold (that's definitely what it is, right?) has been contained within the frame itself, but still very concerning.

I opened this all in my living room. Obviously decided I needed to dispose of what I could. I stupidly went to fold the mat (now with gloves on), and a small cloud of mold/dust erupted. Egh. I disposed of the frame and mat in a double bagged trash bag and immediately took it out, then opened all windows, wiped down nearby surfaces with clorox wipes, and turned on a large air purifier I have in my living room. Somewhere during this process, I stored the drawing itself in a 3 layers of sealed ziploc bags.

I think the mold stemmed from the mat. I had gotten the mat from another piece of art passed on from a late family member. Although I definitely had not noticed any mold on it before putting it into this frame. Could it be from the drawing itself? That I got during covid. I have no idea tbh. I don't see any mold elsewhere in my bedroom.

I'll go to another sub to ask for advice on whether I've protected myself/my place enough health-wise. But I really love this piece. Is there any saving it on my own? I'd rather not have to take it somewhere to remove the mold, but maybe the point is totally moot anyway.

Thanks in advance.