Four Inane Questions with Quality Framing and Art’s Pedro Morales

Pedro Morales. // Courtesy photo

You name it, and Pedro Morales will frame it. No, seriously. Just ask him. 

Morales, who owns Quality Framing and Art, has been a professional framer for more than two decades. His storefront in Mission is teeming with his handiwork, everything from glorious fine art prints to massive family portraits. “I moved to the USA in 1995 from Veracruz, Mexico,” he says. “I worked for another company here in KC for 17 years before opening my own business in my garage back in 2016.”  

After a stint at Johnson County Community College and a subsequent fast-track entrepreneurial program, he opened his shop right before the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2020. 

“But then the pandemic hit,” he tells us. “So, I worked part-time elsewhere to pay bills and rent, but slowly, we started getting customers through word of mouth.” 

Two healthy business grants, one from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City and the other from Johnson County soon followed. 

Four years later, Morales and his wife Carolina say business is booming. “Now we’re busy all the time,” he adds. “Along with our repeat clients, we have so many new customers. It makes me so proud to be so busy every single day.”  

We caught up with Morales—who has a tape measure within arm’s reach at all times—to zing him with our zany questionnaire. We also left with a vintage Marilyn Monroe movie poster that was too good to pass up. Bless. 

The Pitch: If you were a pastry, what pastry would you be? 

I would be a wedding cake. I like the preparation of the batter. And because I’m artistic, I like all the decorations on a wedding cake. And, yes, a Mexican-style wedding cake—tres leches—is my favorite. 

Courtesy photo

What’s the weirdest thing someone has asked you to frame?

We framed the wings that a famous Victoria’s Secret model wore on the runway. It was a huge 5 x 7 foot shadow box. That was, by far, my biggest challenge. Actually, every single day, we have crazy requests, but I’m always up for it.

When it comes to road trips, how long can you last in the car without getting cranky?

I like driving, so I’d never get cranky. My wife, on the other hand, would be cranky in less than two hours. If I were a passenger, I’d probably be cranky after two hours, too. 

What’s the best greeting card you’ve ever received?

At Christmas, my customers always send me cards. And they always tell me how happy they are with my work. It makes my wife and me proud. It means a lot. And every time I get a thank you card—well, I can’t even explain how happy it makes me.  

Bonus 5th Question: What’s your favorite thing to frame?

Jerseys. Specifically, football jerseys. The reason? I like sports. Oh, and every year, jerseys have a different shape—especially with the sleeves. And that’s interesting to me—to create that nice, clean stretch in a matted frame.