[Chris Saper]

Call the Show Chairman to see if a white or off-white mat is required, as is often the case for works under glass.

If you are certain there is no restriction, I would mat them in a gray black-core Crescent mat board, as close to the Mi-Tientes as possible, as long as the temperatures don't fight.. Use the same mat board for each piece, and then I'd probably put them in simple black wood frames.

When I have framed my "Prud'hon Blues" pieces, I 've used a similarly desatured blue black-core board. It stops the image from feeling crowded, and the black core, cut in a beveled edge, adds separation, without grabbing too much attention.

Your decision, though, might hinge on whether you see this primarily as a competition, or a sales venue. If you want to sell it, neutral (white or off-white) is probably safer.

In any case, with a mat it's unusual not to be able to mat to a standard frame size. Particularly if you are investing seriious money in the framing, you will want to have the option to re-use them. Or at least to make it easy for your buyer to change the frame without being forced into a custom frame.

But you will probably get as many strong opinions the other way.

Good luck! These drawings are beautiful, let us know what happens.