Packing and Moving Fine Art & Ceramics: A Guide for Artists

Nobody enjoys moving. As Bustle notes, whether you’re relocating down the street, to the other side of town, or across the country, moving can be an exhausting, stressful, and frustrating experience. Artists know this better than anyone. In addition to packing up boxes and moving personal belongings, artists also have to consider how to safely transport their artwork, supplies, and materials to their new destination. 

Reading reviews of and then choosing the right local moving company, purchasing all the proper packing supplies, and safely moving your items to your new location without damaging them can seem like a daunting list of tasks for many artists. Luckily, you’re not alone. There are many other artists who have successfully moved their artwork, art collections, and art supplies to new locations without any issues. Search online for highly rated movers to find professionals who have experience with moving fragile items, and read reviews to ensure you hire someone with a reputation for trustworthiness.

Courtesy of New Scene Magazine, here are some tips for moving everything to a new location — while hopefully reducing your chances of having any breaks, damages, or unnecessary stress.

Ask For Help

The first person you will have to help you is your realtor. A great realtor understands their clients’ needs and wants, and will help you find a home that has the space you need for your personal art collection or small gallery, in addition to being located near an art scene. You will need to view open houses and visit other homes of interest with your agent after you’ve been pre-approved so you know how much house you can afford. Once you’ve made a bid and had it accepted, the exciting part begins!

You can start by saving your money (and your sanity). Ask friends, family members, and even local businesses if they have any bubble wrap, masking tape, and cardboard boxes to spare. Moving Tips notes that you can call your local supermarkets and ask if they have any boxes available for pickup. 

Another pro tip when it comes to moving: You can also gather newspapers and other recyclable items from people you know. If you’re unable to obtain these items from friends, you could just start saving your newspapers for a few weeks (or even months, depending on how many items you need to move). 

Not only can you ask your friends for supplies, but you can ask them to help you pack things and load them in the moving truck. While you might be worried about troubling your friends with this task, you’ll be surprised at how many people agree to help. Just make sure to ask politely. To pay them back, offer them drinks and snacks while you do the work together. 

Acquire The Right Packing Materials

Do you have a lot of large, valuable, or unusually shaped objects that you need to move? Especially if these items are fragile, you’ll want to consider the proper packing materials. Paper, foam, bubble wrap and similar items all make excellent packing materials. 

Using these packing materials can help prevent breakages, shattering, or other damage to your artwork. If you have any sturdy blankets that you don’t mind getting dirty, you could also use them to carefully wrap some of your smaller items and art supplies.

Unexpected bumps or traffic issues can happen during any move, so taking care to pick the right materials can go a long way in helping you protect your fragile artwork during your move. Xanadu Gallery recommends wrapping paintings with cardboard and bubble wrap to keep them extra safe. You can do this with other items, too. 

If art is also your business, take extra care when moving these items, but also prepare your employees. Ask them to move their own work areas or box things up with clear labels so that everything is ready for the movers. You may even allow your employees to work remotely during the move so that your business doesn’t miss a beat.

Be Environmentally Conscious

Once you’ve completed the move, you can recycle any paper and even most of your cardboard boxes (except for waxed cardboard). In fact, there are many ways to help the planet by recycling, donating or reusing your old moving supplies after you’ve finished moving. With a little creativity, you can even turn your used moving supplies into a new piece of recycled art!

While there is no foolproof method to guarantee a perfect move 100% of the time, the techniques listed above are a good start. If you keep these tips in mind, you’ll be on your way to your new home in no time. Hopefully, you’ll also reduce your chances of damaging any items, and you’ll increase your odds of having a happy, stress-free move.

Like you, New Scene Magazine cares about what is up and coming in the arts scene. Visit our website to stay on top of the trends!

Photo Credit: Valeria Ushakova via Pexels