If there is one thing that art lovers know and believe is that: art is priceless. This saying goes to all artwork regardless of the money you paid for them – art is made with love. Art is one of a kind piece, meaning you cannot go out and get the exact art piece if it gets damaged, unlike appliances and accessories.
Therefore, knowing how to store your art in the right place and in the right manner is important. Knowing different ways of storing your art is also essential, especially when traveling or redecorating your home. Remember, time greatly affects your art, mostly the arts hanging on the wall, since they can crack or fade.
To have the same vibe of your art during and after storage, you should look at the tips below.
Storage room
It is important to have the right place to store your art; hence you must be careful when selecting the right storage area for your art. You can turn your unused room or office into an art storage space, but it is essential to know what to look for when selecting an art storage room. Alternatively, you can rent some of the available fine arts storage facilities to help with the hassle of choosing a suitable room.
You will enjoy professional care of your art since the facilities are built specifically for art storage. You don’t have to worry about the security and safety of your art when you buy a storage space. When selecting the suitable storage facility, ensure that the rooms are finished and have climate control measures in place. The best room for art storage should be airtight: no windows and vents are required.
Sunlight
Avoid direct sunlight at all costs. Light, especially direct sunlight, is one of the main causes of art deterioration and prevent them from being displayed. This is mainly because of the chemical reaction that will take place between the UV lights and most painting mediums. Art made of acrylic and oil can be resilient when exposed to light, but it is not worth a gamble. The color of the painting used in oil art will be brighter in the sunlight and darkens in total darkness.
Based on recent research, it is clearly stated to avoid even minimal exposure of art to direct sunlight. The canvas can also get damaged. Therefore, avoid exposing your art piece to direct sunlight in storage or on the walls. If you are not careful with watercolor paintings, you will suffer greatly since they fade easily and faster. Store your artwork in an enclosed box under UV Plexiglas.
Cleanliness
Ensure that the area you have stored your art is clean. Also, wipe the acrylic or glass squeaky regularly to remove any dirt and grime. You cannot avoid dirt on stored items like art. Therefore, use a simple glass cleaner with a soft cloth to remove accumulated dust. Be careful to prevent moisture from entering the frame and destroying the art. If you can disassemble your piece of art before storage, well and good, it can help when it is time to clean.
Avoid art tubes
It is recommended to avoid storing your art in art tubes to avoid permanent creasing and cracking later on. It is always best to store your art flat if you are not ready to hang them in frames. Also, watch your hand when handling and storing your art. Hands can cause a chemical reaction to the natural oil on your painting.
This is the main reason behind wearing cotton gloves when handling art pieces. Cotton gloves prevent you from fingerprinting the artwork that hasn’t fully dried up. Also, you can scratch off some information with your nails when you hold wet painting bare hands.
Separate your stored pieces
Are you storing several art pieces together to save some storage space? That is a good idea. The challenge comes with how you should place them. Use a mat or board between two pieces of unframed painting to prevent unnecessary chemical reactions, creasing, and acidic damage.
However, for small pieces, you can consider a box. A Solander box can help since it is an acid-free case used by many conservationists to keep maps, old manuscripts, documents, and other vital art pieces.
Remember, when cleaning your painting, only clean the framed pieces. It is highly discouraged to clean your painting with water and soap or even touch it with wet hands. However, you can use a soft duster to clean a dusty painting surface in the store.
Having great art is wonderful, but knowing how to store it is essential, as it will help you really carry it through maybe even for generations.
Fraquoh and Franchomme
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