The safe storage of artwork can be a challenge. Not only are works of art valuable, but they are also delicate and easily damaged through storage in the incorrect conditions. Whether you are in charge of artwork storage at a museum, art gallery or your own private collection, there are several factors you will need to consider if you want to keep your art in tip-top condition:
Rackline’s Top Tips For Artwork Storage
- Maintain an even climate and ideally a humidity of around 40-50%. Fluctuating temperatures can cause cracks and warping
- Protect your artwork from dust, whilst still allowing air to circulate. Avoid wrapping your paintings in plastic or bubble wrap as this stops the air from circulating and traps condensation inside which could do considerable damage.
- Store your artwork carefully, using an appropriate artwork shelving system. Ideally, works of art should be stored vertically, but you should ensure that shelving keeps them separated so that delicate pieces are not crushed or damaged by the weight of other items being stored on top of them.
- Keep artworks off the ground at all times, just in case of water damage.
- Avoid storing art next to a direct source of heat as this can soften the paint and cause it to come off.
- Avoid storing in direct sunlight as this can cause artwork to fade.
- If you do decide to roll up artwork, remember that the paint should be rolled to the outside, as although you may think you are keeping it safer with the paint on the inside, this can in fact increase the possibility of cracking and warping.
Dustproof Picture Racking
At Rackline our talented designers love nothing more than the challenge of creating unique art storage solutions to meet our clients’ bespoke requirements. When it comes to storing art, see how we supported The Museum of English Rural Life with the creation of a selection of dustproof picture racking.
The Museum of English Rural Life had over 25,000 objects on display and a fascinating story to tell about rural England from 1750 to the present day, it had a huge number of artworks and textiles that it needed to keep in ideal conditions. Its teams approached Rackline to develop a system to keep these artworks and textiles safe, both from physical damage and from environmental factors such as light and dust.
Rackline’s teams developed an artwork storage system as an evolution of the lateral art racking solutions. The installed system uses tracks on the floor and mobile carriages, that allow the artworks (and textiles) to be pushed together in the most space efficient way possible. The use of mesh panels and hooks allows artworks to be hung vertically and safely, yet easy to access. Roll holders were also designed to allow any rolled textiles to be kept in the same area as the artworks.
The addition of bespoke enclosures around the racking allows the units to be sealed shut, keeping light away from the artworks. Further, the inclusion of dustproof seals on the edge of each section prevents dust from getting to the artworks, and prevents damage. The addition of this racking ensures the museums artwork and other items can be stored away safely whilst not on display.
To find out more about our wide and varied solutions for artwork storage please see our dedicated page here, see case studies that include artwork here, For more details contact our team on 01782 770 144 or fill in your details below: