Storing Art: What You Need to Know First

Whether you’re an art collector, gallery owner or an artist yourself, approaching short or long-term art storage carefully is essential to preserving the condition of your prized pieces. Paintings, prints, sculptures and framed photos can all suffer damage without the right storage environment.  

1. Opt for art storage units with climate control. A consistent temperature and humidity level are your best friends when storing canvas, paper, wood or paint. Cool and dry are the words to remember—in fact, museum standard is a nice, moderate 70–72 degrees with 50% humidity.
2. Use the right packing materials. We’re often asked how to wrap artwork for storage, and the short answer is: materials matter when it comes to storing photos, watercolor, oil paintings and more. 
   • Use acid-free tissue paper or glassine to protect surfaces.
   • Avoid bubble wrap against paint and finished surfaces–direct contact can leave marks. 
   • Use sturdy acid-free boxes or crates for extra protection. Mirror boxes are ideal, too.
   • Corner protectors are a must for framed art, whether you buy them or make them yourself out of cardboard.
3. Avoid storing artwork on the floor. Shelves or pallets can help lift artwork up off the floor and provide a buffer against variables like moisture. Sandwiching art between foam board or cardboard pieces is a great way to provide an additional buffer. 
4. Don’t stack! To store paintings safely, think vertical with padding in between to avoid indentations, scratches and pressure damage.  
5. Label and inventory your collection. Take photos and file them along with title, medium, artist info and estimated value for your records. This will also help with insurance documentation (more on that below…)
6. Check in often. Regularly inspecting your items can help you catch signs of moisture, packaging breakdown and other issues early and mitigate possible damage. 
7. Make sure valuable art is insured. Check your policy to make sure your stored artwork is covered, and whether any additional coverage is needed specific to high-value pieces.