Page 68 - May-June-July Life In Naples Magazine

599 NINTH STREET NORTH SUITE 309 | NAPLES, FL 34102 | 239.261.2637

ASK THE ARTSPERTS SHIPPING ART www.harmonmeek.com
by Juliana Meek and Kristine Meek

Dear Artspert:

I have a painting I need to ship back north for the summer.
How do I go about shipping it?

Signed,

Shipped Out of State

Dear Shipped,

A few details about the work being shipped must be taken into account first
including: the rarity, value, fragility, timeliness of shipment and budget. Of course
if the work of art is not valuable and there is no glass on the frame you can
bubblewrap it and place it into a box within a larger box and ship it via the postal
service or UPS if it is not beyond the dimensions of width and girth allowed by
both services.

But for this answer we are assuming that the artwork has value and fragile
aspects. The slowest and safest way to transport art is via a professional art
delivery service.This is also the most expensive means. Art handlers offer door to
door service and will pack the work for you. It will be transported via their own
climate controlled secured truck with two people staying with the truck. This is
the service that museums and galleries use to ship entire exhibitions or one work
that is large, fragile and/or valuable. Locally Murray Colette at Murray Art Move
is a good choice and then there are many national firms such as US-ART and Wren Art Transport.

Your next option is to use a freight forwarder who will come to your home and prepack the item for safe conveyance to their business to
box or wood crate the artwork for shipment via a number of different options from Fedex to common carrier. Tim Stready at Cleveland Bass
has been doing this in Naples for thirty years. William C. Huff Moving & Storage and Ray the Mover can also provide this service.

There are many packaging and shipping services throughout the area in which you can take the artwork (assuming it will fit in your vehicle)
to them and they will pack and ship for you. The main problem with these services is that they love to use Styrofoam “peanuts” which are a
nuisance to clean up after unpacking at the destination. We suggest that they use bubblewrap instead, and if the work is on canvas – use a
glassine sheet between the canvas and the plastic wrap. We also recommend double boxing the works so that if the outer box is punctured the
inner box and work may still be protected.

If you plan to ship the work back to Naples in the fall, we recommend ordering a reusable Airfloat Strongbox. The company will ship the
size box you need which has an egg-carton foam rubber interior. The interior is scored so that you can simply tear an opening for the painting
leaving a cavity for the artwork to fit into.The heavy cardboard box can withstand almost anything but they also offer boxes with an inner lining
of plastic sheeting for added safety. Then simply call Fedex for them to pick up at your residence.

Glass presents additional concerns so it should be taped with removable masking tape in a crisscross pattern so that if it should break the
shards of glass will remain intact and not damage the paper of the artwork. If the work of art has value perhaps it would be a great time to
switch it out with Optium Plexiglas which is unbreakable (as well as UV coated, reflection proof, anti-static and anti-scratch).

Insurance on all these different methods have different criteria and limits. Check with your homeowners policy to see what they will do to
insure the item for you and then you will have more options with respect to the carrier you elect to use.

Sincerely, A HUNT SLONEM OIL ON CANVAS PAINTING IN ANTIQUE FRAME IS SHOWN
IN A AIRFLOAT STRONGBOX WITH FOAM AND ADDED PLASTIC INTERIOR.
The Artsperts

68 Life in Naples | May • June • July 2015