Do I really have to pay for art shipping?

...and other questions from Art Logistics 101

Every month the Less Than Half Matrons of the Arts membership invites an art professional to pull back the curtain on how the market works— from how to register to bid at auction to what to consider when choosing an art shipper.

This month we welcomed Melissa Osterwind, president of SRI Fine Art Services, an art logistics company, which handles art shipping, storage, and installation in the NY Metropolitan Area.

This session was part of our Q1 unit on “stewarding” a collection— an essential piece of the Matronage curriculum, which stresses that in order for women artists to have a legacy, their work needs to survive for the next generation. That means it needs to be properly handled, stored, and transported. Hence, a session on art logistics.

Crates! Melissa’s bread and butter

Here are just a few takeaways from Melissa’s talk:

1. Art storage is not as expensive as you think.

   Don’t forgo art storage because you think it’ll break the bank. You pay by the square footage of what you store (you don’t have a dedicated locker), so you might end up paying a price similar to mini storage— but with added security and the fine art expertise of the facility managers.

2. Customs are not your friend.

   Buying art abroad? Don’t chance taking something home with you on your person— the last thing you want is a customs official ripping open your carefully packaged work with a box cutter to inspect it. Art logistics companies are very familiar with customs forms, declarations, and procedures, and can ensure your artwork can get home to you, undamaged.

3. How you ship it matters.

   Shipping by, well, ship, is certainly more environmentally friendly, but think about the effects weeks of vibrations from the ship’s machinery will have on the work. If it’s a delicate pastel on paper, that might prove disastrous! A good shipper will run through the pros and cons of each shipping method with you to ensure you understand what’s best for the work.

As Melissa says, she wants you to be spending money on art, not logistics, so her team is very keen on getting you the right kind of support— not the most expensive kind. And there’s a reason she works in art logistics and not shipping lawnmowers— having a role in creating the story of art is what drives her, and that love and dedication shows in the way she talks about her job.

To get access to this recording and the many, many more insights Melissa offered us, as well as all past and future sessions be sure to sign up to our Essentials tier (or above), here.

Take the first step towards stewarding the art you own.