What Collectors Need to Know about Storing Their Art

The value of fine art storage cannot be underestimated when it comes to protecting the value of your collection. From conservation and climate control to transportation and insurance, proper fine art storage beyond the confines of your own home requires careful management and consideration.

Incorrect or careless storage of your collection can be hazardous to artworks where damage like mold, fading, warping, and yellowing can occur. These kinds of physical damage, if left untreated, can lead to a loss of monetary or aesthetic value.

Storing your collection in a dedicated fine art storage facility is therefore a strongly recommended and worthwhile investment. “With proper installation, maintenance, and storage, a collector’s investment can continue to grow without the need of costly restoration or conservation,” explained Brian Regan, gallery director at Heather James Fine Art. “Having artworks in storage also allows you to rest more sensitive works by rotating art in and out of a collection, which is especially beneficial for works on paper.”

Before your collection enters a storage facility, it is important to prepare your artworks. Soliciting the advice of a trained conservator and carrying out condition checks is a useful place to start. “Think of long-term issues now,” advised Lauren Fly, a specialist paintings conservator at the Fly Arts Initiative and a member of the American Institute for Conservation. “It is more cost-effective to do preventive work, rather than active conservation and interventive work, and prevention is also far less invasive for the art object itself.”

Ensuring that you have a record of the condition of your artworks before they are transported to storage is imperative for insurance purposes, and for your own collection management records. “This is just one step a collector can take before their artworks go into storage to be confident that any damages will be accounted for,” Fly explained. If you have taken out a separate fine art insurance policy, for example, you might be subject to specific condition checking and storage recommendations that you should take into consideration.

Just as important is the individual stabilization of artworks. “Different mediums and works require specific needs,” explained Samantha Springer, an objects conservator at Art Solutions Lab and board member of the American Institute for Conservation.

“Contemporary objects with plastics and modern materials are more sensitive to potential damage when in contact with certain materials, and textiles require specific climate control due to their fragility,” she told Artsy. “It is imperative that you seek advice from a trained conservator on which materials will pose minimal threat when wrapping your artworks before storage.”

Both Fly and Springer pointed to the widely recognized “Ten Agents of Deterioration,” developed by the Canadian Conservation Institute, as an all-encompassing checklist for where damage can occur on artworks. “These include dissociation, fire, incorrect relative humidity, incorrect temperature, light and ultraviolet light, pests, pollutants, physical forces, theft, and water,” said Fly. “Some of these are outside of your control, but with others, preventive care can come in.”

While a conservator can advise on the precise conditions required to store your artworks safely, it is essential to find a reputable art storage facility that will work with you to meet the specific needs of your collection. “Preserving a collection calls for a thoughtful approach,” said Alexandra Kelly, VP of sales at fine art storage specialists UOVO. “Storage is central to proper collections management and requires a committed partner. When deciding on an art storage provider, collectors should consider the quality of the facility, location, accessibility, climate, security, expertise, and level of client service.”

The key to safe art storage is a rigorously monitored environment with strict temperature, humidity, and light exposure controls, where optimal storage environments can be maintained around the clock. Old Master paintings or contemporary works with heavy oil paint require precise climate controls, unlike stone sculptures, for example, which do not require strict humidity and temperature controls. “In all instances, consistency is the key,” Kelly said. “Fluctuations in temperature or humidity will compromise any artwork in storage.”

Generally, there are two primary kinds of storage available to collectors from professional fine art storage facilities: general or concierge storage; and private rooms. With general storage, there are a number of clients’ works stored in the same area, and space tends to be charged per meter and week. With private storage, a client will pay for their collection to be stored in its own dedicated space. Depending on how frequently you wish to access your collection, it may also be important to choose a facility that is conveniently located.

“Private rooms are ideal for clients who prefer direct or frequent access to their collection and are desirable for collections that necessitate bespoke solutions,” said Kelly. The advantage of private rooms is that they can be designed to meet the exact needs of the collection, including racking, lighting, flooring, and enhancements such as a photography studio or office space. On the other hand, concierge storage is a more cost-effective option for collectors with temporary or fluctuating storage needs.

Transportation to and from storage facilities is another key consideration for any collector. “The most damage occurs to artworks when they are in transit,” said Micky Roberts, head of local movement and storage at logistics firm Crown Fine Art. “Ensure that you choose a service with ICEFAT [International Convention of Exhibition and Fine Art Transporters] membership when shipping your artworks across organizations, and their service will meet museum-level requirements at a minimum.”

Just as with choosing a storage facility itself, there are multiple options for transportation. Collectors with works of very high value may choose an exclusive shuttle option, meaning only the artworks belonging to that client are on the vehicle. Collectors mostly choose to transport their artworks all together as a cost-efficient method that also maintains a high level of safety.

It’s also important for collectors to keep on top of the value of their artworks, Roberts noted. “While your collection is in storage, artwork appraisals should be carried out every two years,” he said. “As your artworks change value, this might change your storage needs according to your insurance policy. If an artwork is under or overinsured this can be held against you or reduce a collection’s value.”