Artists, collectors, and designers all know that the process of storing paintings is an art form — pun intended. If you have pieces of artwork that you want to store, it’s important to consider how best to preserve the art so that it maintains its original form.
It all comes down to understanding the do’s and don’ts of art storage. If you keep reading, you’ll learn all about the protocols that you should follow when looking for a place to store your art that won’t alter its current condition (or ruin it entirely).
The Do’s of Storing Artwork For Longevity
To ensure the longevity of your artwork, always store it in an upright position and handle it with care (and don’t forget to inspect its condition regularly).
Preservation when storing art is of the utmost importance, and the following tips will help you maintain the quality of your art when in storage.
Avoid Placing Art in Direct Sunlight
Has anyone told you about the importance of storing artwork in cool, dark, and dry places? There’s a reason for this suggestion, and the advice holds true when storing art pieces for long periods, too!
Take it from Park West Gallery when they warn you that direct sunlight can cause irreversible damage to your artwork. If ultraviolet radiation comes in contact with artwork, the light can lead to faded, warped, bent, or cracked art pieces.
Interestingly enough, paper-based art pieces are far more sensitive to sunlight, especially when compared to canvas art or metal artwork. However, this doesn’t mean you can get away with leaving your canvases or metalwork exposed to direct sunlight.
Make Sure Humidity Levels Are Not Too High
Do you know what happens if you store artwork in places where the humidity exceeds art-safe levels? Austin Galleries explains that environments with incompatible humidity levels can be a breeding ground for mold, mildew, and moisture. These three factors pose a serious risk to the preservation of your art.
According to the blog of the Julius Lowy Frame and Restoring Company, a safe humidity range for artwork is between 40% and 60% relative humidity. Any value above or below that range will likely result in the deterioration of your art pieces.
Keep Artwork in Cool Environments
Similar to how humidity levels must remain within a safe range, you also need to be mindful of the temperature. When storing artwork, the Artwork Archive says the best temperature range for artwork storage spaces is between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit — this is equivalent to anywhere from 21 to 24 degrees Celsius.
This is why renting a climate-controlled storage unit is an absolute must when storing artwork. You might wonder what the main difference is between climate-controlled storage versus non-climate-controlled units, and it all comes down to the presence — or lack — of an HVAC system.
HVAC is an abbreviation for heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning — so essentially, with a climate-controlled storage space, the temperature and the humidity won’t fluctuate. As a result, you can always trust that your artwork is kept in consistent conditions day in and day out.
Typically, a climate-controlled storage unit will cost anywhere from 25% to 40% more than storage options without this feature. However, it’s undoubtedly worth paying for, especially when storing art.
The Don’ts of Long-Term Art Storage
When putting your art in storage, there are a few faux pas to steer clear of, and we’re here to tell you about a few of them!
Never Clean Paintings With Water
In a LinkedIn post, Howard Rehs, president of Rehs Galleries, explains that water could discolor your paintings. Even worse, the water could negatively interact with the art to the point where the paint might fall off! The same is true of chemicals, so steer clear of both. And trust us when we say that you should never use water to clean your art!
Avoid Frequent Handling
This isn’t to say that you should store artwork and never check on it. Just know that checking in on your art from time to time can be beneficial. However, refrain from handling the art too frequently, as the oils from your hands can transfer to the piece, leading to potential tarnishing.
Keep Art Out of Basements and Attics
One of the most important rules of thumb when it comes to storing art is to avoid attic and basement storage. This may come as a surprise, given our earlier recommendation to store art in dark places, away from direct sunlight exposure. So why exactly are basements or attics not safe places for art storage?
As Southern Living explains, the main problem is that basements and attics are not always void of light. Plus, temperatures fluctuate, and the conditions of these places are affected by the weather outside, so it all comes down to not exposing your art to hazardous conditions.
Never Store Artwork Unprotected
Don’t stack art pieces on top of each other. While you should never store artwork unprotected, you shouldn’t use adhesives either.
How To Store Different Types of Paintings
Oil
Professional artist Sue Gardner has many words of wisdom about storing oil paintings. She emphasizes the impact that the environment will have on your oil-based artwork. Gardner recommends seeking out stable storage spaces with consistent temperatures.
Steer clear of storage spaces susceptible to extreme conditions–like ultra-hot or extra-cold spaces. Otherwise, you’ll run the risk of cracked paint because extreme temperatures and fluctuations in humidity can stretch or tighten the canvas upon which the oil-based art is painted.
Last but not least, avoid situations where your art might rub against or touch other items. While seemingly harmless, this friction could put your high-value artwork in harm’s way.
Note that zero contact is far easier to achieve when you properly encase oil paintings in acid-free paper and a layer of bubble wrap. As a precaution, keep the painting in its original frame and pack the wrapped artwork inside a cardboard box. Gardner recommends telescopic picture boxes in particular, which she personally purchases from Kite Packaging, though she also buys from Transartbox.
Acrylic
If you asked Eden Gallery how to store acrylic-based art, you would learn that acrylic paintings should be stored inside metal storage boxes. Interesting, huh?
Most paintings can be stored safely in cardboard packaging, but due to the nature of acrylic paint, metal is the best material for art made with acrylics. This is because cardboard can dampen when moisture accumulates in the air, increasing the likelihood of mold forming and damaging the acrylic painting.
Also, keep your acrylic art out of direct lighting, whether natural or artificial. If light is cast upon acrylic paintings, the art might tarnish or turn yellow.
Pastel
If you own a pastel drawing but want to store it for a while, the Art is Fun blog offers some insight into the storage process. The author, Thaneeya, explains how she starts by taping the corners of her pastel artwork to an acid-free foam board using acid-free artist tape.
She prefers foam boards that are customized to fit the shape of the pastel art, leaving about an inch of space on either edge of the artwork. Her next suggestion is to place a sheet of glassine as her archival material of choice. Place it on top of the artwork, but make sure the glassine sheet covers the whole pastel drawing, leaving no space unprotected.
From there, put yet another acid-free foam board sheet on top of the glassine, and tape both foam boards together, like a sandwich with the glassine and art piece in between. Also, take Thaneeya’s word for it — opt for acid-free packing materials instead of cardboard or masking tape, both of which contain acid that can trickle down onto your pastel art and ruin it.
In Summary
No matter which type of art you need to store, there’s a suitable storage option out there for you. From pastel art and oil paintings to acrylic pieces and more, you should never compromise on the preservation of artwork.
For affordable storage space that is local to you, check out peer-to-peer marketplaces like Neighbor. You’ll be able to search nearby storage options for 50% less than traditional storage spaces! Plus, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that all hosts have been vetted and approved before listing their storage spaces online.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Should I Store My Artwork?
As a general rule of thumb, store your art in an upright, vertical position. Never stack art pieces on top of one another, and prioritize a climate-controlled storage unit for optimal preservation.
Where Do Artists Store Their Paintings?
This is a personal choice! But for best results, artists avoid basements and attics in favor of temperature-regulated storage spaces that keep humidity levels at bay and prevent light from hitting the art.
How Do You Pack Artwork for Storage?
Art should be sealed in materials that are appropriate for the type of art being stored. For instance, pastel art pieces should be placed between acid-free foam boards and glassine, while acrylic paintings should be stored inside metal boxes.
