Modern art collectors and visual artists who love to decorate their rooms with DIY painting often face a few challenges when they decide to move. Fine art and sculptures are delicate, hard to pack, and heavy to transport, making most long-distance moves a stressful experience. But with The Fine Art of Moving Large Paintings and Sculptures Long Distances to the right moving company, cardboard boxes, and other packing supplies, you can make sure your valuable artwork or sentimental collectibles reach their destination in one piece. 

5 Steps You’ll Need to Pack Large Sculptures and Paintings

Although you can complete a long-distance move on your own, it’s much easier to work with a company. They’ll be able to pack your items carefully and protect your art with insurance.

Step 1: Find a Moving Company That Specializes in Fine Art

You shouldn’t trust your valuables to just anyone. If your moving company of choice doesn’t have the right supplies or won’t hire experienced staff, your pieces will get scratched, chipped, or completely ruined. For this reason, you should only hire companies that specialize in art.

The experts at Long Distance Moving recommend getting quotes from multiple long-distance moving companies before you make a decision. Since fine art and sculptures count as specialty items, moving them is often expensive and difficult, so you need to find an expert company.

Step 2: Protect the Surface, Glass, Frame, or Structure

If you’re packing your items before handing them to the moving company, protect your artwork by removing the glass and layering it with at least 3 layers of plastic wrap. Place the rear piece back on and use masking tape to form an “X” from one corner of the glass to the other.

You can protect the frame by using foam or cardboard protectors on each corner. Be sure to measure your sculpture or artwork, so you can find the right box. Art and sculptures must be wrapped in brown packing paper or bubble wrap before being placed in an appropriate box.

Step 3: Use the Right Box and Pack Your Art Carefully

After measuring your art, locate a box that fits as closely to those dimensions as possible. If you have to use a box much larger than your picture or sculpture, fill the remainder with packing material. Framed artwork and sculptures must be packed separately, even if they’re similar.

Before packing up the box, lift it and give it a gentle shake. Don’t be too rough, or you’ll break your artwork. Place more packing material in the box until you don’t hear any sounds. Finally, tape it up and secure all edges with packing tape. Write “FRAGILE” on every side of the box.

Step 4: Load Artwork and Sculptures in the Moving Truck

Glass and sculptures are fragile and can break during the move. To prevent this, don’t stack your artwork on top of each other. To move pictures safely, place them at the edge of the truck and stand them vertically. Put artwork beside each other and leave space for a blanket.

Moving sculptures is a bit trickier because they don’t come in a standard size. With that said, you should still stand them vertically, as you did with the artwork. Secure all sculpture and art boxes with a cargo strap, so they’re tight enough not to move, but lose enough to stay intact.

Step 5: Get an Artwork Appraisal and Purchase Insurance

Accidents can happen at any time, so there’s a possibility your paintings or sculptures will break during shipment. If you want to protect the value of your artwork, consider getting it appraised and insured against theft, loss, and damage. Most moving companies offer fine art insurance.

Even if you got your artwork appraised years ago, there’s no guarantee that the price will hold. If an insurance claim needs to be made, an accurate appraisal will ensure you’ll get the total value reimbursed for your collection. Do your due diligence to protect your art and your wallet.