Every year, art lovers in Miami Beach and across the globe look forward to exploring the unique world of Art Basel. This international art fair celebrates fine artists and leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, as well as art collectors and sellers. It's a unique opportunity to see some of the world’s most masterful modern and contemporary artworks, meet emerging artists, and build your personal art collection. At Safeguard Self Storage in Miami, we are here to help make it all happen—whether you’re a vendor who needs temporary art storage during Art Basel or you’re a Miami resident looking to protect your investments.
How to Protect Your Fine Artwork
Knowing how to store art lets you easily expand and rotate your home gallery, as well as keep your work safe before and after events like Art Basel. Prints, canvases, and photographs are made of delicate materials that can’t withstand drastic fluctuations in temperature and humidity, and that’s why they need to be in a storage space that’s climate controlled.
Here at Safeguard in the Design District, we provide a wide selection of climate controlled self storage units in Miami. Not only do our units maintain consistent temperatures and humidity levels to combat the hot, muggy environment in Florida, but our secure units also shield valuable art from damaging UV rays.
But climate controlled spaces are just the first step to guarding your art, and these tips will help you add extra layers of protection to each type of art in your stored collection.
How to Store Art Prints
If you’re a collector, securing prints of your favorite artist’s work can be an affordable and exciting experience. And, if you’re an up-and-coming artist, selling prints is an easy way to get your name out there and your work on peoples’ walls. Regardless of what role you play in the art world, knowing how to properly store art prints is crucial for their long-term integrity:
- Art prints should be matted and backed with acid-free materials.
- Safely store framed prints by sandwiching them between acid-free mat boards.
- Protect loose paper prints with archival glassine, and store in sturdy folders.
How to Store Canvas Paintings
Canvas paintings, no matter how large or small, are captivating works of art that can elicit emotion and turn a bland living space into an exciting experience. But canvases, like many other materials, can become damaged if they are stored in the wrong space:
- Keep canvases from cracking by storing in a climate controlled space.
- Avoid directly touching canvases while preparing for storage.
- Never cover a stored canvas painting with glass or Plexiglass.
- Protect canvas surfaces with cotton or muslin sheets.
How to Store Photographs
Photography is a stunning medium that can convey a message and create emotion in the blink of an eye, no matter if they are journalistic or abstract. But the papers used for photography prints are sensitive to UV light and fluctuations in temperature, so it’s important they are stored or shipped properly to ensure high quality and color retention:
- Wear cotton gloves when arranging, storing, or shipping photographs.
- Place acid-free paper between photos boxed for storage.
- Store individual photographs inside archival sleeves.
The Best Ways to Store Art in Your Miami Storage Unit
At Safeguard Self Storage in Miami, we want to be your ideal solution for holding artwork. Our climate controlled storage units regulate temperature and humidity, and our facility-wide surveillance keeps your priceless works of art protected. With these art storage tips, you can turn your unit into a secure archive:
- Store framed art upright and separated with sheets of acid-free mounting board.
- Use wood pallets to elevate stored artwork and boxes off the unit floor.
- Extend vertical storage with wheeled shelving units that can handle the weight of frames and boxes.
- Leave clearance between shelving units and walls to ensure fresh air circulation.
- Make sure frames and boxes don't overhang shelf edges creating bumping hazards.
- Give yourself wide pathways and easy access for moving artwork in and out of the unit.
Protect Your Art with Miami Self Storage
No matter if you’re a Miami art collector or an artist traveling to Miami Beach for Art Basel, knowing how to properly store your work will ensure it stays in good shape. At Safeguard Self Storage in the Design District, our climate controlled self storage units in Miami are here to help you keep your art intact daily. Give us a call today to reserve your unit, or feel free to reserve your space online at any time!