Moving fine art including paintings, sculptures, antiques and other valuable artifacts requires a high level of skill. Especially as it relates to the preparation needed. Whether a client in Winnipeg, Manitoba (or other cities across Canada) is a museum, art gallery, office, individual artist or a private collector, we at Premiere Van Lines can be counted on to move these precious items safely so they can be enjoyed for years to come.

The secret to moving these type of items involves advance preparation and proper packing or crating.  Fine art movers like Premiere have specialists on staff who not only have the skills needed to prepare fine art for shipping but also have respect and appreciation for the works of art that they are handling.

Experts concur that the best way to move paintings larger than 48” x 48” (whether on canvas or framed under glass) is to use a wooden crate. Obviously sculptures or items of unusual shapes or larger dimension also should be crated. A crate will offset the possibility of any damage occurring as a result of vibration during transport.  A professional fine art mover will recommend that a custom crate be built to fully protect these valuable and delicate items for transportation.  

A fine art mover will begin the process by taking careful measurements of the painting, sculpture or other item including the height, width and depth of the piece. These measurements will help determine the size of the crate. The crate builder will also allow for the insertion of a half inch of foam board that will be used to line the inside of the crate. When building a crate for a sculpture, the measurements for all sides should be increased by three or four inches. The extra space will be filled with bubble wrap or shredded paper. Custom crates will be built with fumigated wood that meets all international phytosanitary standards.

Packing materials used by a fine art mover to protect items within the crate include:

  • Glassine paper or acid free archival tissue paper
  • Plastic sheeting or poly wrap
  • Bubble wrap
  • Painters or artists tape (for painting under glass)
  • Cardboard corner protectors
  • Packing tape
  • Foam board at least one half inch thick
  • Shredded white packing paper

A fine art mover will take every precaution to ensure that the art pieces or antiques being shipped are securely wrapped and cushioned for maximum protection during transport.

Once the fine art is properly prepared for transport then it is crucial that fine art mover have the proper equipment. Some artwork requires the use of a climate controlled trailer and movers like Premiere Van Lines can provide this specialty service. Air ride suspension on trailers is another critical feature. For shipments going into the United States by road or internationally by air or sea, a professional fine arts mover will be able to provide the necessary customs documentation and clearance services. If a shipment is on tour or requires a time sensitive delivery schedule a professional mover like Premiere can provide two tandem drivers to meet the client’s needs.

As you can see, moving fine art or antiques is a job best left to a professional moving company with the experience needed to do the job properly. For more information contact our Winnipeg office at 204-925-7795 or your local Premiere Van Lines location.