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Jersey City is a town chalk-full of artists, but creative people need to (or have to) find new creative space sometimes, and unlike a typical move, you have lots of delicate utensils and work – work that cannot be replaced. Artist Extraordinaire and DIYer Aimee Lyons guest blogs for Jersey City Gal on the art of moving art.

Preparing Your Art Supplies For The Big Move

You’ve made the difficult decision to move your art supplies and artwork for the first time in years. You love your current studio, and you can’t imagine having to pack it up. Still, the time has come to start taking action. How are you going to prepare your supplies for the big move?

Follow these six steps on moving day to ensure your artwork and supplies stay safe until the time comes to unpack and set up your brand new studio.

1. Wrap your Work Properly

Unfortunately, artwork is among the top 10 items most commonly damaged during a move. It’s a good idea to make sure that you have everything wrapped up carefully. If you’ve ever sold pieces and shipped them to customers, you should have a good idea of how to go about doing this. Obviously, the packaging will be determined by the type of art and materials used to make it, but getting the right supplies is crucial to ensuring that there is no damage to your collection. The same goes for your actual art supplies.

2. Double Check Your Packages

Before the movers arrive on moving day, double check your packages to make sure each one is properly labeled and prepared for shipment. Inspect each package and ask yourself whether or not it would survive a trip down the stairs. If the answer is no, add necessary wrapping.

It might help to mark each fragile box with a sharpie, in addition to detailing what items are inside. Of course, simple supplies like pencils, crayons, pastels, and paint sets won’t need this kind of protection. But your kiln, sewing machine, and other heavy equipment will. The more details you can provide, the easier the process will be.

3. Develop Your Game Plan

 Make sure you have a game plan to make the moving process as simple and smooth as possible. Consider the location of your new studio (Is it upstairs, downstairs, or on the middle floor?) as well as access points for the movers. If you have large, fragile pieces of equipment, make sure you’ve scouted out an entrance both to the building and the studio itself that will allow movers to safely carry it through. If the building has a service elevator, verify that you’ll have access on moving day if needed.

You should also think about how items should be loaded into and out of the truck. Talk to the movers about how the heaviest items will be placed and secured, as well as the most fragile pieces. Take into consideration how far the new studio is and the quality of the streets you’ll be taking—if it will be a bumpy road, overcompensate with padding and protection! Seek the insight of your movers and come up with a plan that makes you feel confident your artwork and equipment will arrive safely. You might even want to write down your plan to easily reference throughout the process.

4. Instruct Your Movers

 Once the movers arrive, give any relevant special instructions about how your pieces and equipment should be moved. Note anything that can’t be tipped or may shift weight awkwardly when lifted. Be specific. Your movers are there to make sure your belongings stay safe, but they need your help when it comes to safely transporting equipment they might not be familiar with. As long as you provide as much information as possible, you won’t have anything to worry about.

 5. Oversee Everything

 Since you hired other people to do the heavy lifting, make sure you oversee the process. You’ll want to be readily available, in case the movers have any questions about your pieces. If you screened the company properly, the employees will genuinely care about your artwork and supplies. They won’t want to be responsible for damaging anything. If you aren’t available to answer a question, they may be forced to guess. You don’t want this to happen under any circumstances. The key to working with movers is clear, open communication on both ends.

 6. Monitor Environmental Changes

Both artwork and equipment can be harmed by changes in the environment. Make sure your art studio belongings stay at a moderate temperature. If the weather is slippery, consider postponing your move until the environment improves. You don’t want to take any chances when it comes to your precious collection of crafts, supplies, and art.

Moving your art studio can be scary and frustrating. Follow these six steps on moving day, and your artwork will be in safe hands.

 

For more on Aimee Lyons, visit Diydarlin.com