Alright, let me tell you a story. A sad story.
A few years back, I had this painting. It was a big one. Took me like two months. It was the best thing I had ever done. But my apartment is small, right? So it’s just leaning against the dining room wall. My cat starts scratching it. Just a little, but enough to piss me off.
So I think, “I’ll just put it in the basement until I figure out where to hang it.”
Big mistake. Huge.
Basement got damp. I forgot about it for six months. Went down there to grab a Christmas decoration and there it was. The canvas was all saggy. The paint had this weird white film on it. Ruined. Totally ruined. My girlfriend at the time said “it looks abstract now.” It did not look abstract. It looked like trash.
I tell you that story so you understand that I am not some expert who has never messed up. I messed up bad. And I don’t want you to do the same thing with your stuff.
Step One: Get It Out of the Bad Places
First thing you gotta do is look at where you are putting this art. Is it a garage? A shed? A basement that smells like wet dog? Bad news.
Art is picky. It wants to be where you want to be. Room temperature. Not too wet, not too dry. If you wouldn’t sleep there, your art probably shouldn’t live there either.
I know sometimes you got no choice. You got too much stuff. That is when you gotta look for a storage unit. But not all storage is the same. Some of those places are just metal boxes in a field. They get hot as hell in summer. That heat will cook your paint. It will make your canvases expand and pop the staples right out of the frame.
You need a place that has climate control. It costs a few bucks more but ask yourself this: how much is that painting worth? How many hours did you spend on it?
We got units that keep the air steady. No big swings. Just consistent. Like a nice day, every day.
Wrapping Stuff Up (The Right Way)
Okay so you got the space. Now you gotta pack it up. This is where everybody, and I mean everybody, makes the same mistake.
They grab newspaper.
Stop it. Just stop.
I know you got old newspapers. I know it feels like recycling. But newspaper ink is greasy and it transfers. If your storage unit gets even a little warm one afternoon, that ink is gonna transfer right onto your art. You will have the sports section printed on your watercolor. Not a good look.
Go on Amazon or go to the art store and buy some glassine paper. It’s cheap. It’s smooth. It doesn’t have acid. It won’t ruin your stuff.
If you got framed pieces, go to Home Depot or wherever and get some foam corner protectors. They are like a dollar. Slip them on the corners of the frame. You ever tried to move a painting and just bumped the corner into a door frame? That chip sucks. The corner protectors stop that.
How to Stack Stuff
We all stack things. It’s natural. But stacking art is a science.
If you got canvases, stand them up. Lean them against the wall like they are waiting to be looked at. Put the big ones in the back, smaller ones in front. If you gotta lay them flat, don’t go crazy. Three or four max. And put the biggest one on the bottom. Weight crushes stuff.
Also, and I cannot believe I have to say this, but do not put boxes on top of canvases. I knew this guy who put a heavy box of books on top of a painting. The box sagged down and put a permanent crease in the canvas. Just a straight line across the middle. He tried to sell it on Etsy as “mixed media.” Nobody bought it.
If You Make Sculptures
Man, you guys have it hard. Weird shapes. Pointy bits. Heavy as hell.
Here is the trick. Wrap it in something soft first. Like, get some cheap muslin or just soft tissue paper. Wrap it tight so it gets in all the little cracks. Then put bubble wrap over that. If you put bubble wrap right on the sculpture, it leaves little circles pressed into the surface. Looks like your sculpture has a skin condition.
And please, for real, don’t put heavy stuff up high. I don’t care how much space you got. A heavy sculpture on a high shelf is just waiting to fall on your foot. Or your dog. Or your kid. Keep heavy stuff low.
Paper Stuff
If you do drawings or prints, you got a whole different problem. Paper is like a sponge. It soaks up moisture from the air and goes all wavy. Then it never goes flat again.
Put a piece of paper between each drawing. Just plain paper. It stops them from sticking together. And if you got really valuable stuff, put it in a portfolio case or lay it flat in a box. Don’t roll it up unless you absolutely have to. Once paper is rolled, it wants to stay rolled forever.
Labeling Saves Lives (And Art)
I am lazy about this. I admit it. I throw stuff in a box and think “I’ll remember.” I never remember.
Just take two seconds. Write on the box with a sharpie. “Blue paintings.” “Sculptures 2023.” Whatever. If you are really organized, take a photo of what is inside and tape it to the outside. Then when you are looking for that one specific piece, you don’t have to open every box and pull everything out. Less handling means less chance of breaking stuff.
Setting Up Your Unit
When you bring your stuff to the unit, don’t just shove it all in the back. Leave a little path. You gotta be able to walk in there and look around. If you can’t get to the back, you will forget what is back there. Out of sight, out of mind.
Also, get your stuff off the floor. Even in a clean unit, the floor can get cold or a little dusty. Put down a piece of wood or a plastic pallet. Put your boxes on that. It lets air flow underneath and keeps things dry.
Why We Do This
Look, me and my partners started this place because we got tired of storage places that feel like prisons. Cold, dirty, dark. We wanted a place where people feel like they can trust us with their stuff.
Your art isn’t just “items.” It’s your time. It’s your brain. It’s your weekends. You put work into that stuff. It deserves to be somewhere safe.
So if you are drowning in canvases or you got sculptures taking over your living room, come see us. We got space. It’s clean. It’s cool. It’s dry. Your art will be fine there. I promise.
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