Best Art Moving and Storage Companies in Virginia

When it comes to moving and storing your prized art collection, you want to make sure you have the best-experienced professionals handling the job. If you are looking for a reputable moving company in Virginia to handle your next relocation, we’re here to help! Studios of Richmond has compiled the list of top art moving companies in the state:

Craters & Freighters (Sterling, VA)

This moving company primarily serves Northern Virginia, plus DC and parts of Maryland. Also a residential and commercial mover, Craters and Freighters specializes in art shipping and has experience moving pieces for some of the top galleries, art museums, and artists in the greater DC area. Trust the packing and crating of your art collection to these expert art movers.

Affordable Top Notch Movers (Arlington, VA)

Relocating art collections can be a pain, especially if you don’t have the time or manpower to do it yourself. Lucky you, the seasoned relocation veterans from Affordable Top Notch Movers are here to save the day. This company has been serving the state of Virginia since 2003, which means we know how to handle all types of moves, big or small. 

More specifically, their movers are highly-trained professionals who will treat your art pieces with care and respect. They also provide you with an accurate estimate before starting your move, so there won’t be any surprises at the end.

You can trust them to take care of everything from packing up your collection, loading them onto our truck, driving them across town, unloading them into their gallery, and eventually setting things up. ATN Movers exists to make your move safe and easier!

The Moving Connection (Fairfax and Alexandria, VA)

Based in Baltimore, MD, the Moving Connection services locations throughout Maryland, the District, and Northern Virginia. They have more than 15 years transporting fine art pieces and have the proper equipment and training to handle your move. From the expert packing to the climate-controlled moving vans, The Moving Connection does everything possible to protect your artwork during transit.

Platinum Moving Services (Gaithersburg, MD)

Platinum Moving Services offers art moving services to Maryland, DC, and parts of Northern Virginia. This mover has over 30 years of experience moving art and antiquities and has even worked for the Smithsonian Institute. They’ll ensure items are properly packed for safe shipment with custom crating and specialized handling equipment. Treating every item as a treasure, Platinum strives to make your moving experience easy.

What to Know About Packaging, Shipping, and Transporting Fine Art

It’s important that your paintings or sculptures are properly packaged to prevent damages to it throughout the shipping process. Below, is our guide on what to know about packaging, shipping, and transporting your fine art.

 1. How to Pack Unframed Paintings

When packing unframed paintings, it’s important that you don’t touch it with your hands. Instead, use cotton gloves when handling the art. Wrap the artwork in acid-free tissue paper. If you are concerned about damage from moisture, wrap it in additional plastic.

To properly wrap it, fold acid-free tissue paper into triangles with an edge open, then put a triangle around each corner of the frame. Safeguarding the corners will help protect the piece during transport. Then, you should take tape each corner and mount each piece with tape in addition to foam core or cardboard. Once you’ve placed a few layers down on each side, tape all the pieces together.

After you tape the final piece, take two separate and equal pieces of corrugated cardboard and place your artwork in the middle, taping it to secure it completely. Finally, place your artwork in a mirror box for added protection.

2. How to Pack Framed Paintings

When packing your framed paintings, DC pro movers say to either create a crate that it can fit it or find a box alternative, with at least three inches of space on each side of the artwork. Next, wrap it in acid-free tissue paper and bubble wrap, with additional layers in each corner. Then, place foam layers in your shipping container, enough for your artwork to rest on. Pack the “open” areas with packing material until it is snugly fit.

3. How to Pack a Sculpture

To properly pack your sculpture for shipping, wrap the top half at least two times over in bubble wrap and secure it with tape. Next wrap the bottom half with bubble wrap at least two times over and secure it with tape. However, make sure to overlap the middle a small amount and wrap the overlay in a layer of tape to secure it. Fill your shipping box with shredded paper at least ⅓ full. Just make sure you set a sizeable hole in the middle to place your sculpture down. Once you set it down in your box, fill the remaining area with shredded paper to secure your sculpture. Finally, tape the box shut and label it with your shipping address and add one layer of tape over that to prevent it coming off throughout the shipping process.

4. Shipping

Now that your artwork is packaged correctly, it’s time to ship it off. Although there are a variety of delivery companies to choose from, the two main types are common carriers that handle small to medium-sized packages and large freight companies that handle larger shipments. However, there are also fine arts shipping services, which are companies that provide door-to-door trucking with special handling for valuable items, but they are often much more expensive than the shipping options we previously mentioned.