Fine Art Services Chicago

Chicago stands as a foremost Midwest cultural pillar, home to institutions like the Art Institute of Chicago boasting impressionist treasures, the Field Museum exhibiting anthropological artifacts, and hundreds of esteemed galleries spread across dynamic neighborhoods. This density of invaluable fine art and antiquities requires specialized care and expertise. For years, our company has provided premier fine art solutions tailored to meet the needs of Chicago’s thriving arts community. We handle your cherished assets with meticulous care and attention at every stage, from transportation and installation to protected storage and collection management.

Providing Safe Fine Art Transit in the Windy City

To achieve smooth transit for fragile artifacts, our climate-controlled vehicles carefully regulate temperature and humidity during transportation within Chicago and between destinations. The greatest risks to fine art are fluctuations in climate that can cause expansion, warping or sprouting mold. Our systems maintain optimal benchmarks to prevent exposure. Vehicles also contain air ride suspension systems paired with interior straps, blankets and other tools to gently stabilize artwork and avoid shifts.  

Our drivers complete rigorous training focused on cautious acceleration, braking and cornering. Their skills minimize sudden jolts, rapid turns and unnecessary bumps that could shake fine art cargo during transport. These refined techniques have been honed over years of handling priceless museum acquisitions, one-of-a-kind gallery pieces and high-value collections. 

For local art transportation within the Chicagoland area, we design expedited routes tailored for the city’s distinct traffic patterns and geography. Our specialists understand how to navigate the Windy City’s expressways, boulevards, neighborhoods and landmarks to provide timely fine art delivery anywhere in the metro area. 

For longer interstate transit, we operate regular temperature-controlled shuttle routes between Chicago and other art hubs like New York, Miami and Los Angeles. These scheduled services offer galleries, museums and collectors affordable consolidated ground transportation to safely ship artwork between cities. For urgent cross-country shipments, we facilitate exclusive routes with dedicated climate-controlled vehicles and white glove delivery. No matter the distance or destination, our transportation services get your precious cargo there securely.

Custom Packaging and Crating for Protection

How artifacts are packed is equally essential for protection in transit and storage. Our experts thoroughly analyze each piece to engineer custom packaging solutions. Factors like fragility, proportion, weight and material sensitivities inform the ideal combination of archival wraps, padding, specialty mounts and supports before securing items within padded, custom-fit crates. 

Antiques, glasswork, canvases, photography and three-dimensional pieces all receive tailored packing tailored precisely for their needs. For overseas shipping, we meet stringent international protocols for shock absorption, vibration reduction, moisture barriers and more to ensure safety for items suspended in aircraft cargo holds. No matter the shape, medium or complexity, our artisans deliver solutions carefully engineered to shield your treasures across any distance.

Complete Installation Services and Display 

For galleries, museums, collectors or businesses, our art specialists handle complete installation services, both small in scale and monumental in size, to actualize exhibition visions. No job is too minor or massive for our handlers highly experienced in smoothly orchestrating intricate gallery rotations, fully realized museum retrospectives and everything in between. 

We act as partners in realizing your display goals, providing guidance on arrangements and assisting with all details like plinths, vitrines, lighting and signage. Our teams have expertise adeptly installing any medium – historical paintings, towering sculptures, mixed media, multi-piece series – while protecting existing architectures and surroundings. For corporations amassing collections to complement their offices, we seamlessly install across multiple sites and floors. Our full-service approach allows you to focus purely on curation while we handle the rest.

Providing Secure Climate-Controlled Art Storage

In addition to transportation and installation, we also offer specialized short and long-term art storage solutions to protect collections during transitions and loans. Our secure, climate-regulated warehouses and private vaults safeguard against drastic environmental shifts that endanger artwork, using systems tailored for each medium’s needs. 

You can access real-time records and condition reports for your stored collection through our online client portal 24/7. For extended art storage, we design fully-customized, controlled spaces outfitted specifically to benefit your works, while continuously monitoring and regulating conditions to prevent any concerns from arising. No matter if a single item or an entire exhibition inventory, your treasures remain protected until their next destination.

Responding to Rush and Emergency Fine Art Needs 

Despite even the most meticulous preparations, unexpected art needs can arise suddenly requiring urgent attention. From last-minute transportation across town, installation changes or emergency relocations, our team is available 24/7 to mobilize rapidly. We maintain readiness to respond urgently to any unplanned art service needs. 

Our longstanding relationships across Chicagoland’s arts institutions allow us to coordinate specialized emergency assistance immediately when circumstances require it. Whether a damaged sculpture needs replacement overnight or a venue issue requires rapid relocation, our specialists have successfully provided urgent aid to Chicago’s esteemed museums, discerning collectors and creative galleries countless times. No situation is too daunting for our team’s composure and expertise.

With extensive experience delivering tailored fine art mastery on behalf of Windy City clients, we have had the honor of assisting Chicago’s most acclaimed museums along with the next generation of artists and galleries continuing the area’s creative legacy. Please contact us today to learn more about protecting your fine art assets.