How Do We Ship Art to A Gallery? Preparing An Art Shipment

Over the past two decades The Art of Brandy Saturley has been shipped to numerous galleries and collectors across North America, using wooden crate. While there are many options when it comes to art shipping, our favourite way to ship is inside a sturdy plywood crate that is impervious to weather, bangs, bumps and even boots. Once again we are preparing an art shipment to a gallery for a solo exhibition.

Over the years I have partnered with some of the best crater makers in Western Canada, who have built crates for one painting to several paintings being shipped at once. From Vevex crates in Vancouver to crates made by Presentation Framing in Victoria. My crate makers supply the crate and I paint the exterior for branding but also for exhibition. When it comes to shipping 20 paintings to one destination for exhibition, Denbigh Fine Arts in Vancouver is my trusted choice for crate and shipping services. While I don’t paint my Denbigh made crates, they are by far the premium fine art packer in Western Canada. Museum worthy crates that protect some of the most valuable artworks during shipment.

As we are preparing for an upcoming solo exhibition in Newfoundland, once again we have employed Denbigh to construct, pack and ship 20 paintings to destination at James Baird Gallery in Pouch Cove. Packing 20 paintings in one crate is like a game of Tetris, where multiple layers of paintings, foam and plastic come together to provide the ideal environment for these artworks to rest during their journey.

Denbigh has grown to become part of a larger family-owned group that represents the gold standard of international art handling. They have expanded into Montreal, Quebec with a new office and team to support clients in Western Canada. Their offering has expanded to a full suite of in-house services from shipping and logistics to crating and collections management. Combined with an international network of collaborators around the world, Denbigh brings their skills to a global stage.

As we are located on Vancouver Island we begin with soft packing and wrapping the Art in my studio here, then we pack the car and take a ferry to the mainland, landing in Vancouver where we unload twenty paintings at Denbigh. The crate is built around the Art and packed by Denbigh, then their partners in shipping take the crate and deliver to destination, from the Western-most point in Canada to the easternmost, it is quite the journey for art.

As I continue to prepare for my solo show and a one month residency in Newfoundland at the Pouch Cove Foundation, I too will take the journey from west to east. All in all a very large endeavour. It is going to be a great show!