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HOW TO PACKAGE ARTWORK - SHIPPING

Your “ARTWORK” is valuable.  Once you have been accepted into an exhibition, it is important to take some time to consider proper shipping procedures for your “ARTWORK”. Failure to properly package your “ARTWORK” may result in damages and loss. There are great packing materials available for protecting fragile items,  but remember that packing peanuts are NEVER acceptable. Packing peanuts are messy and often settle leaving your valuable “ARTWORK” susceptible to damage. Please do not send us work packed in this manner it will be sent back to and will not be apart of the show. We propose that you invest in good packing materials for shipping your “ARTWORK” to galleries. Ideally your work will be sent to the gallery and sold at the opening, but truthfully that is not always the case. This is why you will need to consider reusable packaging materials. BOXES There are many types of boxes for shipping your artwork. We prefer STRONGBOX clam-shell boxes by Airfloat Systems. But they are NOT required.  We do not accept heavy boxes or wooden crates of any kind and absolutely no screws.  If your box requires a screw driver it will not be accepted.  We will not open and send it directly back to you. STRONGBOX boxes are reinforced, easy to open, and re-usable.  Please reference the link above for additional details. We understand that not everybody can afford these boxes. There are other options. You will want a sturdy box that is reusable you can purchase a MIRROR BOX.  Nothing heavy or that takes screws.

 

These can be found at moving and rental centers. You can often locate sturdy flat sheets of corrugated cardboard from mattress or furniture stores. You may also try your local framing shop.
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PADDING / BUBBLE WRAP / PACKING TAPE
It is important that you explore the best materials to protect your “ARTWORK”. 


Proper padding ensures that your “ARTWORK” is protected. Once you have made certain that your work is dry we suggest that you wrap your work first with acid-free tissue paper. We suggest enough to cover both the front and the back of your work.

 

Bubble wrap or upholstery foam makes for excellent padding. Please take special care when using bubble wrap for canvas painting. We have had many artists report damages to their works from bubble wrap.

 

Please use masking tape or painters tape to secure bubble wrap not clear packing tape.

 

Packaging tape should be used on the outside of a box only. Do not use packaging tape to hold bubble wrap or foam together.  Packaging tape is not friendly to your piece or the gallery. It can accidentally stick to your “ARTWORK” and damage it and can be time consuming and difficult to open a package that has too much packaging tape. Too much tape on the box can actually increase the risk of damage because the person will have to use more force if it’s very difficult to open.

 


TAPE FACE – If your framed work has glass, tape the face of your work using Painters tape or Glass-skin. This will help protect your work in case the shipper drops your work. Do NOT use masking tape as it leaves a nasty residue on the face of the glass and our gallery staff does not have the manpower to fix this.


WRAP - Wrap the work with acid-free tissue paper. Don’t be stingy, but don’t overdo it.  No mummy wrapping Please!


CARDBOARD - Put a layer of cardboard or acid free foam core board on the front and a layer on the back of the “ARTWORK”. Make sure this cardboard is slightly bigger than the entire work to help protect the edges. This will help protect the corners of your “ARTWORK” in the case that it is dropped during shipping. Tape the cardboard together with masking tape. Please do not overdo it. If you can get cardboard corners, use them. They will help protect the edges of your work.


BUBBLEWRAP  -  Wrap your “ARTWORK” using bubble wrap. The bubble wrap should have bubbles facing “out”, so that the flat side of the wrap is touching your work. Tape with Masking Tape. Do NOT overdue it.


(Another good option is to purchase GalleryPouch.)


BOX  - Select a box making sure that you have about 2 inches of bubble wrap between your piece and the outside of the box. This will ensure enough cushioning. NO WOODEN CRATES WITH SCREWS WILL BE ACCEPTED.


RETURN LABEL - It is crucial that you complete a prepaid return label. We do not accept PayPal or a check to complete a prepaid label you are responsible to have it totally done.  Do Not say you will send the label at the end of the show if it doesn't sell.  The prepaid label needs to be to us before we hang your work.  If you go to a UPS store and not the main UPS the UPS store will have no idea how to help you.  If your only option is to go the the UPS store then before you go, you'll need to go to UPS online and get an account.  UPS will will send you an account number and if there is no other way then email me the the UPS account and all shipping info and Ill fill out a return ship form for you.
Please do NOT send stamps to return your work. This is unprofessional and messy.
Please make sure to select Signature Confirmation on your Return Label. This ensures that your valuable artwork is not simply left on your porch. You may have to pick up your work at FedEx or UPS, but it is better than a stray package left on your porch.  If you are filling out a form to use for your pre-paid label you have to fill in or or no other option then get us your account number for UPS or fedex online.   If we don't have at least an account number then we will look at it as NO return shipping provided an will not hang your work.

All work needs to be picked up with in two day of close of the show.  Any work left at Las Laguna Gallery more than 15 days after the close of the exhibition will be subject to a $5.00 per day storage fee. Any work left at Las Laguna Gallery for more than one month is subject to sale or disposal without notification.  If your box is not shipped back to you in aprox 2 weeks after the end of the show, then it is your responsibility to contact us to see when it was sent out.  No more not sending prepaid label and months later asking about your work and wanting it then to be sent back.  I will be getting rid of art left here with no return label after 30 days without written notice.  We have no room to store work that is just left.

The exception to this is if you have been selected to show work year round on outside rack only.


Ideally your work will sell during the exhibition. - If your artwork does not sell we will need to return your work. Please make sure to include a box that can be re-used for shipping back to the client.

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