Shipping Artwork- Lets Ship Smart! by Irene Benitez
What is one of the reasons why famous artwork has deteriorated, decayed, or have been damaged by the environment? It's because of air and heat! Before we knew about air pollution, many art enthusiasts didn't know about the effects of air pollution could have on the artwork. Artwork, especially oil on canvas, would be affected by both heat and pollution ultimately affecting the artwork. This can and has affected many art pieces, including famous artwork we all know like the Mona Lisa.
So, what happens when artwork is shipped from New York all the way to California, how can we ensure that we don't damage artwork? How about if we ship it across the world, going from one cargo to the next? Well, I have 3 tips! The 1st tip is to never ship two artworks together! 2nd tip is to ensure that the artwork has room for air but doesn't let water or any liquid in. 3rd tip is to ship items in appropriately sized boxes, just like Ship Smart does!
To save money people tend to pack things together, but we need to advise them to not do such things! If you put two artworks with frames in one shipping box, they might rub against each other and damage one another. Especially since they are probably going to have other boxes on top of them, we need to make sure that IF they are in the same box, they are separated by bubble wrap.
To ensure that artwork get air while its being shipped, we must make sure that there are proper air holes. There should be a few holes in each package that contains artwork, but not big enough to be damaged by water, liquids, or TOO much sunlight. To protect from that and ensure that the artwork isn't damaged, we can put small holes on each side. These holes can be covered by plastic wrap that is permissible to gasses (like air). That way, we can get a good amount of air in but no damaging liquids.
Last but not least, we must ensure that the artworks are being put in an appropriate box. If they aren't, they can be extremely damaged during transportation. If the box is too big, it might move around a lot when it's being shipped and might crack/shatter. If its in a box that's too small, it might bend or be too cramped in the package and is susceptible to air-deficiency.
I hope that through my ideas you see how creative and innovate I am. This innovation and creativity will help me through my path to success as a first-generation Latina. Thank you for taking the time to read this entry and thank you for the opportunity you have presented to so many students like myself who are trying to make their dreams a reality.