Artworks are a testament to creativity. They can tell us about an artist’s thoughts and feelings and reflect their culture and society. A painting can communicate emotion. A drawing can have hidden meaning. A photograph can capture a moment in history. Yet all forms of art require proper care so they can withstand the test of time.
Fortunately, artwork storage racks provide museums, galleries, libraries, and schools with a way to meet the significant challenges of preserving and protecting art. Plus, they offer an accessibility that helps the institution meet its mission of educating communities about history and raising cultural awareness.
Types of Artwork Storage Racks
Many museums have more paintings, drawings, or other two-dimensional works than they can display. It’s estimated that museums only have three percent of their art collections out for public consumption at any time.
That leaves a lot of enriching art in need of storage. Yet most art collections are also challenged by space constraints, budget restraints, and a shortage of skilled labor to organize, protect, and preserve the work. At the same time, these institutions want to enable access. Even if a watercolor isn’t hanging up for public view, curators, researchers, and academics can still learn from it.
That’s why many museums rely on artwork storage racks. These specialized systems can house and secure many types of two-dimensional art (including paintings, drawings, and posters) and other hanging collections. Different types of racks suit different situations. The options include:
- Modular Pull-Out Rack
- Wall-Mounted Art Rack
- Lateral Art Rack
- 'Carriage-Mounted Art Rack
- Floor-Supported Art Rack
- Overhead-Supported Pull-Out Art Rack
Let's turn our attention next to the different use cases for these various art rack options.
Best for Large, Heavy, or Oddly Shaped Pieces: Floor-Supported Art Racks
Your larger, heavier collections need floor-supported art racks. Specially designed to bear significant weight and provide a stable platform, these racks ensure the storage load Is evenly distributed to protect the works and your people.
A floor-supported art rack uses an overhead strut for stability and guidance, and you can manually sort through your woven wire or punched screens to get at the work you want when you want. With these screen options, you can also maximize floor space in your environment to create even more space for curators and patrons.
Best for Limited Floor Space or Large, Wall-Hung Art: Wall-Mounted Art Racks
Wall-mounted art racks are ideal for large, wall-hung pieces. Their efficient use of vertical space makes them a great fit for venues with compact footprints but lots of height.
A wide variety of hanging accessories (e.g., hooks, trays, shelves) allow you to make full use of the woven wire or punched screens in this installation. They’re available in virtually any size to easily handle all the pieces in your collection, ensuring you can secure and access the artwork.
When you have an extra-large canvas or a huge quilt to display, wall-mounted art racks maximize your storage. Plus, these systems are easy to remove and relocate as your needs evolve.
Best for Maximum Space Efficiency: Lateral Art Racks
Efficiently store your extensive collection in a compact space with the convenience of lateral art racks. These racks can be installed on existing floors or integrated into new designs, offering flexible installation while keeping your hanging art protected day in and day out.
Maximize the amount of space your system offers in the same footprint with double-sided woven wire or punched screens or by nesting wheeled screen sections. Whatever you choose, these systems provide superior stability with in-rail anti-tip devices.
Select from manual or mechanical modes of operation depending on how regularly people are going to be moving these sections (5’ tall by 10’ long is standard), and how many you stack (configurations include one, two, or three sections stacked).
Best for High Flexibility and Expansion: Modular Art Racks
As your collection grows and changes, your art storage racks should be able to keep up. Modular art racks don’t need permanent fixtures or configurations, which means they can expand or shift to accommodate growing collections.
Spacesaver’s Mod-Glider Pro Modular Art Rack system comes in double-sided welded wire or punched triangle screens. their versatility lets you securely store artwork within the system while still having the ability to pull out other art screens curators or community members need.
best for protecting Floor Integrity: Overhead-Supported Art Racks
Get a customized fit with a ceiling-suspended storage system eliminating the need for floor rails. The overhead-supported art rack uses a frictionless roller-bearing trolley and track system to minimize vibrations and provide smoothness of movement.
Spacesaver’s Hang-Glider Pro is designed with anti-sway wheels at each panel front and floor-anchored guides to ensure safe storage, organization, and protection for your collections’ framed works, cultural artifacts, and more.
Select from woven wire or punched screens (e.g., horizontal diamond, vertical diamond, or rectangular) to satisfy your unique collection needs.
Best for Combination with Other Systems: Carriage-Mounted Art Racks
Maybe you already have an existing storage system that you rely on. Whether your collection is growing, or you need to do more with your space, carriage-mounted art racks give you an innovative way to optimize storage and display.
Integrate the punched or wire woven screens of carriage-mounted racks with your high-density storage or other solutions like museum cabinets and shelving.
These racks come in manual, mechanical-assist, and electric-powered systems and can span your entire floor space with convenient, durable, and high-quality storage.
Conclusion
Selecting the right artwork storage rack is crucial for maintaining and protecting your valuable collection. Fortunately, with such an array of art racks available, you can be confident there’s a storage rack that fits every unique situation, whether you’re dealing with large pieces or trying to maximize efficiency.
Working with Patterson Pope’s experts, you can determine the right solution for your needs and ensure your storage racks keep each piece of art safe, accessible, and well-preserved.
Learn more about these masterpieces of storage. Contact a representative from Patterson Pope today.
