Art handler
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An art handler, also sometimes called an art preparator, is a trained individual who works directly with objects in
museums A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
,
art galleries An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...
and various other venues including private collectors, corporate art collections, public art collections and various other institutions. Art handlers work in coordination with registrars,
collection manager A collection manager ensures the proper care and preservation of objects within cultural institutions such as museums, libraries, and archives. Collection managers, along with registrars, curators, and conservators, play an important role in co ...
s,
conservator-restorer A conservator-restorer is a professional responsible for the preservation of artistic and cultural artifacts, also known as cultural heritage. Conservators possess the expertise to preserve cultural heritage in a way that retains the integrity ...
s, exhibition designers, and
curators A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...
, among others, to ensure that objects are safely handled and cared for. Often they are responsible for packing and unpacking art, installing and deinstalling art in
exhibitions An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibitio ...
, and moving art around the museum and storage spaces. They are an integral part of a museum and
collections care Collection or Collections may refer to: * Cash collection, the function of an accounts receivable department * Collection (church), money donated by the congregation during a church service * Collection agency, agency to collect cash * Collectio ...
.Schlatter, N. E. (2008). Jobs Focused on Objects and/or Exhibitions. Museum careers: a practical guide for novices and students (pp. 70-71). Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.


Responsibilities Overview

Responsibilities of art handlers and preparators differ from institution to institution. Art handlers can be employed by museums, art galleries, private collectors, art storage facilities, or art shipping companies. Some work full-time while others work part-time or contract for one or more museums. Depending on the size and scope of an institution, some museums will have a team of art handlers for the entire museum, whereas other museums may have permanent teams of art handlers dedicated to specific museum departments.


Core Responsibilities

Art handlers and preparators are first and foremost responsible for ensuring the safety of artifacts and works of art. For works traveling out of a gallery or museum, art handlers must carefully pack objects in crates with appropriate materials to protect them from damage while in transit. Some objects may require custom boxes or custom crates that art handlers and preparators might construct on site. Similarly, when objects come into a gallery or museum, art handlers must carefully unpack the objects, paying close attention to how they were originally packed and arranged in their container. Art handlers and preparators also load and unload crates from trucks. When loading crates and packages inside an art transportation truck, art handlers and preparators must be sure to secure the crates and packages to the walls and floor of the truck storage area to prevent any type of movement during transit. Art handlers may also act as a courier, accompanying the object during its transport and being present during its unpacking at the destination. Sometimes art handlers and preparators are responsible for preparing packing and shipping paperwork.Dorfman, Betsy. (July 2, 2009). What is an "art handler"? Fine Art Shipping Blog. Retrieved April 22, 2014 from: http://www.fineartship.com/2009/07/what-is-an-art-handler/. Another key role of art handlers and preparators is preparing objects for display in galleries. This may include sending objects out for conservation, framing and mounting objects, and labeling objects. Art handlers and preparators may also be responsible for working with the exhibition team to prepare the gallery spaces for the objects. They are also the individuals who physically install and deinstall the art work and artifacts in the galleries. As a functioning part of the collection management and exhibitions team, art handlers and preparators can sometimes be responsible for photographing objects and writing condition reports. General
collections care Collection or Collections may refer to: * Cash collection, the function of an accounts receivable department * Collection (church), money donated by the congregation during a church service * Collection agency, agency to collect cash * Collectio ...
, such as monitoring environmental conditions and practicing preventive conservation in art storage spaces, are also priorities for art handlers and preparators.


Knowledge and Skills

Art handlers must have a solid knowledge of how to handle objects safely and efficiently. They must understand the materials that make up the objects they are working with and how these materials may react with installation or packing materials. It is useful for art handlers to be spatially oriented, good at math, and possess problem solving skills. Art handlers must plan out and communicate their plan of action with the rest of the team before beginning an action.


Education

Art handlers approach their careers from diverse backgrounds, including studio arts,
art history Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...
, design, or production. Many art handlers are artists themselves. A high school degree and an undergraduate degree are generally required for art handlers.Glaser, J. R., & Zenetou, A. A. (1996). Museum Professional Positions: Qualifications, Duties, and Responsibilities. Museums: a place to work : planning museum careers (pp. 97-119). London: Routledge. Some art handlers may also have academic studies in studio art, art history, humanities, or museum studies. Specialized knowledge of chemistry can be helpful to understanding potential chemical interactions between objects and packing or storage materials. While most art handlers gain professional experience on the job, some institutions are beginning to offer training programs, such as the
Bronx Council on the Arts The Bronx Council on the Arts (established 1962), is an art based culture agency that has grown to become the official cultural agency of the Bronx, New York City. It provides a “lifeline” to more than 4,800 artists and over 250 arts and comm ...
certificate program Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply ''certification'' or ''qualification'', is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task. Not all certifications ...
Bronx Council on the Arts. (2013). http://www.bronxarts.org/bcadc_art_handlers.asp . With enough experience, art handlers may work up to the titles of senior art handler, art preparator, registrar, collections manager, etc.


Professional Organizations

PACCIN is the Preparation, Art Handling, Collections Care Information Network. It is a professional subcommittee of the American Alliance of Museums. The webpage features a listserv, forums, and articles to connect object oriented museum professionals and share resources. The organization also organizes trainings and conferences across the country.Preparation, Art Handling, Collections Care Information Network. http://www.paccin.org/content.php. The International Convention of Exhibition and Fine Art Transporters is a network of fine art transportation companies from around the world. They function as a network to connect fine art transportation companies together in dialogue and to provide general information to the community about art transportation.International Convention of Exhibition and Fine Art Transporters http://www.icefat.org/ Friday, 4 October 2019


Ethical Concerns and Controversies

As with any other object-oriented position, art handlers and preparators must abide by a code of ethics. Similar to th
American Institute of Conservation's Code of Ethics
art handlers are custodians of historical and art objects and must have respect for all cultural property and prioritize the safety of objects.American Institute of Conservation. (1994). "Code of Ethics." http://www.conservation-us.org/about-us/core-documents/code-of-ethics#.U1cyJijhJXU A topic of controversy in the art handling field is the fair treatment of art handlers. Some art handlers wish to be represented by unions in order to negotiate terms and advocate for better wages and better working conditions. From August 2011 to June 2012, Sotheby's locked out 42 unionized art handlers whose contracts had expired and wished to negotiate new contracts. The Sotheby's art handlers were represented by Teamsters Local 814. Following the lockout, the unionized art handlers were given a one percent raise per year, a higher starting hourly salary, and the same worker's benefits they previously had.Halperin, Julia and Shane Ferro. (June 1, 2012). Sotheby's Ends its Art Handler Lockout Concluding a 10 Month Battle that Galvanized the Art World- Retrieved March 15, 2014, from http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/806822/sothebys-ends-its-art-handler-lockout-concluding-a-10-month.


References


External links


The Care and Handling of Art ObjectsHandling, Packing, and Shipping. National Park Service.
{{Cultural Conservation-Restoration , state=expanded Museum occupations Collections care