An Artist’s Crate

WHAT IS A CRATE?

A crate for art purposes is typically a wooden structure made out of thin and relatively light materials (fig. 1,1.1) – an example being plywood sheets – with light lumber for a support frame around the edges. A well constructed crate should have: handles on both sides (fig. 2), feet on the bottom for easy trucking and movement of the crate (fig. 3), a large panel for the front cover that can be removed and replaced with multiple screws and/or nails (fig. 4), the inside should be lined with foam (usually multiple pieces) with one solid piece secured to the bottom while removable pieces are used to frame and secure the artwork within the crate for transport (fig. 5).

Why you should invest in a crate as a practicing artist:

1. Transportation – with a good enough quality crate, the artwork can be moved with stress free knowledge that it is protected along its journey. For weirdly shaped artworks, the crate provides a solid form that is easily moved and makes damage a lot less likely to the artwork in question.
2. Protection – a finely crafted crate will provide an excellent barrier against the elements as well as long term storage factors such as dust, grime, and general wear and tear.
3. Storage – a crate would be a good investment if you know you’re going to be holding onto a work for a longer period of time. It can provide reliable storage and makes for easy archival needs if you have multiple artworks stored in one area.

Go get yourself a crate! They’re great!