When people hear about collection management, they often imagine a large team of professionals, each with plenty of diplomas from reputable universities and most probably with PhD degrees in art. Yet, things are not that complicated, at least, at an amateur level of managing a small collection meant for personal use.
Easy-to-Master Collection Management Aspects
As soon as you realize that art is your passion and get determined to create a collection for yourself, you should master the following aspects of proper art management.
#1 Record Keeping
Organization is key to managing any collection, no matter how small or large. If the number of your art belongings exceeds two or three, you should create a detailed record for each of them. Make up a management system that suits your goals and keep the files in several places to avoid losing them. Write down all art piece-related data and attach photos and videos of the artwork to simplify condition tracking.
#2 Regular Condition Appraisal
All artworks are subject to degradation at different paces, as they are vulnerable to environmental factors. Therefore, you need to keep a close eye on each artwork and set a consistent schedule for condition reviews. Based on those reviews, you can make decisions regarding conservation or restoration activities, which will keep the art pieces in good condition longer.
#3 Safe Storage
If your art collection grows bigger, you will find it hard to keep all objects on display all the time. Thus, you will have to pack some art objects for storage as you rotate the art items. To make sure that your art belongings don’t degrade during storage, you should master the craft of professional art packaging or hire professionals to do the job well.
#4 Insurance
All artworks require insurance, even if they don’t leave your premises. Anything can happen, from hire to theft, so you should keep your financial interests protected. Find an insurance provider specializing in art insurance and obtain a suitable insurance plan that covers all aspects of your artwork’s existence, from transportation to storage.
As you can see, collection management shouldn’t always be hard and time-consuming. Obviously, you can’t handle some specialized tasks on your own without the proper expertise and training. These aspects include art appraisal, conservation, and insurance, among others, and can be done by hired experts. As for the rest, you may organize the management activities well with a proper approach and thorough planning.