Midwest Fine Arts FAST :: Installation, De-Installation & Exhibition Planning

MidWest Fine Art Service and Transportation Co. is expert with inventorying, cataloging, and packing fine art and artifact exhibitions and collections, and in transporting valuable objects locally, over long distances and even international. Installation and planning work requires specialized collections management experience combined with logistics expertise. MidWest inventory, cataloging, and packing services are performed with the professional practices of the collection management profession. MidWest F.A.S.T. ships highly valuable collection objects climate controlled, safe and secure vehicles. The shipment of unique and varied collection pieces requires this type of specialized support to ensure the safe and secure handling of the objects from loading, through transport, to final delivery.

The unique character of collections and their varying sizes requires knowledge of a wide-range of art and artifact types including but not limited to: ceramics; crafts; decorative objects; framed prints, photographs, images; furniture; glass; jewelry; metals; paintings; personnel items; posters and other flat paper-based materials; pottery; sculpture; textiles; wooden objects; and composite objects. MidWest crews and office staff have this knowledge.

MidWest Fine Arts is ready to provide all labor, personnel, equipment, supplies, materials, supervision and other related services necessary to provide inventory, packing and/or unpacking, installation and or de-installation, and transfer services. All collections are considered sensitive and confidential and must be safeguarded to prevent the occurrence of any unauthorized disclosures and handling and/or theft. MidWest fine art shipping crews secure the material during transport to prevent loss, unauthorized access, and damage.

MidWest handlers are experienced with packing and retrieving artwork and artifacts from a wide range of container types including wooden crates and cardboard boxes and/ or museum storage fixtures including cabinets, shelves, drawers and painting racks. Standard service includes examining each piece and completing a general condition report for each object or group of objects. Object condition can also be verified against existing documentation while noting the general condition. A photograph of selected unique or high value objects is often taken as a support to condition and handling documentation.

MidWest FAST crews understand that art and artifacts that are being moved, along with other materials stored near or adjacent to the objects that are being moved, are unique. Containers are often expensive and considered permanent housing for some pieces. Handling of boxes and crates must account for this fact and MidWest works hard to prevent boxes or crates from being dented, torn, abraded, collapsed or crushed, soiled or otherwise damaged. To minimize the risk of damage, MidWest trains fine art movers to handle boxes or crates in the same orientation as they appear on the shelf or in the stacks (vertical or horizontal containers must remain in their respective orientation without tipping, turning upside down, tearing, dropping, etc.). Boxes or crates must be handled one at a time and placed carefully on carts or pallets. MidWest plans collection handling and shipping projects with sufficient labor to complete work at our client’s building within eight-hour work day schedules, or within the scheduled times of building operations.

Locks and seals are provided for each trailer or straight truck. Unless shipping is done with a multi-stop shuttle type service these seals and locks are not tampered with or broken. MidWest drivers are accustomed to onsite monitoring of loading and unloading by our clients. Where specified and agreed upon MidWest Fine Arts provides two drivers for each transfer truck with one driver with the truck at all times during stops. MidWest truck crews remain in radio or telephone contact at all times. Trucks are traceable by Global Positioning System (GPS) with updated location provided to clients whenever requested while a truck is transit. GPS unit are located inside the cargo areas. Truck routes are pre-determined and approved by clients. A route and schedule plan is submitted for each move. Deviations from approved routes are due only to unavoidable circumstances such as weather or road conditions and clients are always informed of route deviations.

MidWest accommodates couriers acting as a security escort to fine art shipments. Dedicated or expedited trucks do not make unscheduled stops, overnight stays, layovers, or truck or trailer changes. Contingency plans to address illness, accident, injury, theft, vandalism, or equipment malfunction are made in advance of high value fine art moves. Driving teams and courier escorts must abide by all state and federal laws regarding speed or other road rules and requirements.

Standard MidWest Fine Art Service and Transportation Co. trucks are air-ride, climate controlled vans. Truck equipment is equipped appropriately for holdings being transported, including cooling/heating, strapping for crates and other containers, blankets, plastic sheeting, etc. Truck interiors are clean, dry, and do not leak.

Only a single layer of crates or pallets is placed in the trailer or van body unless approved by the collection registrar. Larger uncrated items are secured and strapped in the trailer or van body using commonly accepted cargo handling equipment. All crates, trolleys, blankets and other items in the truck are secured against movement by strapping to the walls. No straps, beams or load locks used to fix cargo in place in the truck will impinge on boxes or crates causing damage during shipment. Only pallet jacks and rolling dollies are used in moving containers. Containers are kept in the horizontal orientation indicated on the container without tipping during loading and unloading. MidWest crews do not sit on, walk on, otherwise disrupt crates and pallets.

MidWest F.A.S.T. makes all arrangements and resolves all problems related to the type of transportation and the equipment operation. MidWest staff ensures that crews are dispatched to meet agreed upon times for loading, unloading, or any other service commitments made. Performance is contingent on the quality of MidWest personnel. All MidWest Fast employees, contractors and subcontractors undergo required background checks. All MidWest personnel are trained to present a professional appearance appropriate to the work at all times. The company staff will not divulge or release any concurrent data or information obtained in connection with the work we perform.

Project Managers are offered as a premium service to our clients. MidWest Project Managers are of sufficient seniority and experience to represent the company, address performance issues, and address contract or agreement issues. Collections Management Personnel are also offered as a premium service to our clients. Collections Management Personnel have education and experience in collections management including handling, assessing, describing, data entry into collections management database, and housing artifacts of multiple varieties, and preparing shipments and transfers. This experience is gained in either a museum or special collections setting or through other project work.

MidWest Fine Art Service and Transportation Co. has developed and maintains quality control programs to ensure that services are performed in accordance with commonly accepted commercial practices and meet our clients expectations. The company has formal procedures to identify and prevent the occurrence of defective services and has quality control procedures to remediate any processes where acceptable quality levels are not met.