Fine Art Movers NYC

DUMBO Moving & Storage is a Brooklyn-based moving company that packs, moves and stores artwork in New York City and beyond. Whether you're moving one large canvas, a private collection or an entire gallery inventory, our crews plan the move around the artwork: how each piece is wrapped, how it gets out of the building, how it rides in the truck and where it ends up.

We move artwork between homes, galleries, studios, offices, storage units and warehouses, and we handle art as part of a larger household or business move too.

Who We Move Artwork For

• Artists and studios: finished work, works in progress, canvases and studio furniture

• Art galleries and exhibition spaces: gallery relocations, show deliveries and returns, moving inventory to and from storage

• Private collectors: moving a collection with the rest of your home, or on its own

• Museums and institutions: experienced crews and trucks for moving art and objects

• Interior designers and art advisors: delivering and placing pieces for client projects

• Auction houses and art dealers: moving consigned or purchased work between locations

• Businesses and offices: moving corporate art along with an office relocation

What We Move

• Framed paintings, canvases and works on paper

• Photography and framed prints

• Sculpture, statues and three-dimensional pieces

• Large-format and oversized works

• Mirrors, antique frames and decorative objects

• Antiques and designer furniture that travel with a collection

Moving Artwork for Artists & Studios

Yes, we move artists' studios and finished work. Studio moves are rarely just boxes: there are canvases in different stages, stretchers and panels, flat files, supplies and heavy work tables, often in older buildings with a freight elevator or a steep staircase.

We start by asking what's finished, what's in progress and what has to stay flat or upright. Finished work is wrapped and labeled first so it doesn't get mixed in with studio equipment. We can also:

• Deliver work to a show and bring back what doesn't sell

• Move pieces from your studio into short-term storage between exhibitions

• Move a whole studio from one building to another, including tables, shelving and racks (furniture disassembly and reassembly included where needed)

Gallery & Exhibition Moves

We move artwork between galleries, studios, collectors' homes and storage, and we handle full gallery relocations. Galleries usually need moves to happen on a tight schedule, around openings, closings and building rules.

For gallery moves we:

• Build an inventory and labeling plan with your team before moving day

• Coordinate loading docks, freight elevator times and certificates of insurance (COIs) with building management

• Schedule around your openings; we operate seven days a week

• Move inventory into and out of storage as shows change

We move artwork throughout the city, including gallery neighborhoods such as Chelsea, SoHo and Tribeca in Manhattan, and DUMBO and Williamsburg in Brooklyn.

If your project includes specialized installation work, such as hanging systems or rigging, describe it when you request a quote so we can tell you clearly what our crew will handle.

Art Moving for Collectors

If you're moving your home and have a collection, your art can be packed and moved by the same crew handling the rest of your move, with its own plan. Many collectors choose our white glove moving service so art, antiques and designer furniture get extra time and attention.

Before the move, we'll ask for a list of the pieces you're most concerned about, with approximate sizes. On moving day, artwork is usually packed separately from household items, loaded with care and placed where you want it in the new home. Co-op and condo buildings in Manhattan and Brooklyn often require a COI and a reserved elevator window, and we coordinate both.

A note on coverage: every DUMBO move comes with coverage, but standard moving coverage may not reflect the full value of fine art. Ask us about the options available for your move, and check with your own fine art insurer about coverage while pieces are in transit.

Packing & Protecting Artwork

Yes, our movers pack paintings and artwork. How we pack each piece depends on its size, surface, frame and where it's going.

Paintings, prints and framed work

Framed pieces and canvases are typically wrapped to protect the surface, fitted with corner or edge protection, padded and placed in a carton or crate sized for the piece. Glass-fronted frames get extra attention because broken glass can damage the work underneath.

When a custom wooden crate makes sense

We build custom wooden crates for pieces that are fragile, oversized or especially valuable, and for work traveling long distances, going into longer-term storage or being shipped internationally. Crates are built to the item's dimensions, with internal padding and reinforcement.

Sculpture and three-dimensional work

Sculptures and objects are wrapped and padded according to their weak points, such as thin extensions, bases and delicate surfaces. Heavy pieces are planned in advance so the crew knows the weight, the route out of the building and the equipment needed.

How you can prepare

• Make a list of the pieces you're moving, with approximate dimensions

• Photograph each piece and note any existing condition issues

• Measure the largest works and tell us about tight doorways, stairs or elevators

• Tell us which pieces are most valuable or most fragile

• Leave artwork on the walls unless we've agreed otherwise, so it's handled once, by the crew

Artwork Transportation

Artwork travels with a DUMBO crew in a DUMBO truck, padded, secured and kept separate from heavier items. Paintings are generally transported upright on their edges rather than flat, and every piece is strapped so it can't shift in transit.

We plan the loading order so artwork is protected from heavier furniture and boxes, and so pieces that need to come out first at the destination are easy to reach. If you have specific transport requirements for a piece, such as climate control, tell us when you request a quote so we can confirm the right setup before moving day.

Fine Art Storage

Yes, artwork can go into storage. DUMBO offers climate-controlled storage units designed to protect sensitive items like artwork from humidity and temperature changes, with 24/7 video monitoring and controlled access.

Art storage works well when:

• You're between homes or renovating

• A gallery needs space between exhibitions

• An artist needs somewhere to keep inventory between shows

• A collector is rotating pieces or waiting on a new space

We can pack your artwork, move it into storage and deliver it back when you're ready. Choose short-term storage for a few weeks or months, or long-term storage for longer periods. For more on preparing pieces yourself, see our guide on how to properly store paintings.

Local NYC Art Moves

Most art moves in New York City are decided by building logistics, not distance. A painting going ten blocks can still require a COI, a freight elevator booking, a loading dock window and careful measuring of doorways and stairwells.

For local moves across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, our team:

• Requests and delivers COIs to buildings, galleries and storage facilities

• Books elevator and loading dock time with building management

• Plans the route for oversized pieces through halls, stairwells and doorways

• Handles walk-ups, brownstones and high-rise buildings

Long-Distance Art Moves

Yes, we move artwork outside New York City. DUMBO is licensed for interstate moves (U.S. DOT 1543241, ICC MC 573935), and we move artwork to destinations throughout the Tri-State area and across the country as part of our long-distance moving service.

For long-distance art moves we generally recommend custom crating for fragile or high-value pieces, and we can store artwork in NYC if your new space isn't ready. We also handle moves between New York City and nearby cities such as New Haven, Hartford, Providence, Albany and Scranton. For shipments overseas, see our international moving services.

How an Art Move With DUMBO Works

1. Tell us what you're moving. Share a list, photos and approximate dimensions of the pieces.

2. Get a survey and quote. We review the move virtually or in person and recommend packing, crating and storage where needed.

3. Plan the logistics. We coordinate COIs, elevator reservations, loading docks and timing at both locations.

4. Pack and load. Artwork is wrapped, padded or crated, then loaded and secured in the truck.

5. Deliver and place. We unload, unwrap if requested and place each piece where you want it.

6. Store if needed. Anything that isn't going straight to its new home can go into climate-controlled storage.

Why Choose DUMBO Moving for Artwork

• One company for packing, crating, moving and storage, so your artwork isn't handed between vendors

• 20 years of moving in New York City, including walk-ups, co-ops, lofts and gallery buildings

• Licensed and insured, U.S. DOT 1543241, NY DOT T-36990, ICC MC 573935

• Building coordination handled for you, including COIs and elevator reservations

• White glove options for collections, antiques and designer furniture

• Seven-day scheduling to work around openings, closings and building rules