As part of our ongoing commitment to support local art and artists, Artech is proud to be a sponsor of the Artist Trust’s 2013 Benefit Art Auction.

This year’s auction will take place on Saturday, February 23, 2013 at Fisher Pavilion, Seattle Center beginning at 5:00 p.m.

Artist Trust helps emerging and established artists working in all disciplines find and express their voice. With financial grants and career training, thousands of artists create new work, find new opportunities and connect to new audiences.

This is a great opportunity to join artists and like-minded patrons of creativity, innovation, dialogue, and community in celebrating and supporting Artist Trust’s investments in grants, career training and professional resources for Washington artists.

The Auction will feature a seated dinner, Auctioneer Laura Michalek, curated artwork created by Washington State artists and a curator tour with Gail Gibson of the G. Gibson Gallery and Alison Kramer of the Traver Gallery. There will also be performances featuring Nadia Tarnawsky with Alchymeia, KT Niehoff & Ivory Smith (Eat the Apple) and John Criscitello.

Click here to visit the Auction website for an art preview, Gala details and tickets.

Celebrate and support the diverse voices of Washington artists!

Photo Credit: Fay Jones, White Cloud/Black Pool, acrylic paint on wood veneer on paper, 20"x30", offered at Artist Trust's 2013 Benefit Art Auction.

One of the best ways to ensure your outdoor collection retains its value and beauty is through preventative maintenance. Artech specializes in providing professional cleaning and preservation of outdoor artwork through regular maintenance programs. Metal and wood artworks can be impacted by the elements, as well as exhaust, soot and contact with the public.

Some outdoor works are susceptible to insect, bird or other small animal infestation. Bird droppings can leave a permanent stain if left untreated. Over time, the effects of these elements can cause damage that cannot be reversed, and maybe not even arrested. Caring for your collection by implementing a regular maintenance program will help preserve the work for the long term.

Works such as wood art, artifacts and story or totem poles should be carefully inspected by professionals in order to determine the best preservation treatment. Wood is especially susceptible to rot and infestations that can cause permanent damage. Our lead wood restorer will review your work and recommend a maintenance and preservation solution.

Our experts are prepared to provide whatever is required for the repair or restoration of your outdoor artwork. From washing and waxing to the construction and installation of a proper mount system to lift the object from the ground, we’ll work with you to determine the best course of action for your collection.

If your collection is installed in the greater Puget Sound area, you know the window for outdoor work is typically from June - September, so be sure to schedule your maintenance soon to get on our schedule. If your work is outside of the Pacific Northwest and in a more weather-friendly area, we’ll make arrangements to service your collection at any time. The best way to care for your collection is to ensure that it is maintained by the expert teams at Artech.

For more information please email artech@artechseattle.com

Click here to view the full article and images

]]> 2012-12-10T17:03:34+00:00 http://artechseattle.com/about/news_story/give_yourself_a_time_saving_gift http://artechseattle.com/about/news_story/give_yourself_a_time_saving_gift#When:22:23:59Z As leaders in the art handling industry, Artech upholds the highest standards of service in the field. Whether we provide installation, shipping, crating, preventive care or ongoing maintenance of on-site artwork, we bring an existing knowledge base, experience and numerous resources to any project.

Now, we’re bringing our expertise online through our Collection Management tool. In addition to caring for your collection through regular maintenance, make sure your documentation is kept accurate, current, secure and consolidated with a digital database.

Although the process of properly documenting a collection is complex, we’ll make it effortless for you. Artech will spearhead the evaluation of your collection, including appraisals, condition reports and establishment of ownership for all artwork. We’ll also photograph each piece and integrate all documentation into one password-protected digital database, available to you anytime, from anywhere, with a click of your mouse.

We’ll maintain and update your database by keeping track of any new acquisitions, deaccessions or location changes of your artwork, whether you loan it to a museum or gallery, or choose to enjoy it at your vacation home. With Artech, you’ll know your documentation is complete, accurate and readily accessible for insurance, tax, legal or other purposes.

We use the leading collection management software to archive and track all of the public and personal collections we manage. This same software is used by major museums throughout the country including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Getty and The Smithsonian.

At Artech, our highest priority is the safety and preservation of the artwork and collections we manage. Give your Account Manager a call or send us an email to find out how we can simplify your life with our state-of-the-art Collection Management tool today.

Collecting holds many pleasures. There’s the thrill of search and selection, and the joy of living with your acquisitions. Each item comes with its own story and develops a history with you over time. The ongoing storage and organization of these histories is known as collection management. It’s a sizable time investment of its own, but archiving and data management is a must for secure, accurate records.

Artech is proud to announce our newest service for collectors - Collection Data Management, a tool to accurately and comprehensively manage the collection as an asset. Based on TMS, a well known system amongst the museum industry, our program allows viewing images and information about the collection via the web. Our data management program can track anything you want recorded about any object. Your collection gets state-of-the-art organization. You get swift, secure access to any detail – whether you need to look up one work, or a list of one hundred.

Are you purchasing a new piece? Track its shipping, its provenance, and its auction history. Bulging file cabinets? Put that information into the database and save hours of time (and feet of space!) through keyword searches. Here’s a sample of the many things you can store: dimensions, images, videos, condition reports, conservation issues, and loan information. As technology changes and innovations become new standards, we’ll keep records up-to-date and fully accessible. You can access your information via the web through password-protected access through your laptop, iPod or smart phone. Or leave that task with Artech and receive reports from us on demand. We can also help you develop standards specific to your collection, establishing best practices for tasks such as art handling and shipping that are clear for current and future staff to follow. Whatever level of service you choose, your data is always held to the same rigorous security standards we apply to the storage of your actual objects.

We can scale the available services up or down, no matter the size of your collection. Pricing is similarly personalized depending on your requirements and goals. Just imagine, with one quick search you can find the last three places a work went on loan, the last time it was cleaned, or whether it dates from 1868 or 1886. Less time sorting through records means more time to enjoy your collection. Contact Artech today and talk with our collection specialists about what our Collection Data Management services can do for you.

The call is out! Artech is pleased to announce the call for entries for our 3rd Annual Public Art Grant.

Each year we contribute $2500 worth of services and products to one public project selected from a number of submissions. Services include installation, maintenance, documentation, crating/packing, storage and framing – including our custom fabrication for 3D display solutions. In past years cities, museums, schools and contracted artists have all responded to our grant. With so many deserving contenders, the final choice is always difficult, and we’re grateful to offer our contribution and support to the region’s public art programs.

This year’s grant recipient is the City of Shoreline, which received $2500 towards their new City Hall pedestrian sculpture walk. Artech provided consulting services to establish how city resources and the artists’ participation could most effectively be used in the installation process. Our lead technician, Roger Waterhouse, participated in the project’s panel review. After offering his evaluations on the particular requirements of each of ten sculptures, Roger led the team that installed all ten over the course of two days. Together Artech and the City of Shoreline worked in a well-executed collaboration that enabled nearly all the project’s costs to be covered by our Grant donation.

Will we be working on your public art project next year? The deadline for applications is noon on Friday, November 30th 2012. For full application details click here. Late or incomplete submissions won’t be eligible, so send yours soon!

Photo credit: The Skater, Painted steel. Kevin Au]]> 2012-09-10T20:00:27+00:00 http://artechseattle.com/about/news_story/west_seattle_totem_pole_touch_up http://artechseattle.com/about/news_story/west_seattle_totem_pole_touch_up#When:18:33:57Z "A few days after the second anniversary of the West Seattle Rotary Viewpoint Park totem-pole re-dedication, the pole got a touch-up today. Visiting West Seattle to get the job done: Roger Waterhouse and Shawn Nordfors from Artech, the Renton-based firm that restored it in 2010, months after the bizarre theft-and-recovery saga ended."

Click here to view the full West Seattle Blog article.

The Soft Pack
Though its applications are limited, the soft pack is the most cost effective of the three basic categories. A simple soft pack can be the best solution if a client wishes to carry a piece themselves, or an art handling company will be moving the piece under certain conditions. It can also double as an inner box for a crate. Slip cases, bin boxes, and custom portfolios and boxes are some of the most frequently used.

Slip cases consist of layers. First is a vapor and dust barrier of heavy plastic. A shock absorbing layer of bubble wrap surrounds this, and last comes a confining cardboard case as a protective shell. Bin boxes are made in a similar way for small to medium-sized sculptural pieces as well as groups of two-dimensional art that can be consolidated into one overall container. The portfolio is generally used as a method of containment for unframed works on paper, grouped together by size on hinged panels. The works are kept flat, supported, and protected from creasing and tearing. Custom boxes are basically bin boxes created to specifications for smaller pieces, and can be used as carrying cases.

Skeletal Crates
There are two common types of skeletal crates: the slat crate for three-dimensional works such as sculpture and furniture, and the travel frame for two-dimensional works such as prints and paintings. Slat crates consist of a full base with a cage built around the piece. Bumpers and braces secure the piece within, while the outside is sealed in plastic sheeting. Less expensive than a full crate, a slat crate is good for large pieces, storage, and some transport, though not suited for overseas shipping.

Travel frames are open-faced and constructed of pine with added protective dust barrier panels of lightweight material. The piece inside can be packed with foam bumpers for excellent shock resistance, or securely mounted onto the back of the travel frame to keep the art’s surface from touching any packing material. Like slat crates, travel frames are good for storage. They can also be packed within a full crate for shipping.

Full Crates
Artech builds more full crates than other type. Full crates are sturdy and long lasting and can hold multiple pieces. Since they need to be capable of traveling anywhere by any means, we use a marine grade outer shell in addition to a high level of sealing and insulation. Artech offers four grades of full crates: Basic, Standard, Collector, and Museum.

The Basic crate is designed to save weight, size and cost and is meant for no more than one round trip transport. The Standard crate is often the solution of choice for shipping oversized or heavy works, or keeping several works together in one shipment. It will hold up to more journeys than the Basic crate. The Collector crate provides extra insulation, upgraded joinery and a rain guard, and is a good choice if the artwork is traveling under conditions that may lack climate control. When sending artwork to multiple venues where it will be packed and unpacked repeatedly, our Museum crate is the safest choice. It provides all the protective and insulating features of the collector crate with the addition of bolt closures for even seals and repeated clean access.

Shipping valuable, even priceless pieces can be a stressful prospect. Considering the factors involved in each shipment, and making the appropriate protective choices, can do much to alleviate any concerns. Working with a trustworthy company that adheres to the highest standards assures you that your shipping cases will be the highest quality for any type of shipment. Artech’s years of expertise and our professional staff can take the guesswork out of the process. Whatever and wherever you need to ship, we’ll craft the container that will get your shipment there safely and securely.

See slideshow and learn more about our crating services.

Displaying a complex carving that has no straight edge, or a soft, voluminous textile, requires visualizing not only the object itself but the space it requires. Devices exist to make some installations simple: brass plate hangers, pedestals, and vitrines. However, the object may be so delicate or unusual that it demands custom-tailored engineering, or the display may need to blend well with specific surroundings and no prefabricated option will do.

This is where our lead fabricator Cody Thomaselli steps in. As an active sculptural artist who spent years as an industrial machinist, he delights not only in "some assembly required," but in the presence and attractive finish of the result. "The core of my work is that I enjoy problem solving," he says. "Especially problems without an obvious solution". As our custom mount maker he’s created solutions as individual as the works they support. Here’s one example: Recently, Artech was charged with creating an earthquake-proof mount for a small Pterodactyloid fossil. The client requested a versatile display solution for both a wall hanging option and a table top display. Cody designed an exquisite, easy to use, mild steel mount with a Japanese brown patina finish.

In fact, whether small and light, or heavy and imposing, most of the objects entrusted to our mount fabrication personnel require this alchemy of the creative, the complementary, and the structurally impeccable. Custom mount materials at Artech range from acrylic, epoxy resin, and wood to aluminum, steel, stainless steel, and brass. Stop into our Belltown frame shop to see the array of finishes and styles you can select. Our design team there will be glad to answer any questions and work with you as we engineer the perfect form and function. Your work deserves professional service that values art’s safety as well as its beauty – and that’s what we’re all about at Artech.

See slideshow and learn more about our display solutions services.