Packing That Matches the Journey
Most damage to artwork happens while it is moving, and most of that is decided before the piece leaves the room. Raven Art Services prepares and packs artwork in Ketchum, Sun Valley, and throughout the Wood River Valley — soft-packing for local delivery, more substantial protection for regional transport and storage, and coordinated custom crating when work is going out by freight.
Materials and methods are chosen for the artwork in front of us: glazing protection for framed works on paper, surface separation for unvarnished paintings, support and blocking for sculpture, and corner and edge protection sized to the frame rather than approximated. We handle packing and soft-packing ourselves; where a fabricated crate is genuinely required, we coordinate that build and check the fit before the piece is closed in.
Who It Is For
Private collectors packing work for a move or a second home, galleries preparing outbound shipments to clients and venues, interior designers coordinating deliveries, and artists sending work out of the valley. Oversized or unusually shaped pieces are assessed individually — we would rather see the work first than guess at a solution.
Where the Work Goes Next
Packing usually sits in the middle of a longer job. We can move the packed work ourselves through fine art transportation, place it into climate-controlled storage, hand it to your chosen shipper, or unpack at the far end and carry straight through to professional installation.
What to Send Us for an Estimate
- Dimensions and approximate weight of each piece
- Medium, framing, and whether the work is glazed
- Approximate value and any insurance requirements
- Destination and how the work will travel
- Any existing packaging or crate that can be reused
Photographs of the piece and its frame help us quote accurately. Call (208) 254-1097 or use our estimate form.
How It Works
Assess the Work
We look at the surface, frame, glazing, weight, and fragility of each piece, then at the journey ahead of it. The packing follows from both, not from a standard template.
Pack or Coordinate a Crate
Most work is packed or soft-packed by us on site. Where a fabricated crate is the right protection, we coordinate that build and confirm the fit before anything ships.
Hand Off or Move It
Packed work can be released to your shipper, taken into our own transport, or moved straight into climate-controlled storage.
Where We Pack
On-site packing throughout the Wood River Valley, with onward transport available regionally across Idaho and to Western destinations depending on scheduling and project requirements.
Packing & Crating Questions
Do you build the crates yourselves?
We handle packing and soft-packing directly. When a project needs a custom-built crate, we coordinate that fabrication and make sure the finished crate suits the artwork and the journey.
When does artwork need a crate rather than soft-packing?
Short local moves are often best served by soft-packing — padding, corner protection, and careful handling. Longer journeys, outbound freight, fragile surfaces, and high-value work are the usual reasons to move up to a rigid or custom crate.
Can you pack a gallery's outbound shipment?
Yes. We regularly prepare work for galleries sending pieces out to clients, fairs, or other venues, and can coordinate the transport that follows.
Can you handle oversized or unusually shaped pieces?
Oversized and irregular works are assessed individually. We look at the piece in person or from detailed photographs before recommending an approach rather than promising a standard solution.
What do you need to quote packing or crating?
Dimensions and weight, the medium, approximate value, the destination, how the work will travel, and whether it already has any packaging we can reuse.