Do You Work With Art Installers or Gallery Staff?
Do You Work With Art Installers or Gallery Staff?
Last updated: October 2026
Yes. We work with any customer, and we've moved pieces for gallery events.
Art moves often have more than one expert in the room. There's the collector or the gallery. There may be a consultant who chose the pieces, or an installer who knows exactly how high each one hangs. And there's the moving crew that has to get every piece from one place to the other without a scratch.
When everyone knows their part, the day runs smoothly.
Who does what
The consultant or gallery decides. Which pieces go where, in what order, and how they should be displayed.
The installer installs. Hanging, mounting, lighting, and the final placement on the wall or the pedestal.
We move. Wrapping, crating when it's needed, carrying, and getting each piece to the room it belongs in.
It's a simple split, and it works because each person does the part they're best at.
How it works on the day
On event and gallery work, the person running the show directs our crew, and our foreman leads the crew alongside them. One point of contact on each side keeps things moving. The installer doesn't have to chase down individual movers, and our crew isn't guessing where things go. Read who sets up and places the furniture at the venue for more on how that teamwork plays out.
Planning the hand-off
Share the schedule. Tell us when the installer will be on site, so pieces arrive when they can be hung, not hours before.
Send a list of pieces. Size, material, and anything fragile. Photos help.
Mark the destination for each piece. Room by room, or wall by wall if you know it.
Tell us about the building. Elevators, loading docks, stairs, and whether a certificate of insurance is required. We send COIs for free, usually the same day.
Protecting the art
For oversized, glass-faced, or high-value pieces, we build custom crates ourselves. Read do you build custom crates for art and fragile items for when a piece needs one. Heavy pieces get special attention too. Our post on moving sculpture covers how we handle weight and balance.
Every move includes our standard coverage, based on weight. For valuable art, you can buy full coverage insurance through us or through your own insurer.
Between shows
Gallery pieces that move from one show to the next can stay with us in between. We pick up, keep them in our storage, and deliver to the next venue. Read can items go to storage between events.
When the show is out of state
Sometimes the next venue isn't in Chicago at all, and a collection that was hung in a West Loop gallery this month has to be on a wall in another state by the end of next month. The same team approach works over a longer drive. Read can you move artwork long distance or out of state. Same truck. No transfers.
Choosing an art mover
If you're comparing movers for an art job, our guide on how to choose an artwork moving company in Chicago lists the questions worth asking.
Working with installers and galleries is part of our artwork moving service, one of our moving services.
Call (773) 275-4100 or email info@wcmoving.com, and loop in your installer early.
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