Collection Management

Documentation is essential to every collection. Generally, details are quickly recorded for insurance purposes or auctions, but what is often overlooked is the information necessary to support authenticity. For example, without the history of when and where a Picasso painting was obtained, one may have a great deal of trouble selling or even proving its genuineness.

The bill of sale, condition reports, publications, exhibition histories, and loan documents track the artwork and its special characteristics, helping to support authenticity.

Labels for each of the items in a collection help with organization and track provenance. They also link the work to its current owner when traveling on exhibition.

Archival databases effectively manage the various aspects of a collection. Operating as easily as a website, artwork information is effortlessly stored and retrieved. Readily available collection information allows one to make donations, go to auction and perform liquidations at any time.

Cream Gallery can organize your collection in a way that focuses on authenticity and value. Trained and experienced in professional museum standards and practices, we use archival methods and materials to thoroughly catalog, document, and photograph your entire collection. Providing object labels, archival collection albums and custom database design. We can even make your collection information available on your iPhone.

If someone currently manages your collection information, we are happy to briefly work with him or her to ensure their efforts and labors are focused accordingly. Our goal is to help maximize their tools as well as organize and simplify their methodologies.

Proper care and maintenance is vital to your collection’s livelihood; your possessions should be handled only by those with experience and concern for the longevity of objects.

Condition reports are an important tool in surveying fine art objects that require conservation treatment. They are also used when an artwork leaves a location; one is completed and signed-off in addition to or in part with the loan or shipping paperwork. The same happens when the artwork returns. This tracks any changes in the condition of the work, signifies "who" was involved in the transport, validates the care of the work, and helps in determining how or when a theft may have occurred.

Cream Gallery follows professional best practices in order to provide the utmost care for your possessions. We are familiar with the proper methods for packing and shipping the most fragile items and can advise on proper storage and maintenance in order to protect and extend their life. We offer various levels of individual assistance including condition inspection reporting, periodic record keeping, and courier services. Working with various museums and institutions in donating and lending works of art has made us well versed in all the paperwork and procedures. We often use or include our own documentation and contracts for extended comfort.

Our client condition reporting needs vary. We can supply condition reporting documents before an artwork or an entire collection leaves for its destination. We also provide recurring (annual, biannual,...etc.) condition inspection reporting suitable for parts or all of your collection. In special exhibition and loan cases, we will personally travel with the work to provide hands on documentation and ensure safe transport. Our special attention includes daily viewing and inspection.

A compelling exhibition does many things for a collection. For one, it adds to the collection’s value over time, especially when those artworks come up for sale. A museum quality display also inspires purchases of other works by the same or similar artists, in turn driving up the value of yours. Proper explanation of an artwork helps to avoid OR stir up controversy, and the exhibitions, catalogs, and publications become part of an artwork’s historical documentation. Cream Gallery’s professional expertise ensure memorable exhibitions and publications. Our curators are skilled and trained authorities in handling the crucial elements of theme development, venue selection, floorplan design, installation, photography, catalog publication, loan and insurance administration, marketing, and more.

Acquiring a work of art and building a collection are about finding items you like as well as finding items that will grow in market value. By presenting you with the best and most resourceful information, we give you the tools to make the most lucrative decision possible. We will always direct you to art that you find aesthetically pleasing and the bonus of working with us is the opportunity to combine your purchases with capital gain.

Trust services preserve and maintain your collection for generations. Cream Gallery can help you plan and arrange trust services to ensure your collection continues to function in a manner that suits your relative needs. Take comfort knowing your assets are properly preserved and sustained in a way that will not hinder your loved ones in your absence.

Request our Information Packet, it includes a list of security methods and organization tips. Request Here