Originally Posted by
shawbridge
I'm not sure where to post this, but my wife will either fly on AA or AC, so I thought I would start here and if there is a better forum, please let me know.
My wife is a painter living in the Eastern US and will be having a show of her work at a museum in Western Canada -- near where she was born. Most of the pieces are on plasticized paper that can be hung on their own or mounted on wood with a vacuum press if there is a skilled person at the host city. She had a show last year at a gallery in London and she and I took all of the pieces rolled up in a tube on the plane and BA let us put them in the coat closet.
However, two of the pieces can't roll because of their construction and will be mounted on wood in NY. They are pretty big pieces -- say 8' by 6'. Is there any way to take them in cargo on the plane? I'm sure they won't meet the linear inches dimensions for baggage. Because this show is at a museum rather than at a gallery, the works will have to be shipped back to us (or she can roll most of them up and take them back) as the museum is not selling the pieces.
I think it is unlikely but I am hoping that the geniuses of FlyerTalk qill know a way to do it.
I am really surprised at this post. Shouldn’t the museum be arranging the shipping and return? This has been my experience.
Shouldn’t a professional shipper art shipper be used? Not just for the size but also for the customs documents/clearance? Even if art has no duty there has to be customs clearance.
And about the exhibition at the UK gallery. Was there no concern that no other item would be put up on it? What about proper customs clearance in the UK? Did you do it on your own with a carnet?
The large size is problematic— so why not have a professional art packing and shipping company take care of it? I have not had great luck with having things sent from UPS stores when buying things at regional auction houses.