In a recent post we looked at the immediate impact of Hurricane Sandy on the New York art world, in particular the gallery-dotted Chelsea neighborhood. The most immediate concern was salvage and conservation, and in the past month there has been considerable progress. In Brooklyn, for example, a 90,000-square-foot warehouse has been transformed into an artwork “emergency room.”  The impromptu art recovery center, with its climate-controlled storage rooms and staff of on-site conservators, consultants, and art handlers, has been a destination for dozens of artists, gallery owners, and collectors.  Leslie Gat, director of the Art Conservation Group, characterized the effort as a “M.A.S.H. unit” with the goal of “stabilizing the effects of the flood.”

The American Institute for Conservation’s Collections Emergency Response Team immediately deployed volunteers to New York to assist with the recovery efforts.  In addition to its consortium on the safe handling and salvage of art damaged by flooding, MoMA offered assistance in the inspection and salvage of works of art prior to visits from insurance companies and FEMA.

Fortunately, in addition to the conservation efforts, monetary assistance has been available to those affected by the storm.  As announced on November 15, three art foundations have joined forces to help artists and nonprofit arts organizations in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy: the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and the Lambent Foundation.  The Warhol Foundation will give $1 million to visual-arts organizations affected by the storm and another $1 million to individual artists, funds that will be augmented by the other two foundations.  The Art Dealers Association of America has set up a website devoted to relief resources, including the ADAA Relief Fund, which quickly distributed funds to affected galleries.  The website also provides links to sources of federal assistance, New York City resources, and tax-relief and insurance information.

Sandy alerted artists and gallery owners—who may not have fully prepared for the storm’s impact—to the potential hazards of low-lying Chelsea.  Before the next storm gallery owners and artists alike should make sure that their emergency plans are set, including adequate insurance for gallery space as well as artwork, and proper agreements protecting against possible losses to works that are on loan or consignment.