Caring for your Collage

If you’ve purchased one of Megan’s collages or if you’re considering buying one, it’s important to know the best way to care for it. All artwork gets damaged in one way or another over time, and it’s necessary to know the steps you can take to help your art last for years to come.

Keep in mind that the general rule of thumb is to keep the artwork in environments with controlled temperature and moisture, reduce the ultraviolet light that comes in contact with the art, and make sure it doesn’t come in contact with materials that are not acid-free.

Megan already varnishes every collage with a UV-protective varnish. This helps protect the art from sunlight. Sunlight can cause damage to all kinds of art, even paintings and photographs. Although the varnish does a great deal to protect each collage, as the owner of one of Megan’s collages, there are a couple of things you can do to ensure that your art gets proper protection.

  • Hang art out of direct sunlight. It’s ideal to hang artwork in windowless areas or rooms dimly lit by indirect light.
  • Avoid exposure to moisture and extreme temperatures.
  • Avoid storing the artwork in unheated rooms or humid environments.
  • Hang the artwork in cool, dry places (the ideal temperature is between 68 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity in the range of 40 to 50 percent).
  • When cleaning the glass of framed artwork, avoid spraying and wiping chemicals around the edge of the frame where it meets the glass. The glass cleaner could escape onto the mat or artwork and cause damage.
  • Frame the collage with a UV-protection frame.
  • When framing the collage, use a mat to help prevent the work from adhering to the glass – which can occur in humid environments.

Please note that collage is a medium that involves texture and layers, thus the surface is never completely flat or smooth. It is perfectly normal for pieces of paper from the collage to pop up slightly. As long as the collage is kept under glass at all times, it will be safe.