Freelance Art Handlers, Preparators, Crate Builders & Fabricators — LA, NYC, SF, MIAMI

ArtLink

www.art-link.io

Art Handlers, Installers and Fabricators: Freelance (LA, NY, SF, South Florida)

ArtLink is building a vetted network of independent art professionals who work for galleries, museums and private collectors. We’re hiring in:

Los Angeles

New York

San Francisco

South Florida: Miami, Palm Beach and West Palm Beach

The work

Art handling, installation and deinstallation, crating and packing, fabrication, painting, AV and digital media, and transport.

How it works

Jobs come to you one at a time.

Before you accept, you see the scope, the date and the pay.

You’re paid through the platform after each job.

There’s no exclusivity, so you can keep your current clients and employers.

Pay

$40–65+/hour, depending on your experience and the scope of the job.

Roles we especially need

Crate builders with their own shop space. We supply the materials.

AV and digital media installers.

Handlers with a van or Sprinter for local transport.

Who should apply

Anyone with gallery, museum or fine-art experience who wants well-paid freelance work without giving up their own clients.

Apply at art-link.io

Responsibilities

Art handling and installation

Pack, move and install artwork in galleries, museums, private residences and art fairs

Deinstall and prepare work for return or storage

Handle fragile, high-value and irreplaceable objects with appropriate care

Work to an agreed scope, schedule and site access plan

Crating and packing

Build custom crates to ArtLink specification in your own shop, with materials supplied

Fit art-grade interiors: foam, barrier material, travel frames and cleats

Pack works for local transport, air freight and international shipment

Fabrication, painting and AV

Fabricate mounts, plinths, frames and display structures

Scenic and exhibition painting between shows

Install and troubleshoot AV, lighting and digital media components

Transport

Load, secure and transport artwork locally where you have a suitable vehicle

Maintain custody and condition documentation in transit

On every job

Document condition before and after handling, with photographs where required

Report any damage, incident or delay immediately

Communicate clearly with the client and the ArtLink team throughout

Requirements

Experience

Demonstrable experience handling fine art in a gallery, museum, studio or art services setting

Ability to work to a professional standard with fragile and high-value objects

Specialists welcome: crate builders, fabricators, scenic painters, AV and digital media installers

Practical

Your own hand tools and equipment appropriate to the services you offer

Able to lift and manoeuvre up to 50 lbs unassisted and up to 100 lbs with assistance

Comfortable with sustained physical work: standing, bending, kneeling and climbing

Based in or able to work regularly in Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco

Business and paperwork

You work as an independent business or contractor, not as an ArtLink employee

A completed Form W-9, uploaded to your profile rather than emailed

General liability insurance is expected for most paid work. If you do not have it yet we will point you to options, and it is not required to create a profile

Commercial auto and cargo or fine-art transit cover if you transport artwork

Workers’ compensation if you bring an assistant, helper or subcontractor to a job

Helpful but not required (you can be paid more for these)

Your own shop or studio space, especially for crate building and fabrication

A van, sprinter or suitable vehicle for local transport work

Rigging, lighting, art fair or institutional loan experience

How to Apply

Apply through ArtLink at art-link.io/onboarding — choose “Continue as professional.”

Creating a profile takes about ten minutes. You will be asked for:

The city you work in and the services you offer

Your experience and a short bio

Links to a portfolio, website or Instagram, if you have them

A completed Form W-9, uploaded to your profile rather than emailed

A certificate of insurance, if you already carry general liability. You do not need insurance to create a profile, and we will point you to options if you want to get covered.

Please mention in your bio if any of these apply, because we are actively looking for them:

You have your own shop or studio space, especially for crate building or fabrication

You have a van, sprinter or other vehicle suitable for transporting artwork

You work in AV, digital media or lighting installation

You have art fair, rigging or institutional loan experience

What happens next: we review every profile ourselves. If it looks like a fit we will reach out to talk through the kind of work you want, your availability and your rate. Once you are approved, you will start receiving job offers with the scope, date and pay shown up front, and you choose which ones to take.

Questions before you apply? Email support@art-link.io.

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