Long before Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the New York art world —particularly for dealers, collectors, galleries, and auction houses storing works in Chelsea and Red Hook— collector and real estate veteran Steven J. Guttman was pondering how to improve the options for storing fine art. This fall, the result of his efforts will be unveiled in Long Island City, Queens, when his company, Uovo, opens a 280,000-square foot facility custom-designed and built for storing fine art.
Tom Hale, a ten-year veteran of White Cube gallery, where he served as associate director, is director of Uovo. He says the new facility “ushers in a whole new era of caring for artwork and collections.” Clients will have “a seamless experience, visiting the facility, viewing works and interacting with their collections,” said Hale. The space, just outside midtown Manhattan, is comprised of two free-standing buildings with amenities including private individual viewing rooms, catering kitchens for private events and five floors of private storage rooms. In addition, the buildings boast nine covered loading docks and, what is undoubtedly one of its most attractive selling points, even the ground floor is situated outside of the 2013 FEMA flood zone.