There is nothing more important to us at Welpak Corp. and TK Fine Arts Services than ensuring art and antiques remain in pristine condition. So when Norman Rockwell’s painting “Sport” was recovered earlier this year after it went missing in fall of 2013, we were thrilled to learn the piece was still in tiptop shape. Storing art and antiques is our business; read on to learn more about this Rockwell piece and why it’s imperative for art to stay in the best condition possible.

“Sport” was featured as a cover illustration of The Saturday Evening Post in 1939. While there are no sporting events going on as we would think of them today, it does depict a man in a yellow rain jacket holding a fishing rod, sport fishing, sitting in a rowboat while it rains on him. In the man’s mouth is his pipe, though it is upside down. On top of his head is a bucket hat with all sorts of fishing lures, large and brightly colored. The piece gets its name from the rowboat the man is sitting in, which bears the name SPORT.

Though “Sport” isn’t Rockwell’s most famous work, it sold at a Sotheby’s auction last year for over $1 million. This original is even signed by Norman Rockwell in the bottom right of the painting. Also within the last year, the painting went missing. However, Welpak Corp. is pleased to say that private investigator Dean Golemis and the New York Police Department were able to recover “Sport” in early 2014. The piece was still in spotless condition, like it had never been away.

We at Welpak Corp. and TK Fine Arts Services understand how crucial it was that “Sport” stayed in undisturbed condition, as we are an artwork and antiques storage facility. Over years, paintings and other forms of artwork can become sensitive to outside elements like humidity or even the flash of a camera. That’s why the facilities at Welpak Corp. have, among other things, climate-controlled services.

Utilizing the services at a Welpak Corp. storage facility is highly critical when storing delicate items. At our location, we exclusively have art handlers take care of any item that comes to us. Besides temperature and humidity controls, Welpak has state-of-the-art security systems, fire alarm systems and all access is assisted and escorted. We do all of this because we know dealing with well known art like Rockwell’s “Sport” requires serious care, and sometimes that serious care means various types of artwork are frequently put into storage to prevent the artwork from being damaged. This can be anything from a painting to a sculpture to anything in between that is put in storage.

When you think of fine arts and antiques, the first thing that should come to mind is Welpak Corp. Welpak and TK Fine Arts Services want to be synonymous with fine art. To us, there is nothing more important than ensuring pieces of art remain in excellent shape, and are safe and secure. Pieces like “Sport” and others can remain in excellent shape because the facilities at Welpak Corp.