Atelier4 CEO and ICEFAT Chairman Jonathan Schwartz Talks Tech
Atelier4 CEO and ICEFAT Chairman Jonathan Schwartz opines on the impact of technology on the art shipping business on the ICEFAT blog. An excerpt,
There’s a new generation of art logistics, seemingly proliferating, and not on the margins of the industry, but front and center, backed by significant venture capital. For the well informed reader, I am not speaking of corporate consolidators, some of them are in our very ranks, and that type of growth was inevitable and quite organic (remembering that many of our founders weren’t graduates of business schools, nor are many of the current batch). Rather, I refer to internet based aggregators, who boast powerful algorithms to spit out and manage what is essentially a highly idiosyncratic packing, storage and shipping process.
Jonathan Schwartz Talks Shipping on Artsy
Need to ship artwork? Atelier4 CEO Jonathan Schwartz shares his formula for figuring out which shipper is best for you with Artsy editorial. Customers want GOOD + FAST + CHEAP. They can only have two of these qualities at once. What’s your priority?
Read more about this, insurance needs, and more on Artsy.
WE’RE HIRING!
Find out what it’s like to work for one of the world’s most respected fine art logistics services. We are seeking CDL-B drivers to staff multiple monthly cross-country runs and shuttle routes.
YOUR QUALIFICATIONS
A high school diploma or military service record and at least 21 years old
Good MVR abstract and active DOT medical card
Proven safety-minded driving skills
A minimum of one year of experience with manual-shift straight truck
Ability to work as part of a driver team
THE COMPANY
Driver satisfaction proven by length of service—the current CDL driver team average ten years at Atelier 4
A leading provider of specialized transport for works of art with 30-years in business
Facilities in four cities, connected by our shuttles
We are committed to providing good jobs in a hard-working and creative environment
Company’s management and dispatch team are former drivers who understand the job
We stress safety company-wide; we encourage and support drivers who operate safely
THE SHUTTLES
Pre-set cross-country and regional routes depart from New York City five or six per month; all deliveries occur outside of the City
Drivers operate in teams with full-time dispatcher support
Most trips have no overnight driving shifts, our firm respects the log-book rule
Drivers are provided a food per diem and hotel each night
Drivers do not need to live in New York to take this job.
OUR INTERSTATE FLEET
2016 Kenworth, 10-speed, 2-axle (33kGVW), sleeper with air-ride and refrigeration equipped
Ryder national full-service leasing program, including fueling and 24/7 road-side assistance
All vehicles equipped with ELD, STD, and EZ-Pass
WITH LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, ART FAIRS ARE A RISK NOT WORTH TAKING BEFORE VACCINATIONS ARE WIDESPREAD
Art Basel 2019. Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images.
“We have already figured out how to survive without fairs for nearly a year,” writes our CEO Jonathan Schwartz in an opinion piece for Artnet news. “Why squander our health now?”
In this piece, Schwartz lays out the health and business risks in pursuing fairs in the midst of a pandemic. What’s more, he layouts how Atelier4 has been able to return to 80 percent our pre-COVID staffing levels. Read the whole piece at Artnet.
ROTY POSTPONED
Due to the COVID pandemic's impact, we are canceling this year's iteration of the Register of the Year. Founded to honor registrars for their hard work, the award brings attention to some of the art world’s most important, yet under-recognized logistical masterminds.
While we bear disappointing news, our commitment remains strong. We believe in registrars and will continue our support of these fearless planners and logistical masterminds. Our trucks transport in their honor.
JONATHAN SCHWARTZ TALKS TO OBSERVER ABOUT FINE ART LOGISTICS
Atelier4’s Jonathan Schwartz talks to Observer about changes in the fine art logistics industry as the United States weathers the pandemic. This ranges from Atelier 4’s safety protocols, which involve regularly disinfecting surfaces, and determining pre-designated pick up locations, to navigating state shipping laws, which vary state to state.
“At the interior loading dock, we treat everything like it’s contaminated and focus on wiping down everything,” he told Observer. “Every time we address a task, when the task is over, we disinfect ourselves. We don’t relax until we’re in a designated safe zone.”
We take customer health seriously at A4. To read the full piece, click here.
JONATHAN SCHWARTZ TALKS ABOUT VIRTUAL COURIER WORK TO ARTICHECK
Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Atelier 4, and chairman of ICEFAT joins Articheck Founder and CEO Annika Anderson, Mackenzie Garrity, Head of Digital Marketing at Articheck, sit down for the weekly ArtEvolve webinar series presented by Articheck to discuss virtual courier work, and logistics management. To hear more, watch the video here..
DISTANCING & INTERACTION POLICIES – JUNE 2020
In keeping with best-practices and safety initiative for employees & customers, we’ve developed distancing and interaction policies. To read more about them, please click here.
A4'S JONATHAN SCHWARTZ JOINS THE #ARCSCHAT SHIPPER AND LOANS DISCUSSION
Atelier 4’s CEO Jonathan Schwartz talks with 13 other shipping experts at the ARCSCHAT zoom session. His take home message is one of empowerment. “We don’t know what [our field] is going to look like a year or even six months from now,” he says. “But don’t be afraid of change. The opportunities are going to be huge for us and we’re a very adaptive species. We can really amaze ourselves. Let’s be better than we were.”
ARTA TALK: THE LOGISTICS OF RUNNING A BUSINESS DURING THE PANDEMIC
Jonathan Schwartz talking to Adam Fields CEO of ARTA
Atelier 4 founder Jonathan Schwartz speaks with ARTA Founder & CEO Adam Fields as part of their ongoing series in which Fields interviews leaders across the industry about how COVID is impacting their business. In this series the two speak about the role technology has in their business and its role in current and future business strategies.
To request full access to the video please click here.
ARTNEWS—COLLECTORS’ TOOLKIT: SHOULD ARTWORKS BE SHIPPED DURING A CRISIS?
Goods in transit. JOEL CARRETT/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK
Jonathan Schwartz, Atelier 4 CEO and the chairman of the International Convention of the International Convention of Exhibition and Fine Art Transporters ICEFAT) speaks to ARTnews about art shipping during a pandemic. In that latter capacity, he has spent the past couple of weeks calling his colleagues, to offer support and tips. In the former capacity, he over sees the reduced daily operations at Atelier 4.
Atelier 4 has a skeleton crew working at its facility, making sure that the climate control systems are running and ensuring security in addition to video surveillance. At this difficult time, Schwartz has one word for collectors: “patience.” (Most collectors, he said, are fairly understanding.) And that piece of advice ought to be well-heeded, as not all collectors have halted their art-buying habits. With galleries switching to online viewing rooms, many collectors are staying active, carrying out transactions in virtual space. And yet, Schwartz likes to remind them, “Even with the digitization of the collector experience, there will still need to be the transport of work.”
Read the full story on ARTnews.
Blog Post Title Four
It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.