MISSION
AND
VALUES

On this page, you'll discover the mission and core values that drive us, the sustainability efforts that guide our operations, and our belief in the power of employee ownership. These commitments are a testament to our journey, our goals, and the actions we take to ensure that Atthowe Fine Art Services remains a responsible steward of the art we handle, the company we keep, and the world we share.

OUR

MISSION

Atthowe Fine Art Services is an employee-owned cooperative committed to the stewardship of art, people, and planet.

A group of Atthowe staff seated in a semi-circle in a warehouse, listening to an art handler speaking in front of them. The setting includes tools, storage lockers, and industrial equipment.
Two professional art handlers and packing technicians smiling and interacting in a room, with one wearing glasses and a green Atthowe shirt, and the other wearing a baseball cap. There is a collared artwork in the foreground.
Art installation of an abstracted blue humanoid sculpture, standing on a pedestal with three steps, surrounded by four people observing, including Atthowe staff with museum staff, in a courtyard with stone and modern walls.
A large group of Atthowe staff, pose for a photo outside Atthowe's warehouse during the daytime. Some individuals wear Atthowe's green, yellow, orange and black shirts. The group appears cheerful, with some smiling and others in relaxed poses.

OUR

VALUES

Professionalism

  • Do no harm

  • Find the best solution for the artwork

  • Consider the future of the artwork

  • Honor the rights of artists and creators

  • Always be willing to learn and improve

Service

  • Prioritize quality

  • Guide clients with expertise and integrity

  • Take the time to do it right the first time

  • Focus on creatively solving current problems and preventing future ones

  • Seek solutions that satisfy the interests of all parties

Greening

  • Understand that our business uses valuable resources

  • Whenever possible:

    Reduce the use of petrol-chemicals

    Reduce the overall carbon footprint

    Reduce waste

Cooperative

  • Maintain democratic governance structure

  • Provide equitable sharing of ownership wealth

  • Create lifelong, meaningful, and stable jobs with living wages and good benefits

  • Provide a safe and equitable work environment

  • Make work interesting, challenging, and fun

  • Provide flexibility for employees with opportunity to take unpaid leave

Citizenship

  • Assume good intent

  • Communicate productively and truthfully

  • Build respectful, lasting relationships and partnerships

  • Always prioritize accountability and results over blame and punishment

  • Nurture our cooperative structure and honor its principles

  • Actively support local businesses and arts organizations

Inclusiveness

  • Be open to innovation

  • Work against harmful biases

  • Remove unnecessary barriers to employment and ownership

  • Constantly seek improvement of standards and practices

  • Commit to the teaching of company standards

  • Value and reward individual improvement

ENVIRONMENTAL

SUSTAINABILITY

At Atthowe Fine Art Services, we recognize the environmental impact inherent in the art services industry, especially given our scope of operations spanning transportation, crating, packing, warehousing, large-scale public art installation, and beyond. 

For decades sustainability has been a guiding value at Atthowe. Our founder, Scott Atthowe, and now our worker-owners, have aimed to minimize our environmental impact through a variety of initiatives. This dedication led us in 2001 to install one of Oakland's largest solar arrays on our main warehouse. In addition, we’ve prioritized recycling, the reduction of waste and energy consumption, and a selection of supply-chain partners who share our sustainability goals. Even with these initiatives, we feel there is much work ahead.

Two art riggers are rigging a large artwork. The tech on the left is holding a yellow strap, and chains are hanging from above. There is a metal pipe on the right side of the image, and a ladder with yellow safety strips is also visible.
An Atthowe art technician wearing an Atthowe green shirt and black gloves, is carefully handling or inspecting a large framed artwork in Atthowe's packing workshop.

Our Greening Committee, a standing committee established by our Board of Directors, drives our goals, ensuring that sustainability is baked into our governance and management structure. In this way, we can formally enable internal policies and business decisions that promote sustainability and environmental stewardship. 

In every action we take, Atthowe Fine Art Services is dedicated to making a difference — for our clients, our community, and our planet. We encourage and support our clients and vendors in adopting sustainable practices, underscoring our belief that collective action is paramount in paving the way towards a more sustainable future.

Atthowe tree planting logo with a tree in the center, surrounded by the text "This Crate Plants Trees" and "Atthowe"

As part of our ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility, Atthowe Fine Art Services is proud to support the Arbor Day Foundation’s tree planting efforts equal to the volume of wood we use each year. You’ll find this pledge stenciled on every custom-built crate leaving our warehouse: This Crate Plants Trees. It’s a stencil that reminds us of our promise to honor the resources we use and to help regenerate the ecosystems we impact. Sustainability is our communal responsibility. One crate at a time, we’re committed to making a difference.

If this initiative resonates with your company’s values, explore how to get involved with the Arbor Day Foundation  →

CHAMPIONING

EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP

Our cooperative structure is the best way to promote wealth equity and maintain a culture of stewardship within our business. The journey to becoming a worker-owned cooperative in 2021 was significantly supported by Project Equity, whose invaluable guidance helped us transition seamlessly. The shape-shifting work with Project Equity reinforced our belief in the power of shared ownership to enhance worker equity, job satisfaction, and business stability. For more details on our transition and partnership with Project Equity, read this article and review our About page.

Image credits from this page: Franzi Charen of Project Equity

A large group of Atthowe staff, pose for a photo outside Atthowe's warehouse during the daytime. Some individuals wear Atthowe's green, yellow, orange and black shirts. The group appears cheerful, with some smiling and others in relaxed poses.
Wooden surface with the text 'Project Equity' written in black.