What Appraisers Can Learn From the Expanding Global Art Market

The following is a sponsored post by ISA Affinity Business Partner (ABP), FindArtExperts.com. Learn more about the ABP membership.

While planning a marketing and relationship-building trip to Art Dubai 2018, Find Art Experts received a personal invitation by Emirati and French representatives of the Louvre Abu Dhabi to attend a presentation titled A Unique Cross-Cultural Collaboration. The invitation represents an important turning point for international recognition of America's art appraisal community.

Find Art Experts visited Art Dubai as part of its global expansion plans to introduce American appraisers to the Middle Eastern art market. Future marketing endeavors on the part of Find Art Experts include visits and meetings during Art Basel in America at Miami Beach in December 2018, Italy's Venice Biennale in May 2019, and a return to Art Dubai in March 2019. We are making our presence known in these markets and art fairs to open our 15,000-member database to markets all over the globe.

Appraisers in America may be surprised to learn that reaching global markets is not as daunting as it initially seems. Like any endeavor, there are steps to take and pitfalls to avoid. We learned:

• Marketing to a global customer base can cost a lot of time and money
• The right help can slash the time it takes to educate consumers about your service
• Focusing on markets that provide the best return on a minimal investment is a good strategy
• To avoid chasing too many opportunities and to stay true to our service
• The importance of educating ourselves about a region's cultural heritage and the unique needs of a new clientele

Our trip to the United Arab Emirates was dedicated to learning more about these challenges and it was extremely informative.

Art Appreciation and Collecting is Blossoming in the Middle East

While attending Art Dubai, we also decided to plan a road trip and drive from Dubai straight to the Louvre Abu Dhabi. We quickly discovered that along the way there was no need to play any road trip games like the childhood favorite, "I Spy" to keep us entertained.

Much to our delight and amazement, a drive-by "highway gallery" sits in the middle of the desert alongside the 85-mile stretch of busy road from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. Before arriving at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, we were able to view three important works from the museum collection showcased on 30 by 20 foot billboards.

We didn't have to squint an eye to see masterworks such as Vincent van Gogh's Self Portrait, the sarcophagus of Egyptian princess Henuttaway, and Piet Mondrian's Composition With Blue, Red, Yellow and Black. To enhance the experience, you can tune to an Emarat radio station to hear a 30-second description of each work of art from a curator. All this without even shelling out a single dirham!

Louvre Abu Dhabi was born from a unique intergovernmental agreement between the United Arab Emirates and France. The agreement embodies a vision shared by France and Abu Dhabi to develop the first universal museum in the Arab world. It has invaluable access to expertise and training from 17 French partner institutions, as well as loans of 300 significant works from 13 leading French art museums, such as the Musee du Louvre, Centre Pompidou, Musee d'Orsay, Musee Rodin, and the Chateau de Versailles.

This initiative, in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism, was created "to reinforce the role of art in elevating everyday life into something beautiful and memorable." It indicates a sea change in how the region sees art for aesthetic and investment purposes.

Louvre Abu Dhabi's Gift to the World: A Da Vinci Masterpiece Revealed

One of the most rare and lavish gifts from an art museum to the public will be unveiled later this year at the museum: Salvador Mundi by Leonardo Da Vinci. The painting sold last year at Christie's New York for a record $459.3 million by Saudi Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism. It will be exhibited until October 24, 2019, after which time it will be loaned to the Musee du Louvre in Paris.

Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Culture Department Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak remarked that Salvador Mundi, which has been hidden from view for so long, "Is now our gift to the world - it belongs to all of us."

One striking observation during our tour of Louvre Abu Dhabi was how women play an integral role in the pieces on display. Featured throughout the 600 pieces shown, women can be viewed in a variety of forms: painted in exquisite portraiture, encased in sarcophagi, and formed in sculpture.

La Belle Ferronnaire, one of Leonardo da Vinci's less than twenty known surviving paintings, is among the high-profile loans made to the museum. The painting is one of the many "Ladies of the Louvre" worth viewing when visiting the museum.

The museum provides a fascinating link between Leonardo and Bellini, a painter whose technique he admired. Madonna and Child is an oil on panel painted between 1480 and 1485. Considered the father of Renaissance painting, Bellini specialized in devotional paintings. This piece depicts the Christ child sitting on a parapet atop the Madonna's scarlet robes, gazing up at her as she looks lovingly down on him, her hands in prayer position.

Another female subject on loan to Louvre Abu Dhabi from the Collection Centre Pompidou, is Albert Giacometti's Standing Woman II, c. 1959-1960. With its rough surface and elongated frame, the Surrealist Swiss artist's figure embodies one of his traditional subject matters, the unclothed female form.

Contemporary Women of the Arab Art World

The depiction of Arab women in art is a recent phenomenon, as explained in this New York Times article. One of many important Arab women artists who caught our attention is Thuraya Al-Baqsami, who was born in Kuwait in 1951. In 1956, Thuraya was sent to the Choueifat boarding school in Lebanon, however she returned to Kuwait as a civil war broke out in Lebanon in 1958.

In 1974, she moved to Moscow. She enrolled in the Surikov Institute, one of Russia's most renowned art universities, and eventually completed her Bachelor's and Master's degrees there. Her exposure to a Russian art training was extremely beneficial. She was taught that being an artist was a profession, and that she should view her work as legitimate labor, a revolutionary idea for her at the time. Having that mindset lit a spark, and motivated her to tackle her work with a much more dedicated attitude. She learned various graphic printmaking techniques, namely lithograph and linocut that greatly affected her creative output. Later in life, her work became best known for these graphic techniques, which were virtually unheard of in the Arab world.

Her work presents a strong voice in the region, one that does not bow down to the societal and political pressures it faces. Her idiosyncratic background and multi-cultural exposure creates a mélange of histories, concepts, and forms in her works that are still ever changing and evolving today.

How Appraisers Can Reach Global Markets

Collector interest in artwork by Thuraya and other emerging Arab female artists will only increase. As the number of wealthy collectors in America and in other countries escalates, so has their need for the advice of specialists to help curate and service these collections in many different ways.

Art market data shows that 66% of collectors are turning to galleries or dealers to purchase art and luxury accessories. 52% of collectors seeking advice on a purchase or art services turned to an industry expert and 14% sought advice from auction experts.

Few appraisers and art service professional businesses are making this investment, but Find Art Experts considers it a priority. Last year our database consisted of 5,000 members and we have added an additional 10,000 since. This expert database is gaining international notoriety. We recently assisted the Saudi-based Arab News, the Middle East's newspaper of record and the biggest English language daily in the Kingdom, seeking one of our Art Service Professionals on authenticating art.

This is just one example why Find Art Experts believes it is crucial for appraisers and fine art experts to continue opening new markets. While marketing our client base in high-wealth, art-centric cities we learned the time is right to reach international markets to:

1. Diversify for the long term. We believe it is important to increase an appraiser's influence in markets outside the United States.
2. Smooth market fluctuations. Appraisers can stabilize seasonal market fluctuations by working with clients with different or even countercyclical art market demand. For example, while June, July and August means North American art collectors focus on family vacations rather than acquiring art, the art market for Australian collectors is perfect as they wait out their season's three coldest months of the year.
3. Become a leader. U.S. appraisers have a unique opportunity right now to be the first to create relationships in an increasingly shrinking and interconnected global marketplace.
4. Advocate excellence. Appraisers capable of international expansion comprise the majority of Find Art Experts' database.

Meeting collectors and dealers, we learned the need for art service professionals is also expanding in new and important collecting categories. Look for Find Art Experts at International Society of Appraisers meetings and conventions as we work with fellow professionals to find cost-effective ways to building a stronger online presence to reach these growing markets. Viewing the world as one marketplace that needs our advice and services helps all of us all build a stronger, brighter future.

Discover New Markets with FindArtExperts.com

The following is a sponsored post by ISA Affinity Business Partner (ABP), FindArtExperts.com. Learn more about the ABP membership.

As a member of ISA, you’ve taken courses, worked through our credentialing pathway and amassed knowledge and experience running your appraisal business. Your membership in our organization distinguishes you as an expert – whether it’s Japanese prints, early Impressionism, or the full contents of an estate, you’ve established yourself as a subject matter expert in the appraisal industry.

However, your time is limited, and you may not always be able to market your services and expertise to the right group of people. That’s where FindArtExperts.com can help. Created by a group of professional colleagues and collectors, FindArtExperts.com is a leading source of knowledge and information on the world of art and auctioneering, and currently lists more than 5,000 art and auction service professionals in more than 200 specialty categories.

Referred to in ArtDaily as a “one-stop shop for art collectors or sellers who strive to make informed decisions,” FindArtExperts.com allows its subscribers to make an educated choice on the appraisers, auction houses, collection managers, conservators, galleries, framers, publicists, art storage and transportation companies they need to manage, sell or appraise their collections. 

Registering for FindArtExperts.com will get your name in front of the collectors and sellers who are searching the FindArtExperts.com database. You’ll save time, money and headaches as FindArtExperts.com strives to be the best guide to the art and auction world for its global audience. Most importantly, your ISA credentials will distinguish you even further as a top choice for those seeking your services.

Benefit from the way FindArtExperts.com breaks down the wall between collectors and specialists, reinforce your status as a leading expert in the art world, and sign up today.

Get Listed on FindArtExperts.com

Claim your discount to receive 3 months of VIP membership benefits in the FindArtExperts.com global directory database, and position your company in front of a global audience that uses its database to find the professional services you or your company provides.

The Clarion List, Our Newest Affinity Business Partner

We're always incredibly excited to welcome a new company into the fold as an ISA Affinity Business Partner (ABP), and in the case of The Clarion List, this addition to the ABP family comes with a special offer to ISA members!

The Clarion List is the leading online resource for sourcing art service companies. Their searchable, sortable, free database with ratings and reviews includes 6000+ art companies in the US and Europe across dozens of service categories. It is Clarion's hope that that your potential clients find them a helpful resource when you need to source new art service providers both at home and in new markets, like storage companies, transport firms, installers, framers, lenders, insurance brokers, law firms, conservators, security firms, risk consultants, collection software, lighting companies and more.

And, just as importantly, they want their audience to find YOU when in need of an art appraiser. They have partnered with the ISA to offer a discount on their premium packages, enabling you to optimize your listing with more information, add your logo and other images, and increase your chances for lead generation. Premium listers will also be able to add the ISA logo to their listing, which will display in search results and on your individual listing, enabling their audience to understand your qualification at a glance.

The ISA badge on your Clarion enhanced listing serves to not only help you stand out on the website but to also grow the public's awareness of ISA credentials as an important distinction when choosing an appraiser.

Next Steps:

• Claim your free listing - do a keyword search for your company name or search for your listing with our List of Appraisers, then click “Claim This Listing”


• Not listed? Contact Clarion.


• Edit your basic listing information.


• Consider one of their brand-building premium plans, starting at just $20/month. Details: clarionlist.com/learnmore


• Enter code ISA30 before checkout to receive 30% off either plan

Take advantage of this special offer today from The Clarion List, our newest ABP.

The International Society of Appraisers and Chubb Announce an Educational Partnership

Holloway and Charleston-Rosenberg

By Libby Holloway, ISA CAPP, and Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg, ISA CAPP

The collaborative educational partnership between ISA and Chubb has officially launched! The first of an 11-part webinar series on specialty collecting categories has been presented to Chubb's appointed independent agents and brokers. The series, reflecting the depth and diversity of ISA member's expertise, will be presented monthly through the beginning of 2017. Each presentation will conclude with a slide directing to the ISA “Find an Appraiser” search engine, to assist Chubb brokers in finding ISA appraisers in their clients’ geographical region or areas of specialization.

Laura Doyle, North American Collections Management Specialist with Chubb, stated in a press statement released on April 25: “Chubb is thrilled to kick off a collaborative partnership with ISA through the launch of the Chubb Connoisseurship webinar series. The series will highlight the deep expertise of ISA appraisers, providing a network of resources nationally for our agents, brokers, and clients.”

This program is a continuation of the educational collaboration exchange between the two organizations which began in 2015 with Chubb's presentation, "Changing Demographics in Collecting: Covering Passion and Investment Collections." The two organizations look forward to deepening this collaboration to the benefit of their clients. A special Thank You goes out to ISA members on the vetting committee—Libby Holloway, ISA CAPP; Sally Ambrose, ISA CAPP; and Helen (Len) D. de Rohan, ISA AM—for carefully reviewing submissions. Many thanks to ISA members who have volunteered their time and proficiency to produce and present webinars:

• How to Understand the Collectible Wine Markets - Leila Dunbar, ISA AM
• Coin Collecting: The Hobby of Kings - Steve Roach, ISA CAPP
• The Mystery of Luxury Watches - Darlene Wong, ISA AM
• Understanding the Chinese Art Market: Five Things You Must Know - Susan Lahey, MA, ISA AM
• Blanket or Rug? A Primer on Navajo Textiles - Vanessa Elmore, ISA
• Collector Versus Investor: Understanding Today's Jewelry Market - Amy Lawch, GG, ISA AM
• The American Portrait Masters: What's Hiding in Your Client's Attic? - Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg, ISA CAPP
• What's Valuable in Your Silver Cabinet? - Kirsten Rabe Smolensky, JD, ISA CAPP
• Rare Books, An Introduction - Robert Hittel, ISA CAPP
• Identifying, Examining, and Comparing English and American Period Furniture - Todd Sigety, ISA CAPP
• How to Determine Winners and Losers: Guidelines for Valuing Sports Memorabilia - Leila Dunbar, ISA AM

View full webinar descriptions

ISA is extraordinarily proud to have been chosen by Chubb as the professional personal property appraisal organization to provide connoisseurship training to their network. The webinars are being archived by Chubb and will be available to ISA members following completion of the series in 2017.

The Benefits of Cloud-based Collection Management and Appraisal Software

By Collector Systems, ISA Affinity Business Partner

It is 2016, and technology is a key tool in how we all conduct and streamline our businesses. However, that doesn’t mean that you are actually taking advantage of the best technology that is available to you. Why not use technology to help you work smarter rather than harder? We believe that there is great potential for making cloud-based collection management and appraiser software truly work for appraisers.

In the software industry, many companies get so caught up in the constant release of new features and the use of jargon that they fail to successfully communicate to their client base – the very people who their products are designed for – what it actually is that they are doing and why. It is our responsibility, as software developers in the appraiser and collection management sphere, to communicate openly with our clients, to listen and respond to feedback, as well as to provide a first-class service.

When it comes to using technology to make our lives easier, there are two approaches: the immediate fix and the long-term solution. You can use it like a fly swatter and take care of each problem as it pops up, or you can use it to overhaul your current process and sidestep those annoying little problems altogether.

Most appraisers store information in a series of Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, and however many papers can fill a manila folder. When it comes to writing USPAP reports, the particulars of each case must be transferred into a pre-made template from these various sources, and the data has to be manually copied and pasted each and every time. This process is inefficient, repetitive, and subject to human error… not to mention frustration.

Take a step back, and reset the perspective.

One way to use technology to make an appraiser’s life easier is to maintain all appraisals within a single repository, ensuring that the breadth of information is organized and readily available. Of course, it helps to work in a system that is intuitively designed to suit the specific needs of an appraiser. Your appraiser software should be focused on enabling you to best manage your data and run your business to its true potential, complete with features that are useful rather than extraneous.

This is where a cloud-based collection management and appraiser system can offer a solution. Instead of segregating out the data and investing your hard work in separate resources, why not combine those resources and create the foundations of your USPAP report? Enter the object information, images, values, comparables, and all other documentation into a single program. Manage and edit all of the information as you work through your appraisal. By keeping all of your data in a single repository, you will be building your USPAP report as you go.

The ultimate aim of a good cloud-based collection management and appraiser system is to help facilitate your work. A cloud-based collection management program is operating at its best when it allows you to perform at your best. You can benefit from the many advantages of working on a cloud-based platform, which allows you to access your information from any computer, smartphone, or tablet. Not only does this type of software offer an array of features to simplify, organize, and support your work, it also provide you with the opportunity to fundamentally restructure and improve workflow.

A good collection management and appraiser software program eliminates the need for the re-gathering and re-entering of information to create a USPAP report. Sit back while the software program extracts the relevant data and formats it all in a USPAP compliant report structured to your specifications – a truly customized document with personalized cover sheets, addenda, and everything in between, ready in less time than it takes to check “Create Appraisal Report” off your to-do list. The software pulls from the information you entered over the course of the appraisal and quickly performs a task you used to spend hours on.

We all understand how hard it is to reconfigure your work process in an effort to become more efficient.  However, in the long term, cloud-based collection management and appraiser software makes that transition far easier. Cloud-based collection management and appraiser software provides a platform that will help refine your business and optimize the work you put into appraising and – as we like to think of it – work smarter, not harder.

About Collector Systems: Collector Systems is the leading cloud-based software solution for appraisers, providing you with the tools you need to efficiently manage your appraisals. Upload all object information with an unlimited number of photographs and documents. Add comparables, condition reports, and more to create USPAP compliant reports for your clients. www.collectorsystems.com. T: 212-431-0897

The Top 5 Reasons to Use the artnet Price Database

The following is a sponsored post by ISA Affinity Business Partner (ABP), artnet. Learn more about the ABP membership. 

Édouard Manet
Le Printemps, 1881
Oil on canvas
29.1 x  20.3 in.
Signed and dated
Sold for US$65,125,000 Premium at Christie's New York
on Wednesday, November 5, 2014

1. Two Trusted Databases for Two Different Markets

The artnet Price Database Fine Art and Design contains auction results for all paintings, prints, sculptures, works on paper, installations, and design from the 20th and 21st centuries, while the artnet Price Database Decorative Art includes objects such as furniture, silver, porcelain, ceramics, glass, rugs, carpets, clocks, books, jewelry, watches, and more.

Both databases have become the most trusted art market research tool for auction houses, galleries, appraisers, collectors, art enthusiasts, and students.

2. Unparalleled Scope

Our data goes back 30 years, with over 10 million color-illustrated auction results from more than 329,000 artists—the most comprehensive archive of auction results ever recorded.

3. A Global Network

We currently cover over 1,700 houses in more than 50 countries, ranging from the largest international houses to smaller regional auctions. Users can access this global network to discover comparable lots to facilitate appraisals, or to gauge the current art market.

4. Precise Accuracy

Both databases have strict requirements in order to have lots included, ensuring both the quality and accuracy of our information.

All lots in the Price Database Fine Art and Design must have the following price requirements:

• Original paintings, sculptures, works on paper, photographs, prints and multiples, installations, and contemporary mixed artist portfolios must have a minimum low estimate of 500 USD

• Artists with a “qualified” name, (e.g., after, follower of, circle of, school of) or artists known only by their initials, nationality, or period; artists known as master or monogrammist; artists known only by first or last name (for whom the full name cannot be identified); and anonymous artists must have a minimum low estimate of 2,000 USD   

All lots in the Price Database Decorative Art must have must have the following price requirements:

• All furniture, silver, porcelain, ceramics, glass, rugs, carpets, clocks, books, jewelry, watches, and other decorative art objects must have a minimum low estimate of 500 USD

5. Edited by a Team of Experts

The Price Database team consists of 15 multilingual specialists that study and edit each lot before posting it online. Every single lot is checked for accuracy against auction catalogs, and our team edits an average of 68,000 lots per month—allowing us to stay on top of global art market trends and to monitor developments in price range, international collector’s interests, local trends, top-selling objects, emerging artists, and upcoming art markets.

Discover the artnet Price Database for Yourself
Trusted by prestigious auction houses, galleries, buyers, and sellers all over the world, the artnet Price Database Fine Art and Design has always been the leader for art market research.

We invite you to discover (or rediscover) the power of the Price Database for yourself. Access ten free searches in the Price Database Fine Art and a two-week free trial of the Price Database Fine Art. Click here and enter code ISAPD4HH to activate your trial today.

Questions? Contact an artnet client service specialist at support@artnet.com. We are here to help.

Offer must be redeemed by January 31, 2016. A credit card is not required to activate the trial.

Partnering for Success: The ISA Affinity Business Partner Program

In business today, there’s a lot to be said for the company you keep. Is your company looking for an opportunity to become formally associated with the largest professional association of personal property appraisers in the United States and Canada? With the ISA Affinity Business Partner (ABP) level of membership, you can make it happen.

ABP members enjoy targeted access to ISA’s 800+ members, sharing the common goal of providing the highest level of professional and ethical service to consumers of appraisal services. ISA members are also encouraged to consult our ABP page when making client referrals, providing your company with an extra level of client exposure.

Additional benefits received from your annual dues ($600) include:

• Listing on the designated ABP Webpage on the ISA Website, including linked company logo and up to 50 words of business description
• Use of ISA Affinity Business Partner member logo
• Single use of the ISA mailing list, or a guest post on the ISA Now Blog
• A 20% discount on advertising in the ISA Annual Conference Program and Resource Guide
• Collateral Table exposure for promotional material at ISA's Annual Conference
• Inclusion in our listing of Affinity Business Partners in the Final Conference Program
• Admission to our members-only, private networking group on LinkedIn

All funds raised by the ABP category of membership are specifically earmarked for educational programs, furthering the ISA mission of “advancing excellence in the personal property appraisal profession.”

Consider becoming an ABP member and see what an alignment with ISA can do you for your business. Learn more and apply.

P.S. Are you a member of ISA with business partners who might benefit from this relationship? Share this message with them or forward their contact info to ISA at isa@isa-appraisers.org.

Five Points to Consider When Choosing a Frame for a Painting

Eli Wilner

By Eli Wilner & Company, ISA Affinity Business Partner

"Frames have a lot of power to influence our appreciation and interpretation of a painting," says Eli Wilner, founder of Eli Wilner & Company, a New York-based gallery responsible for frames found in homes across the world, as well as at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the White House. But before selecting a frame, you need to make sure it's the right one.

Most essential, according to Wilner, is historical accuracy. "A frame should reflect the period of the painting," he says. "I want to imagine that I'm the artist. I've just completed the painting and gone to my favorite framer. How would the artist approach the design? That's how I make every decision, whether it's for Rembrandt or Corot or John Singer Sargent." Also important: does the style of frame complement the painting itself? "Aesthetic consideration is crucial. After I narrow it down to the type of frame an artist would use, I look at the scale, decorative elements, and color that enhance a particular artwork."

To illustrate what you should keep in mind the next time you're ready to frame, here are Wilner’s thoughts on how to pair an appropriate frame with a few examples of 19th Century European art.

Figure 1 -
"The Tambourine Girl,"
John William Godward

History
"I do not know a single major painter who did not spend a significant amount of time thinking about his frames. Even van Gogh, who had no money, made his own frames and painted them to match the piece inside. Godward (figure 1) saw himself as a Renaissance painter and in that style and tradition, wanted to create the same feeling of importance and religious experience that he saw in church altarpieces traveling throughout Rome and Florence. Since that was his design, that is the only way a Godward can really be appreciated. If you put his painting in a lesser, simpler frame, the work loses the true, holistic meaning that Godward meant to convey."

Figure 2 -
"Priaries Inondées Vue a Travers la Feuillee,"
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

Taste
"Although I usually frame as if I were the artist, 10% of the time I frame as if I were the collector. I occasionally like to throw a curveball. Corot mostly used fluted, quiet 19th-century frames, but the more elaborate 18th-century approach (figure 2) is very popular and how you'll see Corot framed in many museums and private homes. The soft carving in the frame works very well with the composition."

Figure 3 -
"Marchande de Fleurs à Londres,"
Jules Bastien-Lepage

Scale
"There's no general rule when it comes to scale except that you should avoid over-framing and under-framing. Everything else depends on the aesthetics of the individual artwork. Here is a portrait of a modest flower-seller in late 19th-century London (figure 3), so I felt the frame needed to be restrained. A thinner frame would have looked too slight on the large canvas, while a thicker one would have been too grand for the subject. It's all about balance. When you put a sculpture on a pedestal, the same considerations have to be met. Ask yourself: Is the frame too wide, too delicate, too overpowering, or just right for the piece?"

Figure 4 -
"Marchand Ambulant au Caire,"
Jean-Léon Gérôme

Decorative Elements
"Because of its exotic subject matter, I chose an Orientalist frame for Gérôme’s painting (figure 4). The decorative marks, similar to what you'd see in the Middle Eastern wing at the Met or at the Alhambra Palace in Spain, puts you into the mindset that you're in the Middle East. Yes, a 19th-century French frame would technically work. But this frame changes your perception and shows the context that a frame can bring to a work of art."

Figure 5 -
"La Marchande de Fleurs - Rue de Rivoli,"
Louis Marie de Schryver

Color
"This is a very pretty and charming picture (figure 5), so I picked a bright gold frame to echo the happiness of the scene. I wanted to turn up the dial on the beauty of the flowers and patterned fabrics by making the frame as opulent as I could without going overboard. Again, you have to let the painting speak."


Images: Courtesy of Sotheby's. Images of Frames: Courtesy of Eli Wilner & Company NYC

Register Today: First Chubb Webinar on May 6

During the annual business meeting at this year’s Assets conference, our President Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg, ISA CAPP, announced that ISA would be participating in a series of webinars that would allow us to exchange advice and expertise with our Gold Sponsor and Affinity Business Party, Chubb Personal Insurance. We could not be more elated that Chubb has chosen ISA as the appraisal organization they trust to educate their community of agents, brokers, and collectors.

The first of these webinar presentations, “Changing Demographics in Collecting: Covering Passion and Investment Collections,” will be held on May 6 at 2:30 ET by Laura M. Doyle and Melissa Lalka, Chubb’s National Art Specialist and Worldwide Fine Art Manager, respectively. One of many installments in this continuing collaborative webinar series, this presentation (which is free to ISA members) will focus on evolving collector profiles – passion collectors vs. investment collectors – and risk management.

The webinar is now open for registration. Sign up and take part in what is only the start of a very fruitful continuing education partnership opportunity.

Looks Like We Struck a Chord!

Shelly Berman-Rubera

By Shelly Berman-Rubera, President of Small Business Results, ISA Affinity Business Partner

Dear ISA Members,

I am so proud to have presented the closing keynote at the ISA Assets 2015 conference in Philadelphia. Every attendee was raving about their experience.

In my presentation, “Growing and Propelling Your Appraisal Practice Revenue,” I addressed four major areas of ISA member concern. I hope it is helpful to reiterate the challenges presented and offer a summary of my suggestions here:

Q. How do we compete with free services offered by those less qualified?
A. We don’t! Those seeking free appraisal services are not our target client. We must have the courage to walk away from those clients that are not a right fit for our practice. Learn how to use the time to market to true prospects. ISA members and credentialing are at the cutting edge of the appraisal profession. We can’t work for free and can’t be compared to free or lesser priced appraisers. Educate those who would truly benefit from your level of service as to why your experience and credential should matter to them.

Q. How do we get to the gate keepers?
A. Our networking and outreach must be directed to obtaining beneficial introductions and opening the right doors. Focus on building reciprocal lasting relationships, rather than one-time meetings and pitches.

Q. How do we deal with time management?
A. I suggested that time management is emotional management, and when we manage our feelings and our client’s feelings, we are better equipped at managing our time. I also suggested looking at pricing and packaging. Selling a block of time might be an attractive offer to some clients.

Q. How do I market my business?
A. ISA has marketing pieces that can be co-branded with your business and can be found at the member resources page on the website. This month your organization launched a professional newsletter (login required) with educational content aimed at prospective referral sources. This is a powerful marketing tool that not only promotes the ISA credential but your own expertise as well. Personalize this with your photo and bio, attach to emails to industry referral sources like insurance brokers, estate attorneys and financial planners. Print it and hand out at local business industry meetings. And remember to follow up!

It is important to remember that random acts of kindness are lovely, but random acts of marketing are not effective. Please remember, you are the president of your company! Think strategically, make a commitment to developing systems and structures for everything you do.

My best to all of you, and let me know if I can help,

Shelly Berman-Rubera
President SBR-Small Business Results

President's New Year Message: A Year of Accomplishment - What's On the Horizon for ISA

Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg,
ISA CAPP, President

Happy New Year ISA! 2014 has been a year of significant accomplishment for our society. Substantial advancements are also in the planning stages for 2015 with increased benefits and services to members, expanded education offerings, and increased industry recognition. Here's a wrap-up of what we've achieved in 2014 and what to expect from 2015.

Where We Are Today

• With more than 800 members, ISA is distinguished as the professional organization of choice for personal property appraisers in the United States and Canada. Nothing speaks more convincingly: The majority of personal property appraisers continue to choose ISA for our training and professional association.
• For the first time in our history, sponsor exhibition space is sold out eight weeks in advance of our annual conference! Only a handful of advertising opportunities to partner with ISA at conference remain. New partners this year include Artnet, Chubb, Eli Wilner & Co., Freeman's Auction, Great Gatsby's, Modernism.com, Prices 4 Antiques, The Potomack Company, Stevens Company, William Bunch Auctions and Worthpoint, while our longstanding supporters, Bonham's, Collector Systems, Estatesales.net, Heritage, Jackson's, and Quinns maintain their commitment to ISA. 
  
  This is an indisputable indicator that networking with loyal ISA appraisers is increasingly recognized as a significant opportunity for industry allies. It also speaks to the strength of our conference program. Many thanks to our Resource Development Committee chair, Fred Winer, for organizing the RDC's directed efforts over the past two years to this dramatic result.
  
• In March, 2014, we completed a three-year process of significantly tightening and raising our credentialing and requalification policies. Our requalification requirement is the most rigorous in the industry. In addition to 85 hours of continuing education and current USPAP compliance, every ISA member is required to attend our 15 hour requalification course every five years. Our Requalification Course covers advancements in appraisal theory and methodology and reports are submitted for peer and instructor review. In choosing to strictly enforce our unique requalification requirements, ISA demonstrates faith in the professionalism of our members and your commitment to advancing excellence. Requiring uniform adherence to our standards also ensures that the public's trust in the ISA credential is well placed. 
• Our unique approach of marrying appraisal theory and methodology to advanced product knowledge, and a collaborative culture of shared expertise, is gaining recognition as the gold standard in the discipline of appraising.
• Another very strong financial year, where we have added significantly to ISA's reserves and long-term economic health and security.

What's New and on the Horizon: Education and Credentialing

• In 2014, more than 500 members participated in ISA's online and onsite courses. Hundreds of members have now participated in our new, state-of-the-art, dynamic online learning system, including 68 new members who have begun our Core Course in Appraisal Theory and Methodology at their own pace. Our 2014 Educational Roundup may be found here.
  
• In 2014, ISA instructors Leon Castner and Cathy Peters became qualified by the AQB to teach USPAP, enabling ISA to offer members USPAP compliance in-house.
• Also for the first time, USPAP 15 hour and 7 hour courses are available to our members through our online platform.
• ISA's Requalification Course is now available online, allowing members who are challenged to find the time or resources to travel to requalify, an affordable and accessible way to maintain our hard-earned credential. 
• Expanded Asian Studies courses are in development. ISA's Asian Studies Week 2015 will be held at the Northern Illinois University campus in Naperville, Illinois. In June, two courses will be offered: Dr. Daphne Rosenzweig's course: The Appraisal of Japanese Prints, and a new course developed by Susan Lahey, A Foundation in Asian Ceramics. A total of six related courses are planned to be available by Spring 2016. An Asian Studies Specialty will be available to candidates who complete a minimum number of required courses. 
• The Appraisal of Antiques and Residential Contents Course Manual has begun a full color
  update and content revision under a taskforce chaired by ISA Board Secretary, Libby Holloway. Substantial new content will be added including comprehensive chapters on research methodology, comparable selection criteria, and advanced report writing. 
• An Educational Taskforce, chaired by Judith Martin, ISA CAPP, reviewed our credentialing process and suggested adjustments to our report submission standards, which were adopted by the Board. The taskforce represented a broad spectrum of ISA members including board members, committee chairs and our Director of Education. CAPP candidates will now submit a single Broad Evidence Appraisal Report. This accomplishes the objective of testing proper methodology for different types of assignments. It prepares our CAPPs for assignments for litigation support and positions ISA as a leader in methodology training for our highest level of credentialing. A summary of the new requirements may be found here.
  
• ISA held several highly successful educational webinars, including How to Write a Broad Evidence Report by Leon Castner, ISA CAPP, which was attended by 70 ISA appraisers and colleagues. If you missed it, sign up for the archived version here.

What's New and On the Horizon: Services to Members

• Website optimization and enhancement: Members are reporting a noticeable increase in referrals from the ISA webpages. This is not surprising. As analytics reveal, hits to our Find an ISA Member search have increased by 544% over last year. Direct links from Google have increased by 664% over last year (8,212 vs. 1,236).  Newly elected Board member Perri Guthrie has taken on the project of reviewing our entire website. Look for updates and enhancements in 2015. 
• ISA has continued to focus on assisting members to successfully market their appraisal practices. Each year at conference we unveil a new, professionally designed resource. This year, we have produced an ISA client-oriented newsletter, focused on specialized, appraisal-related content of interest to gatekeepers and prospective and existing appraisal clients. This positions our members as experts in the appraisal industry, which has the potential to be more effective in building credibility than direct promotion. Like all other ISA promotional materials, the newsletter will be customizable and available to all ISA members through the Member Resources link on the website. 
• For a complete list of how ISA is working to help members market our practices, see this blog post, and don't miss Small Business Results President, Shelly Berman-Rubera's presentation at Assets on Growing and Propelling your Appraisal Practice.
  
• The ISA Membership Committee and staff are in the process of designing an integrated plan
  
  for our first formal membership recruitment campaign. Over the past few years, ISA has benefited by an infusion of new members, bringing vitality and new ideas for programs and benefits for members to our society. We are investigating what has attracted these new members, and how we can encourage this wave of enthusiasm for ISA to continue to benefit our society. Judith Martin will be chairing the committee.
  

What's New and On the Horizon: Industry Recognition, Standing and Collaboration

• ISA is in the process of designing a directed campaign to raise the profile of the ISA credential with industry users in the Insurance, Estate Planning and Legal Communities. Look for details and announcements over the next few months, including a series of webinars comprising a Professional Education Exchange between ISA and Chubb.
• The first in a collaborative series of educational programs with industry leaders and experts
  
  was launched with a strongly-attended webinar offered by Eli Wilner on frame valuation and the reconstruction of the monumental frame for Washington Crossing the Delaware.
• ISA's application for sponsorship in The Appraisal Foundation was approved early in 2014. This allowed our society a meaningful voice in the development of new proposed Minimum Criteria Standards for Personal Property Appraisers. Formal sponsorship increases ISA's credibility as an industry leader, and allows for more significant input into advocating for appropriate standards. 
• The Affinity Business Partner (ABP) program is attracting new business alliances and sources of referrals for ISA members, and is formalizing our relationships with existing friends and sponsors.
• Our conference roster of speakers reads like a Who’s Who of industry leaders, each recruited for recognized expertise in discovering, weighing and applying the often-overlooked critical impacts to value: Provenance, Quality, Rarity, Originality, Condition and Current Market Trends. Included are renowned scholars from Winterthur, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, premiere gallerists, distinguished principals and departments heads from Christie’s, Freeman’s, Gurr Johns, the IRS, NYU, and Rago. Please visit our conference program here.

What's On the Horizon: Implementation of ISA's Three-Year Strategic Plan

In November 2014, the ISA Board of Directors, Education Director and ISA staff participated in a strategic planning retreat to prioritize and plan for the continuing success of our Society. At our March meeting, your board will review, finalize and formally approve the plan. The wording of the mission of our society may change slightly, but remains focused on advancing appraisal excellence. Once approved, the strategic plan will be available to members. Highlights include advancing ISA's industry standing among users of appraisal services, growing membership to 1000 by the close of 2016, and continuing to increase benefits for members, including expanded educational programming.

A taskforce chaired by Board Vice-President Christine Guernsey will work with Executive Director Joe Jackson and staff to identify specific goals and plan strategies to ensure implementation of ISA's Strategic Three-Year Plan.  

 

A Call to Volunteerism: Be the Change You Hope to See in ISA!

I close my second New Year's post as your President, with a call to volunteerism. Implementation of

our strategic plan, increasing benefits to members, raising our educational standards, growing membership: All are achievements dependent on the time and efforts of dedicated volunteer members donating many hundreds of hours a year with the singular goal of advancing our society.

Be the change you hope to see in ISA! In a few weeks, ISA Vice President Christine Guernsey will be blogging to you about specific volunteer opportunities. We need more human resources to continue on the path of advancing our Society. If you approve of the direction of ISA, join us! If you don't, join us and help redirect!

I wish us all a healthy and prosperous 2015 as we continue to grow together. I look forward to seeing you in Philadelphia, to continue our legacy of sharing a cocktail and a war story, laughing and learning together.  

Warmest wishes,

Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg, ISA CAPP

ISA President

Affinity Business Partner David Dike Fine Art Discusses the Emergence of the Texas Art Market

 
Frank Reaugh

The art market, as a whole, does fluctuate, but within that market there are pockets of niche art for which the market has its own activity. David Dike recognized regional art when he started in the business in 1986. Upon traveling across the country to different art shows and fairs, David noticed that the art many dealers were handling was not exclusive to national and international names, rather painters that were regional to their areas; like the plein air painters of California or the Old Lyme paintings of Connecticut. This inspired David to research and focus on Texas regional artists. Artists that were active at the turn of the century to mid-century, creating works in the same style and period as other major nationally renowned artists. These Texas artists were studying at the Chicago Art Institute, The Art Students League of New York, or Shinnecock Summer School of Art.

Years after he started his gallery, David established the Texas Art Auction in 1996 from the support and encouragement of his Texas art collectors. This was the first ever fine art auction dedicated strictly to Texas art. The auction is still held annually and has produced records every year for Texas artists; helping in the growth and recognition of Texas art.

That being said, the Texas art market is still emerging and starting to be recognized on the national level. Some big names in Texas art you may start seeing at nationally recognized auctions are Julian Onderdonk, Robert Onderdonk, Paul Schumann, Edward Eisenlohr, Porfirio Salinas, Robert Wood, Dawson Dawson-Watson and Alexandre Hogue, to name a few of some of the great early Texas painters.

Julian Onderdonk

Robert Wood

Texas also has its own cultural hubs from which artists grouped to create different areas/schools of art. San Antonio is one of the earliest for Texas historical and later impressionist painters. The Fort Worth Circle encompassed a group of avant-guard painters and printmakers in the mid-century. Dallas is another area where painters emerged and started different schools like the Frank Reaugh Club, Dallas Art Institute and later the teachers and students of Southern Methodist University art department. Founders of the art department at the University of Texas include a list of heavy hitters of artists who in the past five years are really making a mark and have increased in value.

San Antonio, at the turn of the Century through the 1940s/50s, was home to many of the Texas impressionist painters you will see at national auctions now. The best of which known is Julian Onderdonk who is most famous for his bluebonnet landscapes. Porfirio Salinas and Robert Wood are also known for their bluebonnet paintings. A soft rule of thumb… paintings with Texas subject matter by these artists seem to sell the best in Texas. Take a Robert Wood bluebonnet landscape to a gallery in California and it may not bring a premium; just as a Robert Wood Laguna Beach seascape may not sell at as high of a price in Texas as it could in California. It is important to recognize the value of these paintings within the appropriate market.

The Fort Worth Circle encompassed a number of avant-garde painters and printmakers who were generating a buzz in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. The time following WWII marked a period when these artists desired to create unique abstractions using exaggerated colors, which reflects the artists’ observation of harmony around them. Some of these artists include Bror Utter, Bill Bomar, Cynthia Brants, George Grammer, David Brownlow, Kelly Fearing, Marjorie Johnson Lee and McKie Trotter. These artists are particularly hot at this very moment. The trend of mid-century modern home and furniture design seems to have filtered over to artwork as well. Collectors are recognizing this and starting to snatch up these mid-century modern paintings. The market for these artists is on the rise.

Dallas has had histories of different artists that are important. Some of these big names include Edward G. Eisenlohr, Franz Strahalm and Frank Reaugh. The Frank Reaugh School based in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas was a studio and base from which Reaugh would take a group of artists every summer on a tour of West Texas, where he and 10–12 students would paint plein air, primarily on boards with pastels. Frank Reaugh pastel paintings of the West Texas plains that capture the historic cattle herding era are quite valuable and can be in the mid-five figures; and David anticipates these values will hold.

Olin Travis was another early Dallas painter. He received some of his formal training as an artist at the Chicago Art Institute and the Broadmoor Academy. He would summer in Arkansas, where he started a summer school for artists to paint in the city of Cass. He later founded the Dallas Art Institute where many early Dallas painters got their start. The art department at Southern Methodist University is another school which included artists who studied and then later taught. These painters include Jerry Bywaters, Otis Dozier, DeForrest Judd and Ed Bearden. Founders of the art department at University of Texas in Austin include William Lester and Everett Spruce; who were also later known as part of the Dallas Nine.

Everett Spruce

Arguably, the group’s strongest works to date are their regional works from the 1930s. Like the American Regionalists, Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood, the paintings were executed in a style that was tightly rendered with hard-edged forms reminiscent of the WPA mural paintings. Charles Umlauf also taught in the art department at UT Austin, and is one of the most important Texas sculptors.

Bror Utter

Charles Umlauf

The Texas art market continues to grow. The emergence of the Internet seems to help paintings find their way to David Dike Fine Art from places as far as Switzerland and Spain for example. An oil painting of a Texas landscape by the early Spanish and American, San Antonio artist Jose Arpa might be worth a couple hundred dollars in Spain; but once it returns, it could sell in Texas for upwards of several hundred thousand dollars. While the Internet makes the market seem universal, and the world smaller, it is important for niche and regional art to find its way home.

By: David Dike Fine Art, ISA Affinity Business Partner

About David Dike Fine Art: David Dike Fine Art specializes 19th and 20th century American and European paintings with an emphasis on the Texas Regionalists and Texas Landscape painters. The gallery provides a compilation of traditional and distinctive art for both new and mature collectors. http://www.daviddike.com. 214-720-4044