Appraisers Qualification Board Update

Todd W. Sigety, ISA CAPP
ISA TAFAC Representative

Based on updated criteria established by the Appraisal Foundation's Appraisals Qualification Board (AQB) and to ensure that ISA remains the leader in personal property education, ISA will be updating its membership education and experience requirements effective January 1, 2018.

These new requirements were created in response to increased demand and standards for professional appraisers. With these updates, potential clients will be certain that the ISA appraiser they're working with is credible, trustworthy and up-to-date on all appraising standards.

Read on for more details on how the updated criteria will affect the requirements for different levels of ISA membership.

ISA AM and ISA CAPP

If you currently have ISA’s Accredited Member (AM) or Certified Appraiser of Personal Property (CAPP) designation, you are already in compliance with the 2018 AQB requirements. You will also be considered a “qualified appraiser” under the AQB criteria. You will need to continue taking the 7-hour USPAP update every two years, as well as documenting your continuing education hours during requalification.

ISA Member

If you currently have ISA’s Member designation you will need to continue taking the 7-hour USPAP update every two years, as well as documenting your continuing education hours during requalification. You are encouraged to continue along ISA’s education pathway to achieve your Accredited Member (AM) designation in order to be fully compliant with the 2018 criteria.

If you do not advance to the AM level, you will still be required to complete ISA’s Requalification requirements every five years. At the ISA Member level, you are not considered an AQB Qualified Appraiser until you fulfill the requirements for the ISA Accredited Member (AM) designation.

If you earn your ISA Member designation after January 1, 2018, then you will be required to abide by the updated criteria. In addition to meeting ISA’s existing membership requirements, the following new requirements will be in effect:

1. You will have three years to advance to the ISA Accredited Member (AM) level. If you have not earned your AM designation after three years, you will revert back to the Candidate level of membership.
2. In order to advance to the Accredited Member (AM) level, you will need to complete 30 semester hours from an accredited college, junior college, community college, or university.

ISA’s education and experience criteria have been developed to encompass and include all of the AQB requirements. The new criteria will make your designations more credible and trustworthy to potential clients and users of appraisals.

Read more about ISA membership level requirements

Read the full AQB Personal Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria

- Todd W. Sigety, ISA CAPP
ISA TAFAC Representative

The Top 7 Reasons to Take a Course on Chinese Decorative Arts

Susan Lahey, MA, ISA AM

This summer, I have the pleasure of teaching a course for ISA on Chinese decorative arts from the ancient to the contemporary.

The course takes place June 21-23 in Sarasota, Florida, with a field trip day scheduled at the beginning of the course followed by two in-classroom days. The course will help appraisers become familiar with a wide range of Chinese decorative arts, including jades, bronzes, snuff bottles, cloisonné, ivories, textiles, lacquerware, and ceramics. Context and history are key elements of the course, as we will discuss how Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism shaped the aesthetics of Chinese art, how the decorative arts evolved through dynastic and Imperial Chinese history, and what the current art market looks like and how to identify fakes. 

If you haven’t registered for the course yet, sign up on the ISA website!

A decorative jade vessel

On the course’s field trip day, participants will take a special tour of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, as there are two special exhibitions visiting there in June. The first is Eternal Offerings: Chinese Ritual Bronzes from the Minneapolis Institute of Art, showcasing nearly 100 Chinese bronze objects used to conduct religious rituals, record significant events, and represent elite status from the Shan through Han dynasties (1600 BCE to 220 CE). We will also visit the exhibition Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, an outdoor collection of 12 bronze sculptures by one of the most renowned Chinese sculptors and installation artists, Ai Weiwei. 

Ai Weiwei's Zodiac Heads

In addition to these two special exhibitions, we will also visit the newly-opened Center for Asian Art at the Ringling, which permanently houses more than 2,000 examples of Chinese ceramics and traces the history of Asian art and culture from the Mediterranean and Eurasia to the New World through the Silk Road and trade development. Objects in this collection emphasize the dialogue between the ancient and the contemporary in Chinese art, such as a 19th century limestone scholar’s rock flanked opposite Zhan Wang’s 21st century stainless-steel Artificial Rock #124.  

Dragon detail from porcelain object

Don’t miss your opportunity to take a tour of outstanding collections of art and develop a strong knowledge base around Chinese decorative arts. 

With that, I present to you:

The Top 7 Reasons to Take a Course on Chinese Decorative Arts

1. Have the opportunity to handle bronzes, jades, textiles, ceramics, cloisonné and more examples of Chinese decorative arts
2. Learn strategies for identifying fakes
3. Understand how Chinese art and philosophy impacted Western art
4. Enhance your appraisal and research skills through learning about resources, dealers and the current market and collecting trends
5. Learn about manufacture techniques for good, better, best distinctions in all media
6. Broaden your horizons. As they say, “Every generalist appraiser should also develop a specialty.”
7. Connect with appraisal colleagues while in sunny Florida!

What are you waiting for? Sign up for the course today!

Scholarships for ISA’s education courses are available through the Foundation for Appraisal Education, with applications due May 1. There is also a $200 discount available for those who register for both the Chinese Decorative Arts course and the Appraisal of Japanese Prints course in Sarasota this summer. Contact ISA headquarters at 312.981.6778 to receive this discount or for more information.

- Susan Lahey, MA, ISA AM

Constructing Relationships at Assets 2017

Maureen S. Winer, ISA CAPP
Annual Meeting Committee Member

Since I became a member of ISA, I’ve never missed an ISA conference or left one early. Why would I miss learning and relaxing with my friends and colleagues from every part of the appraising world?

From the first day of Assets 2017 to the last, I am planning on taking advantage of everything the conference has to offer, including the outstanding social and networking events we have scheduled. If you haven’t already, register for the conference and special events, and view the full program.

Assets 2017 starts off with two specialty tours taking place all day on Friday, one focused on Fine Arts and the other on Antiques, Furnishings + Decorative Arts. You will have to choose one or the other, but luckily we have blog posts (linked above) from myself and Irene Szylinger with details about each of the tours.

After the tours end, we'll enjoy a opening reception back at the Palmer House Hilton, and directly after that, a New Attendees Reception to welcome everyone experiencing Assets for the first time.

Both specialty tours will visit
the Art Institute of Chicago.

Along with all of the wonderful educational opportunities on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, we have many opportunities during the day and afterward to connect with your fellow appraisers. Sunday offers a Networking Lunch and Learn, which gives us the opportunity to get to know ISA sponsors, Affinity Business Partners, and committee leaders. At the end of the day, we will gather on the sixth floor foyer for a silent auction benefiting the Foundation for Appraisal Education (FAE), which will raise funds for ISA members and increased educational opportunities.

On Monday, the day begins with a CAPP Appreciation Coffee event – I’ve worked hard to achieve my designation, and I will be enjoying refreshments and mingling with others who have done the same.

We have so many extraordinary and dedicated volunteers, from our Board President to those who serve on local and national boards and committees, as instructors, and supporters of ISA, and they deserve our thanks and recognition, so I never miss the Awards luncheon and the chance to thank them.

And don’t forget – Chicago has great shopping, entertainment and sightseeing. See you at Assets!

Maureen S. Winer, ISA CAPP

Meet the Next Director of Education

Meredith Meuwly, ISA CAPP

By Christine Guernsey, ISA CAPP, President

On behalf of the International Society of Appraisers Board, I am delighted to announce that Meredith Meuwly, ISA CAPP, (member of ISA since 2009), has been appointed as the new ISA Director of Education, effective January 1, 2017.

Meredith earned her Bachelor's degree in Classical Studies and Art History from Duke University in 2000, and a Master's degree in Modern Art, Connoisseurship, and the History of the Art Market from Christie's Education in New York in 2001. She spent the next five years in the Christie's New York Antiquities Department as sale coordinator and cataloguer of ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Near Eastern works of art. During her time at Christie's, she worked on numerous high profile auctions, including the Doris Duke Estate, Ancient Egyptian Art from the Harer Family Trust, and the John W. Kluge Morven Collection of Ancient Art.

Meredith joined Heritage Auctions in 2007 as Senior Consignment Director in the Fine & Decorative Arts Department, overseeing two auctions each year. In January 2010, she became the Director of Appraisal Services, preparing formal appraisals for 40 specialist categories beyond fine art.

In addition to her duties at Heritage, Meredith participates as an appraiser for Antiques Roadshow on PBS, specializing in Antiquities, Glass, Silver, and Decorative Arts. She serves on the ISA Fine Art committee and is the lead instructor for the ISA accreditation pathway, Fine Art Course. Meredith is the recent past President of the Foundation for Appraisal Education and a guest lecturer at museums, institutions, conferences, and multiple civic organizations. In 2015, she was honored with the ISA Distinguished Service Award for her contributions and dedication to the field of personal property appraisals.

In asking Meredith about her new position she stated, “I'm honored to be appointed to this position. I have big shoes to fill, but I look forward to continuing Leon Castner's legacy. The entire education team is excited for 2017 and dedicated to assisting ISA members to be the top most appraisers in the industry”.

The Director of Education position for ISA is a three year rotating position. The Board would like to thank outgoing Director of Education Leon Castner for his years of service and contributions to the education of our members.

Foundation for Appraisal Education Seminar to Discuss Fakes and Forgeries, Sept. 23-24

Founded by the ISA in 2002 as the ISA Education Foundation, the Foundation for Appraisal Education (FAE) is a not-for-profit organization formed to promote the advancement of education related to personal property appraising.

Read their official press release below about their upcoming seminar on fakes and forgeries, offering ISA continuing education credits. 

Matthew S. Wilcox

Fakes and forgeries will be the topic of discussion at many of the talks planned for the 5th annual Foundation for Appraisal Education (FAE) Seminar, on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 23-24, in the galleries of Freeman's Auctioneers & Appraisers, located at 1808 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. Eighteen top experts will speak over the course of the two days.

"Fakes and forgeries have been around since antiquity," said Matthew S. Wilcox, Freeman's Vice President of Trusts and Estates, an FAE board member and host of this year's conference. But, Mr. Wilcox added, the problem really has gotten quite severe in recent years, as the art market has hit record prices and knock-offs have found their way into every market. Even a major international auction house illustrated what proved to be a fake Fernando Botero painting on the cover of a 1993 catalog. Evidently it fooled their specialists, as well as other experts, too."

Appraisers attending this year's conference will receive continuing education class credits, to remain in good standing with the International Society of Appraisers (ISA), based in Chicago, and with sister organizations like the Appraisers Association of America (AAA). As a fundraiser, the event's fees will benefit the ISA. "These organizations are critical to our field," Wilcox said.

Registration and continental breakfast will signal the start of both seminar days, at 8:00am Eastern time. The lectures will begin promptly at 9:00am, lasting 45 minutes each. Friday's first speaker will be Philip Zimmerman, Ph.D., an independent furniture historian (Why Fakes Matter – Authenticating American Furniture). He'll be followed at 9:45am by Eileen Kinsella, Senior Market Reporter for www.news.artnet.com in New York (Online Auctions, Tall Tales and Fake Art).

Next up will be Christopher Storb, the Dietrich American Foundation Project Conservator for the Philadelphia Museum of Art (The Gentle Art: Faking Furniture in the 20th Century and Beyond); followed by Elle Shushan, a Philadelphia-based specialist and dealer in the field of portrait miniatures (Imposters: Faking Faces on Portrait Miniatures). That concludes the morning talks.

At 12:30pm a Lunch & Learn will feature Alasdair Nichol, a Vice Chairman of Freeman's and a guest on TV's Antiques Roadshow (Fake or Fortune). Then, at 1:45pm, art law expert Joshua Kaufman, Esq., of Venable LLP in Washington, D.C., will discuss Case Law For Art Fakes.

At 2:30pm, David Lindquist, owner of Whitehall at the Villa Antiques in Chapel Hill, N.C., will give a talk titled Catching Fakes, Frauds and Alterations by Samson. That will be followed by a coffee break at 3:15, then a seminar by Lisa Minardi, a Ph.D. candidate and Assistant Curator of the Wintherthur Museum in Wilmington, Del., titled Pennsylvania German Fraktur: From A-Z.

Friday's lecture series will conclude with a discussion of Pueblo Pottery and the Market: the Martinez Family, 1890-2016 by Katharine Fernstrom, Ph.D., a teacher at various Maryland colleges and a specialist in appraising Native American art for the market. The private visit to Independence Hall will follow that, led by Karie Diethorn, Chief Curator of Independence National Historical Park. The visit is tentatively planned for around 6 pm, or about that time.

Saturday's speaker series will kick off at 9:00am with Ronald Fuchs, Curator of Ceramics for The Reeves Center at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va. (Most Dangerous Imitations: Chinese Export Porcelain Fakes from the First Half of the 20th Century). After that will be a seminar titled Examining Thomas Birch Prints, given by Donald H. Cresswell, Ph.D., proprietor of The Philadelphia Print Shop in Philadelphia, and a sometime expert on Antiques Roadshow.

At 11:00am, Robert Trent, a Delaware-based independent furniture historian will give a talk titled Connoisseurship in American Furniture. That will be followed by a lecture by Jennifer L. Maas, Ph.D., President of Scientific Analysis of Fine Art (What is Essential is Invisible to the Naked Eye: Scientific Evidence for Marriages, Fakes and Forgeries in the Fine and Decorative Arts).

The 12:30pm Lunch & Learn discussion will be presented by Adam Harris of the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors (Watches: Luxury or Lie). Then, at 1:45 pm, Irina Tarsis, Esq., the founder of the Center for Law Art in New York City, will give a presentation titled Knoedler on Trial: Lessons Learned From Lawsuits Against America's Oldest Art Gallery.

At 2:30 pm, Letitia Roberts, a New York-based independent ceramics scholar and advisor, will speak about Connoisseurship: In the Eye of the Beholder. A 3:15 coffee break will be followed by a lecture titled Embroidery: The Language of Art by Linda Eaton, a John L. and Marjorie P. McGraw Director of Collections and the Senior Curator of Textiles at the Winterthur Museum.

Saturday's wrap-up speaker will be Thomas Folk, Ph.D., a specialist in paintings, sculptures and decorative arts (Rising Prices – Art Deco Ceramic Sculpture by Waylande Gregory and the Cleveland School).

The registration fee for the seminar is $395 for both days ($220 of which is tax deductible); or $200 for one day. The deadline to register is Sept. 15. Learn more and register here.

You can also obtain a registration form by contacting Maureen Winer at Maureen@pwpusa.com or (410) 337-0085.

To fund these programs, the FAE accepts memorials and gifts from groups and individuals, as well as corporate donations and sponsorships. The group is headquartered at 201 West Lake Street (Ste. 214) in Chicago. To learn more about FAE, please visit www.foundationforappraisaleducation.org. Matthew S. Wilcox can be contacted at (215) 385-0726, or at mwilcox@freemansauction.com.

A Glance Back at Assets 2015

We would like to begin by sending a huge Thank You to all those who joined us at Assets 2015 and helped make it the mile-marker conference it ultimately was. We are consistently reminded of the hard work, dedication and service that our membership gives to the profession and ISA each year, and the fellowship and educational content on display at this year’s annual meeting is a prime example of that collective camaraderie.

Our expectations were also surpassed by the city of Philadelphia and, more specifically, the special programming they assisted us in creating for our meeting’s attendees. One such program was the Mural Arts Tour, which allowed participants to get a taste of the rich, vibrant urban art community that Philadelphia is known for in a two-hour walking and trolley tour experience. Photos of the tour, taken by ISA member John Grow, ISA AM, may be found on the ISA Facebook page.

One of the highlights of this year’s conference was having the opportunity to recognize a handful of amazing ISA members for their contribution to the organization and to the industry as a whole. Held on Monday, March 23, the Awards Brunch was packed with appraisal professionals eager to congratulate the following award recipients:

Distinguished Service
Meredith Meuwly, ISA CAPP
Lorrie Semler, ISA CAPP

Leadership
Daphne Rosenzweig, ISA CAPP

Outgoing Leadership and Service
Selma Paul, ISA CAPP
Aloysia Hamalainen, ISA CAPP

Young Leadership
Brady Dreasher, ISA AM

Lamp of Knowledge
John Buxton, ISA CAPP

FAE Award
Molly Snow, ISA CAPP

Media, Marketing & Publication
Steve Roach, ISA CAPP

Chapter of the Year
Canadian Chapter

Special Merit Awards
Karen Rabe, ISA CAPP
Kirsten Smolensky, ISA CAPP

Life Member
Marigold Lamb, ISA CAPP

President’s Award
Fred Winer, ISA CAPP
Maureen Winer, ISA AM

Photos of many of the award winners can be found on the ISA’s Facebook page.

Special recognition was also given to the newest CAPP class, several of whom were award recipients in their own right:

Miller Gaffney, ISA CAPP
Wendy Gerdau, ISA CAPP
Meredith Meuwly, ISA CAPP
Steve Roach, ISA CAPP
John Sexton, ISA CAPP
Ruthie Winston, ISA CAPP

Save the Date
We look forward to next year’s conference, “Expanding Horizons,” slated for April 15 – 18, 2016, in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. We hope to see you there!

FAE to Fund Wendell Garrett Winterthur Scholarships

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – The Foundation for Appraisal Education (FAE), the fundraising arm of the International Society of Appraisers (ISA), has announced the establishment of a scholarship program at Winterthur Museum, Library and Gardens in the name of revered antiques authority the late Wendell D. Garrett. To be awarded over three consecutive years to graduate students or professionals with less than five years of experience in the field, the scholarships will be underwritten by funds raised through a series of FAE activities including their educational seminars. The scholarships to be awarded in Wendell Garrett’s name are for Winterthur Institute, Furniture Forum and Ceramics Conference.

This year’s seminar will take place Sept. 6-7 at Quinn’s Auction Galleries in Falls Church, Va. (suburban Washington DC). Registration is open to anyone with a working association or interest in antiques and fine art. The ISA will award 15.5 professional development credits to those appraisers who attend the event in its entirety.

The seminar agenda is packed with entertaining, informative talks, as well as ample leisure time for socializing, dining and networking. A meet-and-greet reception to welcome attendees will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5 at Quinn’s second-floor gallery.

On Friday morning at 9:15, the lecture series will begin with Sumpter Priddy III’s discourse on Religion and Furniture in Southern Back-Country. This will be followed by noted New York art dealer Betty Krulik’s address on The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in American Painting.

Friday afternoon speakers include Luke Zipp of Crocker Farm Auctions, who will discuss American Stoneware: Its History and Uses 1812-1900; and Yale Fellow Louisa Brouwer, of Israel Sack Inc., who will recount the story behind the building of the Israel Sack empire and its legendary founder. An evening reception will follow immediately afterward.

Saturday offers another full day of insider information from a formidable lineup of experts. At 9 a.m., Daniel K. Ackerman, associate curator of the Museum of Southern Decorative Arts, Old Salem (N.C.) Museum and Gardens, will lecture on Internet search techniques. His talk is titled Google It: Using New Tools to Unlock Secrets of Old Things. Next, Alan Fausel, MA, FRICS, vice president and director of fine arts at Bonhams, will reveal Ten Ways to Tell a Fake Painting Without Looking at It. After lunch, Ronald W. Fuchs II, curator of ceramics and manager of the Reeves Collection, Washington and Lee University, will speak on Chinese Export for the American Market 1785-1940. The seminar will conclude with the personal recollections of highly decorated former FBI Agent Robert K. Wittman, who spearheaded the crack FBI Art Crime Team and authored a riveting autobiography titled “Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures.”

FAE Board member Marcy Molinaro, ISA AM, said the FAE made a commitment to underwrite the three Wendell Garrett Scholarships over the next three years as a posthumous tribute to one of the antiques trade’s most influential contributors.

“Wendell Garrett left an immense legacy to appraisers, dealers and collectors through his lectures, books and magazine articles. In recognition of his lifetime of achievement, we approached the Winterthur Museum and asked if we could partner with them to fund scholarships in his name. Winterthur was an appropriate choice, as Mr. Garrett was a member of the first graduating class, in 1957, of Winterthur’s Early American Culture Program,” Molinaro said.

Matthew Quinn, vice president of Quinn’s Auction Galleries, noted that the series of seminars will offer attendees “not only a wealth of useful information, but also a unique opportunity to network at the highest echelons of the antiques and fine art trade.” He added: “It’s rare for so many VIPs to come together under one roof, make themselves accessible to others one on one, and share their knowledge so openly.” Quinn’s is hosting the seminar at its venue and providing hospitality to guests a courtesy to the antiques and fine art appraisal community.

The cost to attend the Sept. 6-7 seminar, inclusive of receptions, lunches and refreshment breaks, is $375. Of that cost, $200 is a tax-deductible donation to the Foundation for Appraisal Education. Attendance is limited to 100 registrants. Quinn’s is located at 360 S. Washington St. Falls Church, VA 22046. Nearest airports: Reagan National and Dulles International. A special room rate of $95/night is available at the Hyatt House, 8296 Glass Alley, Falls Church, Va., by quoting the booking reference QUINNS.

Questions regarding the FAE Seminar may be directed to Andrea Lee at Quinn’s Auction by calling 703-532-5632 or emailing info@quinnsauction.com; or Marcy Molinaro at molinaro.marcy@gmail.com. To reserve a room at the Hyatt House, call 571-327-2277.

To view the entire seminar agenda, or to download a brochure or registration form, visit http://www.foundationforappraisaleducation.org/seminar.html.

About Wendell D. Garrett: Wendell D. Garrett was an expert on American decorative arts. He served as senior vice president of Sotheby’s American decorative arts department and was subsequently editor and publisher of The Magazine Antiques. Garrett also authored numerous books on antiques and Americana, and was widely known from his appearances on WGBH-TV’s Antiques Roadshow. He passed away last year at the age of 83.

Scholarship Recipients

The Board of Directors of the Foundation for Appraisal Education is excited and proud to announce the recipients of the 2012 scholarship awards! This year, the Foundation provided education opportunities for (8) individuals that were carefully selected by the Scholarship Award Committee.  Our successful fundraising efforts over the past two years have enabled us to award additional scholarships for 2012, and we couldn’t be more pleased!  After the initial round of previously announced scholarships, the Foundation was able to accommodate three additional awards including a special scholarship to our upcoming seminar sponsored by Quinn Auction Galleries.  The applicants who were not selected in the first round became candidates for these additional scholarships. It has been a banner year for the Foundation!


Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. Scholarship in Fine & Decorative Arts:

Amelia Green (ISA ARC Course) $1,500.00

Experienced Appraiser:

Laura Nelson (ISA Fine Arts Course) $1,000.00

Suzy McGrane-Hop (ISA Assets 2013 Conference) $1,000.00

New Appraiser:

Danielle McAllister (Canada) (ISA Core Course distance education) $1,000.00

Kamille Parkinson (ISA Fine Arts Course) $1,000.00


Additional General Scholarships:

Carol Wamble (CAPP Requal) $450.00

Larra Nebel "Using Comparables in Appraisal Practice" $395.00


Judy Martin Scholarship for the 2012 Quinn Seminar:

Amanda Williams $375.00

Foundation for Appraisal Education announces Decorative Arts Seminar

Showcasing a cast of nationally known decorative and fine arts experts as speakers, The Foundation for Appraisal Education, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to supporting ISA, is offering a decorative arts seminar at Quinn's Auction Gallery in Falls Church Virginia on September 6th and 7th of 2012, beginning with a reception on the evening of September 5th.  With the support and underwriting of Quinn’s Auction Galleries, the Foundation is offering a diverse educational seminar which is open to all appraisers as well as the public.

The program features a wide variety of subjects which would be of interest of generalists, experts and connoisseurs of decorative and fine art. The seminar will include sessions on Mid-century furniture,  current trends in Asian Art, the changing times of Art Pottery, valuation of prints and fine art, contemporary glass, netsukes, legalities around ivory and migratory birds, and folk art, just to name a few.  Features speakers include David Rago, Lark Mason, Suzanne Perrault, Ken Farmer, Dale Sorenson, Oscar Fitzgerald, Matt Quinn and others.  Not only do attendees have the chance to meet with these nationally known experts, but many subjects involve areas for which education and training is often difficult to find.  Where else can you learn about the legalities of buying and selling ivory and feathers?  Where else can you see and handle one of the country’s foremost collections of netsukes?  This seminar promises to not only be educational but lively and fun!  Evening receptions are being planned to provide an opportunity to meet and talk with speakers and other seminar attendees.

The seminar registration fee is reasonably priced at $375.00, with $200.00 of that registration fee being a deductible contribution to the Foundation for Appraisal Education.  This not-for-profit organization promotes the advancement of education related to personal property appraising.  The Foundation offers educational grants for the purposes of appraisal education as well as scholarships to individuals for fine art and decorative art appraisal education, and it strives to educate the public about fine and decorative arts appraisals.  The Foundation routinely provides grants to ISA and many ISA members have been recipients of their scholarships.

This seminar promises to be one of the best of the year, and is expected to sell out quickly.  With only 100 seats available, plan to register early.  For the registration form and for additional information, see the website for the Foundation for Appraisal Education at  or contact Quinn’s Auction Galleries at 703-532-5632.  A block of hotel rooms is being held for out of town participants and accommodations are not included in the seminar registration cost.

For more information on this release, please contact Vicky Nash Shaw, President of The Foundation for Appraisal Education at 312 924-1832.

FAE Announces Scholarship Extension

The Foundation for Appraisal Education board is pleased to announce a two week extension to the annual scholarship application period!

Applications will be accepted thru Monday, July 16, in order to give everyone an opportunity to submit their applications. The scholarship award recipients will be announced on or around July 31.

New this year, an additional scholarship in the "Experienced Appraiser category" has been added to the three existing scholarships.

The application may be found on the FAE website.

Important Foundation for Appraisal Education Updates

CALL FOR DONATIONS TO THE FAE AUCTION: APRIL 22, 2012 

The annual Foundation for Appraisal Education (FAE) fundraiser, the FUN’D Auction, is being held Sunday evening, April 22 at the ISA annual conference.  This joint ISA/FAE event features a Southwestern Style Dinner Buffet and the FUN’D Live/Silent Auction from 6pm-8pm. The purpose of the FAE is to support appraiser education through the awarding of scholarships to individuals seeking to improve their knowledge in the field of personal property appraising and for grants for group educational opportunities, such as speakers at ISA’s annual conference.

The FAE board is seeking your support for this important event, with the donation of an item or service with a fair market value over $50.00.  Examples of donations previously received include: fine art, jewelry, seminar tuitions, rare books, vacation condos, a Prairie Home Companion Coyote Butt, & one of a kind designer couture. All donations, in excellent condition, easily traveled, and of desirable nature are accepted. Please consider that most conference attendees will be traveling via air, and items should be portable.
If you are interested in making a contribution of an item or service, please email Fred Winer, ISA CAPP at Fred@pwpusa.com by April 4, 2012.  Please include the item description, the fair market value, your name and your phone number.  If possible, please include a jpeg image so that we can provide advance publicity for your item.

Thank you for your generosity and for your help in making the FAE a sustainable foundation supporting our personal property appraisal community!

NEW FINE AND DECORATIVE ARTS SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCED

The Foundation for Appraisal Education is also pleased to announce the establishment of a new 2012 scholarship in the area of fine and decorative arts.  In alliance with the scholarship sponsor, Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd., the Foundation will be offering the Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. Scholarship in Fine and Decorative Arts for the first time in 2012.  This $1,500 scholarship will be awarded to an individual applicant under the age of 30, attending college level courses, seminars or specialty training in fine and decorative arts.
“We are enthusiastic about our new partnership with Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd.,” said Beth Szescila, ISA CAPP, President of the Foundation. “Their innovative approach to promoting fine and decorative arts education among young adults will foster training and development of future appraisers and other professionals in the field.  The sponsorship of this scholarship is an indication of their strong commitment to the field of fine and decorative arts and its future.  We are grateful for their financial support and focus on education.”

Firm President Leland Little commented, in regards to the scholarship “We are honored to be able to provide this opportunity for a young adult to pursue fine and decorative arts training, as it is important to encourage and support young adults entering the professional careers of appraisers, auctioneers, and curators.”  Individuals under the age of 30 may apply through the Foundation’s defined application process.  Students, appraisers, auctioneers, museum curators, or any individual wanting to further their educational development in the area of fine and decorative arts personal property may apply for the scholarship.   According to Foundation Treasurer Vicky Nash Shaw, “this scholarship is the largest single scholarship ever awarded by the Foundation for Appraisal Education.”

For more information on this new scholarship, please visit the FAE website, or contact Vicky Nash Shaw, ISA CAPP, Treasurer for the Foundation for Appraisal Education at 312 924-1832.