What's Happening in the Museums - September 2010

1. FORT WORTH, TX.- Rarely does an exhibition offer an entirely fresh way of viewing the art of a great civilization. Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea does exactly that––by revealing and interpreting the importance of water to the ancient Maya. Shark teeth, stingray spines, sea creatures and waterfowl appear in works of stone and clay; supernatural crocodiles breathe forth rain; cosmic battles take place between mythic beasts and deities—all part of a new and vivid picture of the Maya worldview. Over 90 works, many recently excavated and never before seen in the United States, offer exciting insights into the culture of the ancient Maya, focusing on the sea as a defining feature of the spiritual realm and the inspiration for powerful visual imagery. Surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean ... More

2. CLEVELAND (AP).- The Cleveland Museum of Art has hired a new director. He's David Franklin, the deputy director of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. He replaces Deborah Gribbon, who became interim director last year when Timothy Rub left to take the top job at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Franklin is an Italian Renaissance and baroque art scholar. He has lived and worked in his native Canada and in London, Oxford and Rome. The appointment of the 49-year-old Franklin was announced Thursday night. It comes as the Cleveland museum heads into the final three years of a $350 million renovation and expansion. The museum says its collection contains more than 30,000 artworks spanning thousands of years. ... More

3. CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Museum of Art has reached a milestone in its eight-year, $350 million expansion and renovation with new galleries for its Greek, Roman and early Christian and Byzantine treasures. The museum offered a media preview of the galleries on Friday and opens them to the public on Saturday. Admission is free.
The new galleries in the museum's iconic 1916 neoclassical building hold items spanning 5,000 years. Art history and humanities chair Gerald Guest at John Carroll University says the project will provide what he calls "an extraordinary canvas" to show off one of America's great art collections.

4. LOS ANGELES (AP).- Billionaire Eli Broad said Monday he had chosen an expanding downtown cultural district for a new museum to showcase his collection of art that includes works by Salvador Dali and Joan Miro. The developer-turned-philanthropist made his announcement minutes after a committee of state and local officials voted to let him lease county-owned land along Grand Avenue for the structure that could cost as much as $100 million. The 35,000 square feet of gallery space will feature paintings, sculptures and photos from Broad's 2,000-piece collection, which includes works not currently on permanent public display. "There's lots of art to go around," Broad said after the vote by the Grand Avenue Authority. "We want to show our art to the widest possible audience." The Broad Art Foundation will also coordinate loans of artwork to other museums from the planned venue totaling 120,000 square feet. Under the deal for the land, the foundation will pay $7.7 million over the cou ... More

5. BENTONVILLE, ARK.- Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has acquired two stellar examples of Pop art by the artists who defined and shaped the movement. Dolly Parton (1985), painted late in Andy Warhol’s career, expressed his life-long fascination with celebrity and glamour in a dazzling homage to the Queen of Country Music. In Standing Explosion (Red) (1966) Roy Lichtenstein translated one of his signature comic book motifs into a burst of three-dimensional form. Both works capture the dazzling energy of American consumer culture while employing mechanical processes and materials, a hallmark of the Pop art movement. With her big hair, purple eye shadow and vivid red lips, Dolly Parton embodies the glamour that makes her a worthy successor to the pantheon of iconic superstars immortalized by Warhol in the 1960s. Characteristic of his celebrity ... More

6. DALLAS, TX.- The Dallas Museum of Art will present a significant look at African visual culture through African Masks: The Art of Disguise, a new exhibition of approximately seventy works of art exploring the highly developed and enduring art of the African mask and revealing their timeless beauty, function, and meaning. Centered on the DMA’s distinguished collection of African art, acclaimed as one of the top five of its kind in the United States and which has set precedents since its inception 40 years ago, African Masks: The Art of Disguise features several works of art from the Museum’s collection that will be displayed for the first time. Significant works from other museum and private collections are also included in the exhibition. African masks serve as supports for the spirit of deities, ancestors and culture heroes, which may be personified as human or animal, or a composite. Masked performances, he ... More

7. KANSAS CITY, MO.- Julián Zugazagoitia begins his post Wednesday, Sept. 1, as the fifth Director & CEO of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. An international scholar, museum director and consultant, he has served for the past seven years as the Director/CEO of El Museo del Barrio in New York. Already Zugazagoitia has become known among Board of Trustees members and the community as a personable leader who is enthusiastic about the arts. He has pledged to use his first weeks listening and learning about the Museum’s distinguished, encyclopedic collection and getting to know staff, volunteers and donors. During his first year, Zugazagoitia will explore the most remarkable treasures from the Museum’s 33,500 works of art in a monthly series of Thursday-evening conversations called Art Tasting with Julián. Beginning Oct. 21, Zugazagoitia and a curator will bring to life the finest works of each collection in the series. ... More

8. HOUSTON, TX - Many of us, when we hear the phrase "African art," think of the kind of masks and sculpture that inspired modern artists such as Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst and Amedeo Modigliani. Designed to represent spiritual characteristics rather than to portray an individual, they feature heavily stylized features and abstract shapes.
Recent reinstallations of Houston's two leading African art galleries — the Menil Collection's in 2008 and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's this summer — have given visitors ample opportunities to study and appreciate these incredible objects. But both galleries omit a chapter of African art history most people outside of Nigeria have no idea occurred because of laws keeping cultural property in the country.
A landmark traveling exhibition that makes its U.S. premiere Sunday at the MFAH after three European stops is about to change that. More than 100 magnificent copper, terra-cotta and stone sculptures from the ancient West African city-state of Ife (pronounced ee-fay), now a city in southwest Nigeria, display a level of sophistication and realism we normally associate with the European Renaissance.
But Ife sculptors mastered human anatomy, proportion and metal casting significantly earlier. Most of the work in Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria was created between the ninth and 15th centuries. More (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/7204376.html)

9. LONDON, Unted Kingdon - Sainsbury family donates £25m to British Museum
The British Museum is located in Bloomsbury, London Two charitable trusts established by the Sainsbury family have donated £25m to the British Museum in what is thought to be one of the biggest gifts to the arts for two decades. The Linbury Trust, established by Conservative peer Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover in the 1970s, will pay £12.5m to the museum over the next three years.
A further £12.5 million will come from the Monument Trust established by Lord Sainsbury's late brother Simon. The money will go towards a major redevelopment of the London museum's facilities, helping fund a new World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre. A spokeswoman for the museum described the donations as "incredibly generous". The gift was a vital part of a project which would "benefit future generations". "This is an incredibly important project for the British Museum and has been planned for a long time," the spokeswoman added.

10. NEW ORLEANS, LA - New Orleans Museum of Art Names Susan M. Taylor New Museum Director E. John Bullard will retire as Museum Director after 37 years at NOMA
NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) announces the appointment of Susan M. Taylor as Director Designate. She will officially become the Museum's sixth director on September 1, 2010. Taylor will succeed E. John Bullard, who will retire as one of America's longest-serving museum directors. Bullard will remain on staff as Director Emeritus to aid Taylor in the transition and will continue to work on NOMA's centennial celebrations throughout 2011. "As NOMA commemorates a century of art, I am thrilled that Susan Taylor has been selected to lead the Museum into its next chapter of service and success," Bullard said. "I have known her for a number of years and know that she is an outstanding choice to lead our institution." A museum director for over 20 years, Taylor most recently directed Princeton University Art Museum, where she is well-known for instituting wide-ranging innovations in collections development, planning, programming and outreach. She is also deeply involved in the ongoing debate about collection ownership and cultural property issues, having successfully resolved several ownership claims for works of art in Princeton's collection. "I am delighted to be joining a museum of the caliber of NOMA," Taylor said. "To follow John's legacy and write the next chapter of the Museum's history is a remarkable opportunity." Taylor is the former director of the Davis Museum and Cultural Center at Wellesley College. During her twelve-year tenure at Wellesley, she oversaw the construction of an award-winning museum facility designed by Spanish architect Rafael Moneo. She holds art history degrees from Vassar College and the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. Bullard's retirement from NOMA has been planned for nearly a year. In September 2009, the Museum Board formed a search committee and in October enlisted the services of Laurie Nash of Russell Reynolds Associates. Taylor was selected from a large field of applicants. "Susan Taylor was selected from a field of strong candidates thanks to Laurie Nash of Russell Reynolds Associates," said Donna Rosen, trustee and member of NOMA's Search Committee. "I spoke to many museum directors around the country about Susan. Words that came up most often while describing her were 'imaginative, encyclopedic knowledge of the history of art, high standards, seizes opportunities, visionary, intelligent and of our time.' In fact, through the search process, all of these accolades were revealed." "NOMA is a true jewel in New Orleans' cultural crown and building on the great job John Bullard has done is a daunting task," said Stephen Hansel, president of NOMA's Board of Directors and Chairman of the Search Committee. "Susan Taylor was our Search Committee's overwhelming first choice because of her broad experience, charm, contacts and managerial expertise. We are confident that she will lead NOMA to even greater heights."

11. WASHINGTON, DC.- The Phillips Collection reopens Saturday, September 4 after closing due to a renovation-related fire on the roof of the Phillips House. The Phillips House will remain closed for repairs until further notice. All other galleries will open, including those where special exhibitions Pousette-Dart: Predominantly White Paintings and Robert Ryman: Variations and Improvisations are on view through September 12, 2010. Regular museum admission is waived for the month of September; visitor contributions by donation are gladly accepted. Interruptions to programming schedule may occur. Visitors should check for updates at www.phillipscollection.org. The Phillips Collection has received an outpouring of support from friends and colleagues in the city of Washington, D.C. and across the nation since the fire. Director Dorothy Kosinski says, “All of us at the Phillips are tremendously grateful for the countless ... More

Picture of the Month July 2010

Art Object of the Month

Veracruz deer hacha, stone AD 300 - 1200

"Hachas were believed to be axe-heads, hence the name (the Spanish word for 'axe'). They are probably related to the Mesoamerican ballgame. The great majority have been found in Veracruz, on the Gulf Coast of Mexico.
Most hachas, like this example, represent human heads, The skulls and heads of animals, such as jaguars, birds, bats, deer and monkeys, are also depicted.
Based on ceramic figurines and stone carvings, some authors have proposed that they were used attached to yugos (yokes). Others suggest that some of the hachas could have served as ball court markers. Their actual use is not yet clear, but they are often associated with yugos in burials.

The ballgame originated probably in the Gulf Coast or in the Caribbean region. Various sixteenth-century Spanish chroniclers described the game and the ballcourts. It was played with a solid rubber ball which could weigh up to three kilos. The ball was hit mainly with the hip or buttock, although there were other variants of the game. The game was banned by Spanish priests because of its 'pagan' connotations and was almost eradicated, but still survives today in some parts of Mexico." G.W. van Bussel, P.L.F. van Dongen and T.J.J. Leyenaar, The Mesoamerican ballgame (Leiden, Rijksmusuem voor Volkenkunde, 1991)

A Word from John Buxton July 2010

This has been a very crazy three months that made it impossible for me to publish my monthly Newsletter. We have now been through 3 Roadshows in San Diego California, Billings Montana, and finally this past weekend Miami Beach. I will have about ten days at home before leaving for Biloxi and the Gulf Coast. I have given my thoughts on the auctions.. no big surprises except for Skinner's strong showing on medium level American Indian most of which had realistic reserves. Unless you are buying the very best at the top of the food chain, it is a buyers market and the material better be priced right. Having said that there are some great buys for art that has been forced on the market by the tough economic times.

We are doing a great may appraisals and authentications, which has created an opportunity to see things that might not have surfaced. As a consequence the gallery has been able to offer some very nice things this summer to our clients.

I wish we had optimistic news for the immediate future in the art world, but the data is just not there to support a bullish approach at this time. So hunker down and hope our government can do something to inspire confidence in the markets. If you are buyer, it is a great time to be in the market buying right at all levels.

Into the Archives: What do you know about your appraiser?

What Do You Know About Your Appraiser? Caveat Emptor

--- THE SCENARIO ---

“Joe Smith” was upset enough. His house had just burned and now he was confronted with all the problems he had to overcome to put his life back together. Fortunately, he did have photographs of his two favorite paintings done by a painter he had lost track of over the years. The appraiser he hired seemed nice enough; and, as a specialist in handling estates, everyone knew him and liked him. This appraiser was also convenient because he could handle the appraisal of all the property lost in the fire. The paintings were scheduled individually on the policy and were fortunately insured for full replacement cost. He looked at the photographs and at Joe's invoices, which indicated that Joe paid $500 apiece for the paintings. The appraiser couldn't find any reference to the artist in his books but remembered selling this artist's work at an estate sale a few years before for pretty much what Joe had paid a decade before. He used these figures as comparables to substantiate his appraised values. The insurance company did settle on everything; and Joe was paid $1,000 for his lost paintings.

A year later, Joe stopped by a gallery in his hometown to talk with a dealer that had been in business for a number of years. He mentioned the artist's name; and the dealer recognized him immediately. It turned out that the artist had moved to Northern California and had been very successful in this regional market. Joe tracked down the artist’s dealer who by chance was having a retrospective of this artist's work. The asking price for a comparable painting of the type that Joe lost was $5,000. Joe's policy did call for the replacement of the paintings. Replacement cost is based in this case on the asking price of the work of art and not the fair market value used by the appraiser.

The appraiser didn't do his homework and it cost Joe $9,000.

---

The year is 1968 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and the family house has just been condemned by the state for an Interstate right-of-way. It was time now to downsize, move the parents into a smaller place, and think about selling some of the family antiques that had been around for a few hundred years. It was also time to call “Ralph”, the family "antiques dealer". Ralph came in and inventoried everything, making a list with a brief description. He was very friendly and concerned about the family. Ralph said he would come back in two days with the appraisal. Ralph was back and handed the appraisal to “Elizabeth”, oldest daughter and caretaker for the family.

The appraisal was very easy to understand... it was simply a list with a number next to the object. Ralph explained that he really liked a few of the pieces, which he was prepared to buy outright. He couldn't pay retail of course; but he would pay cash. Elizabeth trusted him and believed that he was being fair and reasonable. Plus he was so concerned and thoughtful. So, Ralph bought some pieces and arranged the sale of the rest.

Fate does work some strange magic for Elizabeth's son, who had dropped art history in college after two weeks because it was boring, became an art dealer. In the early 90's “Peter” was now a member of the International Society of Appraisers and had taken their courses and happened to look back at Ralph's appraisal. Because he had low-balled everything, Peter knew that Ralph might as well have robbed his Mother at gunpoint.

Ethical appraisers don't buy what they appraise. Trained appraisers provide comparables to support their values. Peter now understands up close and personal how vulnerable the American public can be when preyed upon by unethical or incompetent appraisers.
Fortunately, he never told his Mother.

--- THE PUBLIC ---

As American citizens we have come to accept the U.S. Government's involvement in our daily lives acting as our great protector licensing our doctors, lawyers, and real estate appraisers. But the next time you consider getting an appraisal of your personal property, think again because Uncle Sam's involvement here is non-existent. The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) is the only standardization on either a state or federal level. The Appraisal Foundation, whose membership then included the nine largest appraisal organizations in Canada and the United States, drew up these standards in 1987. As a consequence of the Savings and Loan debacle of the mid 1980's, the bulk of USPAP is real property related.

Most of the appraisal organizations require adherence to USPAP. Real estate appraisers are licensed and must adhere to these standards or face losing their certification. Remember this licensing process is a state-by-state process overseen by the Appraisal Foundation. Personal property is considered a totally separate category. You, as consumers, are not protected unless you hire an appraiser that is a member of an appraisal organization that requires at a minimum compliance to the relevant chapters of the USPAP standard. The International Society of Appraisers does require compliance with USPAP ; however, its standards in report writing and ethics exceed that recommended by the Appraisal Foundation.

--- THE SITUATION ---

So where does that leave you when you need to find an appraiser for your divorce, bankruptcy, estate, damage claim, insurance, liquidation, charitable donation, loan collateral, or one of the other many reasons for obtaining an appraisal?

Quite frankly your choices are limited. There are three large personal property appraisal organizations in Canada and the United States.

The American Society of Appraisers was founded 1936 and is based in Washington DC.
The Appraisers Association of America was founded 1949 and is based in New York.
The International Society of Appraisers was founded 1987 and is based in Chicago, Il.

Real estate appraisers dominate ASA, which is the largest and oldest organization. ISA is the largest organization devoted solely to personal property and is well represented in both Canada and the United States. A significant portion of ASA’s listed personal property appraisers specializes in machinery and equipment and business evaluation. AAA is very strong on the East Coast and in New York in particular. AAA and ISA use the terminology “accredited” or “certified” to indicate that the appraiser has had some training in appraisal methodology. ASA only uses the term "accredited" to indicate knowledge in this area. An appraiser must have both product knowledge and training in how to conduct an appraisal.

--- STATISTICS ---

So how many trained appraisers are there In the United States and Canada to serve your needs? These numbers are approximate and are in flux. In the coming months this blog will address the importance of credentialing and how each organization addresses this issue.

ASA has 584 personal property appraisers - of these 297 are accredited.

AAA has 650 personal property appraisers - of these approximately 150 are certified, 400 accredited.

ISA has 800 personal property appraisers - of these approximately 122 are certified, approximately 500 are accredited.

*Figures as of July 16,2010.

That is a total of slightly more than 2000 members as of July 2010 in the three organizations which does include candidate members who have not completed any methodology training. Let's add another 1000 appraisers to encompass people that may have some training from an auction house, miscellaneous other sources, or may have left their appraisal organization after training. Assuming the total number of 3,034 and acknowledging that some appraisers belong to two or three organizations, our number is still pretty optimistic. So what does this mean? First it means that the three appraisal organizations have lost over 1000 members since we first wrote this article. By one estimate it means that as much as 90% of all the personal property appraisals in the U.S. and Canada are being done by untrained appraisers. The good news in all this is that personal property appraising is a wide open field that should be attractive to collectors, curators, scholars, and others looking to supplement their income. Remember all appraisers require both product and methodology knowledge.
--- THE IMPACT ---

The financial impact alone of bad appraisals is significant. Considering the cost of fraud to consumers and the potential federal penalties from an overstatement (charitable contribution) or an understatement (estate) you wonder why Uncle Sam has not stepped in with some licensing. To the contrary the IRS implies that if you hold yourself out to be an appraiser, then you are one. If there is an audit and you are pretty bad, it is possible for an appraiser to make a list barring them from doing Federal appraisals and to incur fines of up to $1,000 per incident. That is the extent of government protection for the consumer. My remarks seem to suggest that I am proposing that the U.S. Government step in. Actually, the solution is probably in state regulation permitting local government officials to work closely with the experts in their area.

--- THE QUESTIONS ---

There are questions that you can ask an appraiser to see if he is qualified:

Do you belong to a professional appraisal organization?

Are you an accredited appraiser that has been tested in appraisal methodology?

How many years have you been appraising (applicable field) art?

Can you provide references and can you show me an example of your work?

Here's how you can reach the appraisal organizations:

ASA (800)272-8258, website http://www.appraisers.org/
AAA (212)889-5404; website http://www.appraisersassoc.org/
ISA (888)472-5034; website http://www.isa-appraisers.org/

A searchable database of all three can be found Maine Antique Digest’s website http://www.maineantiquedigest.com./

--- FINAL THOUGHTS ---

We should not denigrate the important contribution made by the auction houses. The auction houses are a major part of the market place in setting values on personal property through the results of consummated sales available to the public. However, an auction house estimate is not an appraisal. This figure is quite simply an estimate that the auction house hopes will entice the owner to sell their property at auction. If you call the estimate an appraisal, there clearly is a conflict of interest in providing an estimate with the hope of selling the property. An appraisal must be a well-researched document prepared after examining the property and considering the most appropriate market without the appraiser having any financial interest in the property. Experience suggests that trained appraisers understand more clearly their professional responsibilities and do tend to adhere to report writing and ethical standards. If you need an appraisal, take the time to find the right expert. It will pay off in both time and money.


John A. Buxton, ISA CAPP
Kim Kolker, ISA AM
6717 Spring Valley Rd
Dallas, TX 75254
972-239-4620
www.arttrak.com
The Tribal Art Information Connection

This article has been re-issued since its original posting in December of 2004. The facts and figures in this document have been updated and confirmed as of July 16, 2010. The ISA has willingly confirmed their current candidate members for certification are 122 or 800 personal property appraisers belonging to their organization. ASA could not confirm their current statistic of accredited members, 297 or 584 personal property appraisers. AAA confirmed statistics regarding their certified members, approximately 200 of 700 personal property appraisers.