We had an amazing line-up of Speaker for Assets 2025

Here is who presented in Washington DC this past April!

FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2025

Friday Morning General Session 1 

9:15am – 10:15am           

Speakers: Julie Holmes

Session Title: Becoming an AI-Empowered Valuation Professional: Sell Smarter, Serve Better & Save Time

Session Description:  The appraisal landscape is shifting. Imagine a world where tedious tasks melt away, replaced by the power of AI. Unearth hidden data with cutting-edge research tools, craft flawless reports in record time, and become a productivity powerhouse – all while upholding the highest ethical standards. This isn't a glimpse into the future; it's a reality you can create today. Join Julie Holmes for an engaging session designed to equip you with actionable AI strategies and tools to propel your appraisal practice into a new era. 

• Revolutionize Your Research: Discover AI tools to help you unearth comparable sales data with unprecedented speed and accuracy
• Embrace AI-Powered Reporting: Explore how AI can expedite and simplify report writing, saving you valuable time so you can provide a more comprehensive service to your clients, all while maintaining the high standards your clients deserve and expect
• Time Management Triumph: Gain practical tips and tricks to boost your efficiency and streamline your workday when you discover how AI can automate mundane tasks, freeing you to focus on high-value activities

This session isn’t about hype; it's about tangible results: saving you time, enhancing accuracy, and delivering incredible value to your clients. 

Julie Holmes, is your friendly neighborhood nerd and AI expert. She’s an inventor and tech founder with over 25 years of experience leading enterprise technology. As an award-winning speaker, Julie captivates audiences with her wicked smarts, cheeky humor and a laundry list of cool apps.  Julie guides executives on AI strategy, equips leaders with tech-ready teams, and shows sales pros smarter selling with AI—not just talking tech, but making it relatable, practical, and downright exciting. Her mission: help organizations simplify and apply AI to business.  AI might feel like a freight train – you’ve either got to hop on board or be left behind. Julie’s here to make sure you’re not only on the train, but ready to drive it. And yes, you can blow the whistle!

Friday Morning General Session 2

10:25am – 11:25am   

Speaker: Anders Petterson

Session Title: Art Market Trends 2025: Opportunities & Challenges

Session Description:  The art market in 2025 stands at a fascinating crossroads of technological innovation, geo-political uncertainty, and evolving collector dynamics. This presentation will look at some of the emerging trends that are likely to shape the art market over the coming years. 

Anders Petterson, is a leading authority on the art market, with particular focus on the modern and contemporary emerging art markets. He is the Founder and Managing Director of ArtTactic Ltd, a London-based art market research and advisory company set up in 2001 following a career at J P Morgan in the Investment Banking division, responsible for debt capital market and structured products for banks and corporates. He worked as an Independent Research & Evaluation consultant for Arts & Business in London between 2002-2007 and has been involved in a number of large research and evaluation projects in the cultural sector. Anders Petterson is lecturing on the topic of ‘Art as an Asset Class’ for CASS Business School, Sotheby’s Institute in London and IESA in Paris. He is a frequent art market commentator on Bloomberg TV, Reuters and CNN.

Friday Morning Breakout Sessions

11:55am – 12:55pm

Fine Art 

Speaker:  Colette Chipman

Session Title:  Defining Legacy: Black Art and American Identity

Session Description: Join Colette Chipman for an insightful journey into how historical events have influenced the work of Black artists, with a special emphasis on the artists of Washington, DC. This exploration will also include a broader survey of how African Americans have been portrayed in art over time and how these representations have evolved to reflect the complexities of Black identity.

Colette Chipman ISA AM, is a Fine Art Specialist at Weschler's Auctioneers and Appraisers, where she draws on over 25 years of auction experience in Washington, DC. She is recognized for her deep knowledge of local artists, including the influential artists of Howard University, the Washington Color School and later associated artists. Notably, Colette set the record for the highest auction price for a work of art to be sold at auction in Washington by celebrated artist Alma Thomas. She was also honored with the Riley Prize in Art History and Criticism for her paper, A Reassessment of the ‘Ambiguous’ Nature of African Americans in the Work of William Sidney Mount. Colette's passion for preserving and promoting diverse artistic legacies underscores her commitment to celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the nation's capital. Prior to her auction experience, Colette worked in both conservation and as an exhibition coordinator at the Smithsonian Institution. 

Antiques, Furnishings + Decorative Arts

Speaker: James Zemaitis

Session Title: American Studio Ceramics: Postwar to Contemporary

James Zemaitis,  is a curator who serves as Director of Museum Relations at R & Company in New York.  He specializes in American and European design, decorative arts and craft and has curated exhibitions at the gallery ranging from British plywood designs of the 1930s to California craft of the 1960s. One of his academic passions is the seminal 1969 exhibition of American craft, Objects:USA, on which he co-curated a retrospective with Glenn Adamson in 2020.

From 2003 to 2013, James was a Senior Vice President at Sotheby’s in the 20^th Century Design Department, where he was known for organizing such high-profile auctions as the sale of Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House and “New Life for the Noble Tree: The Krosnick collection of Masterworks by George Nakashima.”  He began his career as a Cataloguer at Christie’s in 1996 and was the founding Director of 20^th Century Design at Phillips  from 2001-2003.  He held the position of Visiting Curator of Decorative Arts at the Indianapolis Museum of Art from 2013 to 2015.

James received his B.A. in Art History from Oberlin College, where he has been a member of the Visiting Committee of the Allen Memorial Art Museum since 2007.  He currently serves on the Collections Committee of Manitoga: The Russel Wright Design Center and is an Emeritus Board member of the Wolfsonian in Miami Beach.

Gems & Jewelry

Speaker: Gary Roskin

Session Title:  National Gemstone Treasures: Gem Collections and their Gemological Significance

Session Description: Embark on a virtual coast-to-coast road trip across the country, exploring treasures from renowned gem and jewelry collections featuring historically significant and notable gems. Discover the unique gemological properties that make each jewel an essential reference to use in your daily appraisal practice.

We’ll explore the gem collection of the Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven, Connecticut; the Bowers Museum's Masterworks of Harold Van Pelt exhibition in Santa Ana, California; and of course, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History with its Harry Winston Gallery (and hidden jewels tucked in amongst the minerals) in Washington, D.C. Then, we head back to the West Coast to visit the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and its important Hixon Collection. From there, it’s on to Cleveland, Houston, Dallas, Baltimore, Richmond—and maybe even one or more stops along the way!

A detailed booklet and roadmap will be provided to enhance your enjoyment of this gemological journey.

Gary Roskin is a graduate gemologist, author, gemstone photographer, and journalist, is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Roskin Gem News Report.  As the former CEO for the International Colored Gemstone Association, Senior Gemstone Editors for both JCK Magazine and the Baselworld Daily News, as well as former assistant to the director of the GIA’s Los Angeles Gem Trade Laboratory, Roskin has covered the international colored gems and diamonds market, as well as gemological subjects on diamonds, and the estate gemstone/jewelry market for close to four decades.

Roskin is a Graduate Gemologist, Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, and author of the book, Photo Masters for Diamond Grading. Gary has been the recipient of many awards, including the International Society of Appraiser’s Media Award for his feature story entitled, “Bad Appraising Lands Good Jeweler in Court,” several Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Awards Honorable Mentions from the American Gem Society, and a shared 2^nd place award in Gems & Gemology’s Dr. Edward J. Gübelin Most Valuable Article Award, as a co-author of “Synthetic Gem Materials in the 2000s: A Decade in Review.”

Gary was presented the 2022 Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology from the Accredited Gemologists Association in February of 2023.

Friday Afternoon General Session 3         

2:00pm – 3:00pm 

Speaker: Theresa Kutasz Christensen, PhD

Session Title:  The Power of Provenance: Reflections, Resources & Revelations

Session Description: The provenance of an object or artwork can be a short, bullet pointed memo or an intimate biographical narrative. The research conducted to establish these histories is frequently conducted in the name of due diligence. However, the concept of satisfying due diligence invites the risk of understanding provenance as finite; something that can be checked off a list and marked completed. Anyone who has taken on a provenance project knows that provenance research is never finished, as research resources and new information are constantly coming to light. But, if provenance work is never finished, how do you know when your due diligence is done? In this session participants will gain insights into new regulations and long standing principles that affect what type of information is needed to develop a provenance. 

Dr. Theresa Kutasz Christensen, is an art historian specializing in women's roles in the historical art market and provenance research. She holds a PhD in Renaissance and Baroque Art History from Penn State, a BA from the University of Puget Sound, and a certification in Nazi-Era Provenance Research from the Center for Art Collection Ethics at the University of Denver. Theresa has held research positions at museums and archives including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Museums of Asian Art, Archives of American Art, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Most recently, she served on the curatorial team for the award-winning catalogue and exhibition, “Making Her Mark: A History of Women Artists in Europe 1400-1800,” produced for the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Her work has been recognized with awards and fellowships from numerous institutions including the Swedish American Fulbright Foundation, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and Oxford University. Theresa is currently an instructor of Provenance Research for the International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) and teaches courses in decorative arts and design at The Pennsylvania State University. She also serves as Co-Chair and Director of International Research for the Christina Akademien, a Swedish cultural organization promoting collaborative work on early modern queenship. 

Friday Afternoon Breakout Sessions

3:30pm – 4:30pm

Fine Art Presentation

Speaker: Tim Luke, ISA AM

Session Title: Navigating Fine Art Auctions: Implications for USPAP-Compliant Appraisals & Reports

Session Description:  In this presentation, Tim Luke, CAI, BAS, MPPA, ISA-AM, explores the critical role fine art auctions play in determining value and how appraisers can effectively utilize auction data in USPAP-compliant appraisal reports.  The presentation will address various auction types, key terminology, USPAP requirements, and the best practices for analyzing auction results.  It will also address the challenges and complexities of the fine art market, emphasizing the need for thorough due diligence and professional judgment.

Tim Luke, ISA AM, CAI, BAS MPPA  joined Hindman Appraisals in 2021 and has over 35 years of experience in the auction and appraisal industry. Luke began his career at Christie’s Auction House in New York, NY, where he worked for seven years and served as Director of the Collectibles Department and Auctioneer.  After Christie’s, Luke established and was President of his own auction, appraisal, and events business, TreasureQuest Group, Inc., in South Florida, for 20 years. In this position, he provided appraisal reports that complied with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) for divorce, insurance, donations, and estates.  He also offered auction and brokerage services of fine and decorative arts, memorabilia, collectibles, and jewelry.

Tim has appeared on the first nine seasons and season 29 of PBS’ Antiques Roadshow, HGTV’s Cash in the Attic, The View, Oprah, and other media outlets.  He holds a B.A. from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, and is an active member of the International Society of Appraisers and the National Auction Association.  He has earned various appraisal and auctioneer professional designations, is an appraisal methodology teacher, and is an AQB-certified USPAP instructor.

Antiques, Furnishings + Decorative Arts

Speaker: Samantha Robinson

Session Title:  Tradition | Innovation: Contemporary Glass Sculpture

Session Description: With a dedicated following of focused collectors and interest from Modern & Contemporary buyers more broadly, contemporary glass has evolved into a dynamic segment of 20th and 21st century Design in today’s secondary market. Collectible contemporary glass ranges from delicate utilitarian forms to free-standing sculptures to bold, large-scale installations, each demonstrating both technical mastery and visual impact. Contemporary glass artists draw on traditional styles and methods while pushing the boundaries of the medium with the use of new technologies. Samantha Robinson, Heritage Auctions’ Director of Decorative Arts and Design, will explore the unique appeal of this collecting category and the key factors influencing the market for works by early pioneers and emerging talent alike.

Samantha Robinson is Heritage Auctions’ Chicago-based Director of Decorative Arts & Design, with interest and expertise in early 20th century and modern & contemporary design, in particular art and studio glass and ceramics. Samantha directs Heritage’s Pursuit of Beauty: Art Nouveau, Art Deco & Art Glass and Design auction series and has overseen the sale of several important private collections, such as the Estate of Jerry N. Black, the Collection of Phillip and Gretchen Arth, and the Collection of Jeep & Carla Harned. In 2022, Samantha brought an important private collection of nearly 200 works of contemporary glass to market, establishing auction records for numerous artists including Richard Jolley, Sidney Hutter, Richard Royal, and Laura Donefer. Samantha is also a licensed auctioneer in the state of Texas.

Samantha received a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2010 and a Master of Arts in Art History from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas in 2014. Samantha joined the Dallas Museum of Art as a McDermott Graduate Curatorial Intern of Decorative Arts in 2014, advancing to the positions of Digital Collections Content Coordinator in 2015 and finally Interim Assistant Curator in 2016. In addition to managing the research and display of the permanent collection, she curated three special exhibitions - The Wittgenstein Vitrine: Modern Opulence, Shaken, Stirred, Styled: The Art of the Cocktail, and Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion. 

Gems & Jewelry

Speakers:  Beth Carver Wees & Sheila Smithie

Session Title:  Marcus & Co.: Three Generations of New York Jewelers

Session Description:  The New York firm of Marcus & Co. (1892–1942) created exceptional jewelry for an art-loving, wealthy elite. Travels throughout India in 1895 inspired their first distinctive body of design, featuring elaborate gold and colored stone jewelry. In the following years, annual visits to the Paris Salons and encounters with the work of Lalique, Colonna, and Vever resulted in an original response to the Art Nouveau style. This lecture will focus on the firm’s most productive and original period, under the leadership of the family’s second generation. Surviving jewelry and archival drawings from two sources reveal new aspects of the firm’s history.

Beth Carver Wees is Curator Emerita, The American Wing, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where for 20 years she oversaw the collections of American silver, jewelry, and other metalwork. Prior to joining The Met’s staff in 2000 she was Curator of Decorative Arts at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She lectures internationally and is the author of numerous articles and books, including English, Irish & Scottish Silver at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (published in 1997) and Early American Silver in The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2013). Beth holds degrees in art history from Smith College and the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.  An alumna of the Attingham Summer School and Royal Collection Studies, she serves as President of the Board of the American Friends of Attingham. She also sits on the Advisory Board of the Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts, and on the Advisory Board of The Silver Society in England.  Beth was one of six organizing curators for The Met’s 2018-19 exhibition, Jewelry: The Body Transformed, as well as a contributor to its catalogue. Her exhibition Jewelry for America was on view at The Met from June 2019 to May 2021.  She is currently writing a book with Sheila Smithie about the New York jewelry firm, Marcus & Co., due to be published in late 2024.

Sheila Barron Smithie, since 2000, has been a jewelry specialist and appraiser for Skinner Auctioneers, Bonhams and Macklowe Gallery, handling, studying, and researching thousands of period jewels as they passed through. She is a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, and recipient of its 2005 Christie’s Prize. From 2013, she consulted for Beth Wees, jewelry curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, helping to research the museum’s holdings for the 2018 exhibition "Jewelry: The Body Transformed”. She designed and taught the course "Gems and Jewelry: History and Markets" for masters degree students at Sotheby's Institute in New York. A graduate of Harvard College, she spent her early career in investment banking, working in Europe and Latin America. 

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2025

Saturday Morning General Session 1       

9:30am – 10:30am

Speaker:  Leila Dunbar, ISA AM

Session Title:  Pop! Goes The Culture! The Impact Of The Pandemic On The Astonishing Rise Of The Collectibles Market

Session Description:  

Until the pandemic hit in 2020, pop culture memorabilia was considered to be not as serious an area of collecting, as, say, art. Other than the occasional multi-million dollar sales of a Marilyn Monroe "Happy Birthday Mr. President" dress,  a Honus Wagner tobacco card or John Lennon's Psychedelic Rolls Royce, it has largely been considered a novelty market. 

However, something completely unexpected happened during the world's sequestering. Pop culture memorabilia was rediscovered and found to be not only a fun diversion, but an undervalued and totally accessible market via online sales. 

In the last five years, the market has been on a wilder ride than Elphaba escaping from the Emerald City, with fall 2024 single item record sales hitting $24 million (Babe Ruth game used jersey) and $32 million (Wizard of Oz Dorothy Ruby Red Slippers). 

Longtime memorabilia specialist Leila Dunbar is your genial hostess in this discussion of why this phenomenon occurred and where the major collectibles markets stand today. She will also try not to be bitter over not taking advantage of her own knowledge and then cashing out; then she could have been giving this presentation via Zoom from her luxury home in the Cayman Islands! 

Leila (Lee) Dunbar, ISA AM is the president of Leila Dunbar Appraisals And Consulting LLC. which offers pop culture memorabilia, vehicle and wine appraisals, consulting, auctioneering and media services to private clients, auction houses, corporations, media and institutions. 

 From 1999-2008 Lee served as SVP and Director of Sotheby’s Collectibles Department, selling more than $75 million in memorabilia. She is also a 29-year veteran of the PBS hit series “Antiques Roadshow,” having appeared since the very first Roadshow filmed in 1996. 

Major areas of expertise include sports and entertainment memorabilia, antique toys and banks, advertising ephemera, transportation memorabilia, vehicles, comics, comic art, Disney memorabilia, records, posters, vehicles, archives, wine and spirits, etc, with more than $3.1 billion valued, with more than $2 billion alone since 2020. 

From 2013-2021, Lee served on the National Appraisal Foundation Board Of Trustees (currently as Chair), which oversees USPAP; is an Accredited Member of the ISA; and has given numerous lectures and/or workshops.

Saturday Morning General Session 2

10:30am – 11:00am

Speaker: Kelly Davids

Session Title: The Appraisal Foundation: Special Update for Personal Property Appraisers

Session Description:  Get ready to be inspired! The President of The Appraisal Foundation will captivate Assets attendees with a bold vision for 2025—a year to think BIG and act BOLD. From illuminating developments in artificial intelligence by the Appraisal Standards Board to crucial updates on appraiser qualifications, this session offers a firsthand look at the future of professional appraisal practice. Ms. Davids will shine a spotlight on the push for a highly qualified, diverse next generation of appraisers and the power of strong industry partnerships. She’ll also dive into efforts to elevate credentialed personal property appraisers, ensuring they play a vital role in the evolving landscape. This interactive session isn’t just about listening—it’s your chance to ask questions and gain exclusive insights into how changes in Washington, D.C. are shaping the profession. Don’t miss this opportunity to be at the cutting edge of appraisal innovation!

Ms. Davids leads The Appraisal Foundation in fulfilling its mission to uphold public trust in the appraisal profession. She was previously the Foundation’s Senior Vice President and has been with the organization for over a decade. Prior to joining the Foundation, Davids was Superintendent of the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing, the chief regulator for Ohio’s appraisers. Her experience includes working in senior-level positions for two Ohio Governors and serving multiple terms in elected office. Davids holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from The Ohio State University.

Saturday Morning Breakout Sessions

11:30am – 12:30pm

Fine Art Presentation

Speakers: Panel Discussion: Paul Gratz, Pam Campbell, ISA CAPP, Suzy McGrane-Hop, ISA CAPP,

Moderated by Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg

Session Title:  Best Practices & Considerations in Appraising Compromised Artwork

Session Description:  Supporting loss on value determinations for compromised artwork is a serious challenge for appraisers, because there is no widely accepted formula or process for determining market impact.

Artist Cady Noland evoked the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) to disclaim authorship of the screenprint, Cowboys Milking, for minor damage that occurred during restoration, prompting Sotheby's to withdraw the lot. Her disclaimer essentially rendered the work (estimated at $250,000 -$350,000) unmarketable, triggering a $26 million lawsuit by the consigner. At the other end of the spectrum, the Salvator Mundi set an auction record at $450 million with most experts agreeing that at least 70% of the composition is non-original.

Appraisers need to consider many issues; such as the condition of the item prior to damage, determining the extent of damage, weighing any loss of value after restoration, assessing if the restoration was done by the right conservator for the item, and how would the markets react if the item were to be sold post-restoration?

Hear from seasoned appraisers, a conservator and market expert about best practices for navigating the minefield of appraising distressed artworks. Learn how to credibly identify, assess and support opinions of market impact of various types of damage, restoration and conservation.

Paul Gratz is a fine art conservator, gold leaf specialist, and owner of Gratz Gallery & Conservation Studio, Inc. Under his leadership, the gallery has represented American artists with numerous exhibitions and publications for over four decades. Most recently Paul Gratz started representation of an extensive collection of works by American Modernist, female painter, Peter Miller. The collection of over 220 works went through his careful art conservation and is accompanied by a monograph on the artist published by Paul Gratz in cooperation with art historian Francis M. Naumann. 

Gratz Gallery has been a trusted representative for private collectors and museums in the expansion and upgrade of their fine American art collections. Over the years, Gratz Gallery has successfully sold to and represented a long list of renowned art organizations and private collectors, and assisted in exhibitions with fellow galleries and Fine Art Museums. 

Mr. Gratz has been a private conservator for over 40 years, working with Princeton University Art Museum for 30 years, providing conservation services for private collectors, prestigious national museums, and art organizations.The Conservation Studio specializes in the conservation and restoration of oil paintings and gilt frames.
Mr. Gratz’s formal training began at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and was developed through various apprenticeships with some of the nation’s most respected art conservators. While attending the Academy, Mr. Gratz studied with the esteemed Louis Sloane, the conservator and artist Joseph Amarotico, and the unparalleled instructor, Arthur DeCosta. Paul Gratz was a founding member of the Society of Gilders.

Pam Campbell, ISA CAPP has been an established fine art appraiser since the late 1980’s. She joined ISA in 1994 and obtained the CAPP designation with ISA in 2006.  She also holds a special designation in Private Client Services from the International Society of Appraisers and is currently a member of the ISA Board of Directors.  She has also been a member of the American Society of Appraisers since 1991 and received her designated as a Senior Appraiser with ASA in 1995.  Pam counts many prestigious private collectors as clients, as well as museums, corporate collections, universities, attorneys and banking institutions. 

A gallery owner, as well, Pam and her husband, Bill, founded William Campbell Contemporary Art in 1974 in Fort Worth, TX.  The gallery’s focus is high-quality contemporary art in a variety of media, including paintings, works on paper, photography, original prints & sculpture primarily by mid-career artists. 

Concentrating solely on fine art appraisal now, Pam & Bill sold William Campbell Contemporary Art in December 2020 and are thrilled to say that the gallery is still going strong, having recently celebrated its 50^th anniversary!

Suzy McGrane-Hop, ISA CAPP is an appraiser based in Iowa. She is an expert in works of art by Grant Wood, Marvin Cone, Regionalists, and other WPA artists. She has additional expertise with prominent Iowa artists such as Robert Bauer, Carl Van Vechten, Mauricio Lasansky and his illustrious lineage. Her appraisal career began in 2007 and she earned and maintained CAPP credentials since 2009. Some notable clients include institutions such as the Whitney Museum, Coe College, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, the University of Iowa and the Minneapolis Institute of Art among other private and corporate collections. In addition to appraising fine art, she has 30 years of experience working as a gallerist and a custom framer. Since 2011 she has owned Gilded Pear Gallery, which is home to a wide range of professional art services as well as contemporary artist exhibitions. She has been invited to speak at local colleges and universities about her career as an appraiser and sharing her research about Regionalists.

Moderator:  Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg, ISA CAPP is president and founder of the Art Appraisal Firm, a national art advisory dedicated exclusively to the appraisal of fine art.  Cindy brings more than three decades of art market experience to the management of important collections of American art.  Cindy is a past President of the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) Board of Directors and has served in several leadership positions over the past 25 years, including Chair of ISA's Specialty and Advanced Studies Committee. She is affiliated with ISA's Private Client Services program, is a past Trustee with the Appraisal Foundation, and is a member of ArtTable, the foremost professional organization dedicated to advancing leadership for women in the visual arts. 

Cindy oversaw the development of ISA's Affinity Business Partnership Program and ISA's twelve-hour Expertise Webinar Series for Chubb, where she is recognized as a Preferred Provider. She writes and lectures widely on due diligence standards and complex appraisal practice issues, and has won numerous awards for thought leadership contributions to the personal property appraisal profession.  She authored chapters on Connoisseurship and Authentication for ISA's Course Manual, A Guide to Appraising Fine Art, has been published in the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies and the Digital Journal of Advanced Appraisal Practice, on a diverse range of topics including best practice standards for appraisers in confirming authenticity, criteria for selection of comparative sales data, and has presented to ACTEC on how stigmatized art may complicate estate administration.

Antiques, Furnishings + Decorative Arts

Speaker: Todd Sigety

Session Title:  Onsite Wood Identification - A Non-Technical Approach

Session Description: Onsite wood identification presents a multitude of obstacles when inspecting wooden objects and artifacts in the field. With many variables to consider, including different cuts, colorations, species, stains, veneers, lack of identifying features, and covering patina, visual detection and identification is challenging for the appraiser. While technical/microscopic identification may be an option, most appraisers are not highly trained technicians with the tools on hand to be able to make and view wood samples. In most cases the technical and microscopic approach is better left to the professionals or used as an as needed enhancement.  Onsite Wood Identification - A Non-Technical Approach, focuses primarily on American and English furniture and will take a classification and observation approach to wood identification through a classification process. The focus of the presentation is developing a process for appraisers to first identify the stylistic periods, understand the common woods of the period, and assess and apply past visual experiences in order to lead to targeted and credible identifications.

Todd W. Sigety, an independent appraiser owns and operates WSA Appraisals in Alexandria, VA. He is a past president of the International Society of Appraisers and a past Chair of the Appraisal Foundation’s Advisory Council. He developed and edited the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies published by the Foundation for Appraisal Education and for years published The Appraiser Workshop blog on personal property appraising and fine art news. He holds a connoisseurship certificate in the Fine and Decorative Arts from George Washington University and is tested and qualified under the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). He owned and operated two fine antique galleries in Old Town Alexandria, VA and was lead appraiser and furniture specialist at the Potomack Company.

Todd specializes in important fine and decorative art appraisals and has established a reputation for providing unique and complex valuation assignments by developing credible methodologies and value conclusions where there are few or no direct comparable properties. He has appraised many rare and historically important objects including the coat President Lincoln was wearing when assassinated, George Washington’s chess set, early 19th century fencing around the White House, the first purpose-built mountain bike, monumental Thomas Moran scenes of Yellowstone, Thomas Affleck Congress Hall Federal inlaid mahogany writing desk, Thomas Sully portrait of Andrew Jackson (original portrait basis for $20 bill), artifacts from the Society of the Cincinnati, and the Estate of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Gems & Jewelry

Speaker: Elyse Zorn Karlin

Session Title:  Jewelry of Selected First Ladies

Session Description: Author, curator, lecturer, historian, Elyse Zorn Karlin does it all. We have the opportunity to meet the historian and lecturer. We’ll learn about Martha Washington’s trendy bracelet and mysterious watch, and Mary Todd Lincoln’s Tiffany inauguration jewelry. First Ladies, have exciting lives and fascinating interests. Eleanor Roosevelt had a tiger claw parure from her father’s hunting expeditions. Perhaps it’s not so socially acceptable today. We’ll find out about Jackie Kennedy’s gorgeous emerald and diamond engagement ring along with Michelle Obama’s predilection for wearing bold jewelry. Elyse’s far-reaching knowledge of jewelry brings her talk to life. 

Elyse Zorn Karlin is a jewelry historian, freelance curator, author and lecturer. She is the co-director of the Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts (ASJRA) and past president of the American Society of Jewelry Historians. She has a special interest in the jewelry of the American First Ladies.

Her publications include: Jewelry and Metalwork in the Arts & Crafts Tradition (1990), Sally-Ann Weckstein:An Artist in the Studio (2022), International Art Jewelry, 1895-1920 (2011) and she edited Maker and Muse:Women and 20th Century Art Jewelry (2016). She co-authored Imperishable Beauty: Art Nouveau Jewelry (2008).and Aletto :Five Generations of Jewelry with Yvonne J. Markowitz which was published in Fall 2024. She has also written several non-jewelry books.  Her most recent curatorial project was Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective which was on view at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum in Chicago in 2024.

Saturday Afternoon General Session 3

1:45pm – 2:45pm         

Speaker: Thomas Kline

Session Title: Appraiser Self-Protection:  Avoiding Title and Ownership Claims

Session Description:  By now, savvy appraisers understand that they require protection from title and ownership claims brought by claimants alleging that they, rather than the appraiser’s client, are the true owner of an object. As a first step in self-protection, appraisers’ contracts can and should include a guarantee of ownership by the client and the appraiser’s disclaimer of liability for title and ownership issues. Sadly, however, such clauses do not provide blanket protection and can be undone by allegations of deliberate wrongdoing, gross negligence or in other ways. What’s an appraiser to do to garner belt-and-suspenders protection? The answer is to ratchet up one’s level of diligence in reviewing and appraising objects. This session will consider disputes from different areas of the world to demonstrate the kinds of claims an appraiser can encounter and protective measures one can employ. We will look at claims related to objects from Cambodia claimed to have been stolen during the Khmer Rouge era, an Idol claimed to have been illegally excavated and stolen in Turkey and one or more paintings stolen from European Jews during World War II and the Holocaust. Such knotty problems cannot be solved simply, but increased diligence by Appraisers can help protect them from claims that can damage one’s reputation … and pocketbook.

Thomas Kline, Of Counsel with Schindler Cohen & Hochman LLP, represents clients on art, cultural property and museum issues including providing advice, documenting transactions and handling claims and litigation. He is best known for such groundbreaking cases as Cyprus v. Goldberg (church mosaics stolen during Turkish occupation), Quedlinburg v. Meador (church treasures stolen by U.S. Army Lieutenant), Goodman v. Searle (claim of Nazi art theft), Vineberg v. Bissonnette (forced sale), and Republic of Turkey v. Christie’s (Stargazer Idol claimed unsuccessfully by Turkey). For nearly 20 years, Tom co-taught a seminar on Museums and Cultural Property as Professorial Lecturer in the Museum Studies Program, George Washington University. For protecting German Cultural Heritage, Tom was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Das Verdienstkreuz des Verdienstordens) and has also received the Medal of Cyprus Technical University for protecting the cultural heritage of Cyprus.

Saturday Afternoon Breakout Sessions

3:00pm – 4:00pm

Fine Art Presentation

Speaker: Sebastian Sanchez

Session Title:  Digital Art: State of the Market

Session Description:  This presentation explores the evolving digital art market, offering insights into its key trends, valuation strategies, and groundbreaking innovations. As the market continues to grow, understanding comparable sales and emerging categories like generative and AI-driven art is essential for appraisers and collectors. Drawing from real-world experience at Christie's, this session will provide an in-depth look at how digital artworks are valued for auction, the dynamics of the secondary market, and the critical factors influencing the market today. Attendees will gain practical insights and tools to better navigate the digital art landscape and assess its value in a rapidly shifting market.

Sebastian Sanchez is the Manager of Digital Art Sales at Christie’s, where he oversees digital art auctions and partnerships and drives strategy on what is offered and innovation in how artworks are sold. He led Christie’s sponsorship of the opening of Beeple Studios and orchestrated the groundbreaking Gucci x Christie’s Future Frequencies auction and partnership. He also led collaborations with UNICEF and TASCHEN.

Previously, he co-founded ARTXCODE in 2018, a leading platform for generative art, where he collaborated with artists like Tyler Hobbs and Dmitri Cherniak, significantly advancing the early generative art market and community. From 2015 to 2021, Sebastian managed a diverse range of projects with renowned artists including Rashid Johnson, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, and others, working on various products such as jewelry, homeware, and collectibles.

Sebastian holds a B.B.A. in Design Management from Parsons the New School for Design and is a Full Stack Engineer certified by App Academy. He is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, teaching a course on digital art that he developed.

 Antiques, Furnishings + Decorative Arts

Speaker: Darren Winston

Session Title: Books and Manuscripts...Help!

Darren Winston, Senior Vice President at Freeman’s | Hindman, has served as Head of Department for Books & Manuscripts, Philadelphia, since 2018. He has been a trustee of the Rosenbach Museum and Library since 2022 and is a member of Philadelphia’s Philobiblon Club.

Raised in northern New Jersey, Darren moved to New York City in 1988 and began his career there as a bookseller in 1995. He spent the next 18 years selling to private clients and at East Coast book fairs. In 2003 he moved with his young family to Sharon, Connecticut where, in 2009, he opened his own bookshop. Darren Winston, Bookseller offered rare and vintage books, prints, fine art, and more, and hosted over 50 book signings and art shows. He was a trustee and, later, Board President, of the Sharon Historical Society, and for six years a trustee of Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Darren has hosted the radio program "Darren Winston's Book Report" for NPR-affiliate WHDD since 2009, appeared in the 2014 book-themed documentary The Paper Trail, and in 2024 he joined Antiques Roadshow as a books and manuscripts appraiser. From 1999 to 2005, Darren was the buyer and consultant to the Fine and Rare Books Department at Asprey, the British luxury goods company, at its New York headquarters. While there he spearheaded various in-store events including readings by Salman Rushdie and Dominick Dunne.

In 1993, Darren was hired as a Creative Consultant to Columbia Records, where he assisted in the repackaging of their 12-record Aerosmith back catalogue. He later sold his extensive collection of Aerosmith memorabilia, which he began amassing at the age of 14, directly to the band.

Gems & Jewelry

Speaker: Michael Coan

Session Title: A Collision: Hand vs Machine Made Jewelry of the late 18th/19th Century

Session Description: Due to the fact that most of the estate jewelry currently available and wearable today was manufactured during this time frame, it’s important to understand the basic manufacturing techniques employed, both by machine and hand fabrication. This session will strive to explore the basic manufacturing techniques that were most commonly employed during the mid-19 th century to World War II, along with an understanding of the underlying goals and motives for the fabrication choices; mass production vs hand fabrication.

Michael Coan: for over 40 years, Michael Coan has been involved with the Jewelry Industry; his training, both formal and informal, includes bench work, sales, design, appraisal, manufacturing and production, including business management and ownership.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Albany, in the areas of studio art/jewelry design, Art History, French and theatre design.  From Albany, he proceeded to the University of Bridgeport, Ct. to continue a scholastic interest in Industrial Design.  In 1977, Michael received his Graduate Gemologist Certificate from the GIA, New York.  Currently, he is pursuing an FGA at The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (GEM-A).

His work career includes sales/assistant managerial duties at Bloomingdales; in the fine jewelry department at Christie, Manson and Woods, NY under the direction of M. Francois Curiel, as a staff gemologist, catalogue production and client relations; Fred Leighton, an emporium specializing in antique, period and fine jewels, as resident sales assistant manager and gemologist.  Michael spent almost a decade with the House of Julius Cohen, Jeweler, Madison Avenue, New York, as executive assistant to the president/designer/salesman extraordinaire, Mr. Julius Cohen.  This was a private salon-based establishment in the “old school” style of retail founded in 1954 with an exclusive national and international clientele. 

All the while, Michael had been honing his skill in manufacturing and price analysis, along with the history and psychology of jewelry and ornamentation and appraisal sciences.  In 1986, Michael opened his own consulting and appraisal operation, Michael S. Coan, GG. Inc., a firm which specializes in price and business structuring, private client acquisitions and the appraisal of jewelry and precious “objets du vertu.” In that same year, he accepted a position of adjunct Assistant Professor in the Jewelry Design Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology, NY. He became a full-time professor and assumed the position of Chair of the Jewelry Design Department from 2001 to 2015. He was awarded the first Elsa Peretti/Tiffany/FIT Scholarship in 2002 and was the force behind the creation of the Certificate of Gemology at FIT; his other courses include the following: Gemology, Diamond Grading, Principles of Appraising, Cost Estimation, the History of Jewelry: Changes and Tends, and various seminars on the history of jewelry and adornment; and is avidly active in curricular development.  Mr. Coan has also organized and participated in various symposia related to the various aspects of the Jewelry Industry for FIT and has offered specialized seminars and workshops for various trade organizations including JA, JDPN, MJSA and various mineralogical societies.  His course, Best Business Practices/Seminars was one of the 3 final capstone classes in the newly revised Jewelry Design Department curriculum and was featured in a presentation given at SNAG, New Orleans, LA in the spring of 2017.  Though officially “retired,”  he continues with teaching at the Fashion Institute of Technology and remains active with his private consulting firm.

Saturday Afternoon General Session 4

4:10pm – 5:10pm 

Session Title:  Expanding Your Sphere of Influence: Growing Your Personal Book of Business

Session Description:  Sharing insights from over 20 years working in luxury lifestyle, fashion, real estate, philanthropy, and now fine arts logistics, Kevin Thompson will help you to build your personal book of business in an increasingly competitive marketplace.  Elevating your appraisal practice requires a strategic approach, particularly when targeting the UHNWI (Ultra High Net Worth) market. Kevin will discuss the importance of actively expanding your network, cultivating relationships with key influencers such as wealth managers, logistics partners, estate attorneys, and luxury real estate brokers and more, while using the latest technology to work for you rather than compete with you. These partnerships and tools are pivotal in gaining access to discerning clientele and building meaningful long-lasting relationships. Kevin will share insights on how to position yourself as a thought leader for your sphere of influence making you indispensable, how to connect often difficult to source specialized services, and how to align with experts in related fields to help you to cultivate a robust book of business within this highly specialized market.

Kevin Thompson, Global Head of Marketing, Crozier Fine Arts. Kevin is a tenured CMO with experience working for some of the most influential global consumer facing brands and one of the most well respected philanthropic organizations in the USA.  Kevin has worked with global franchise operations spanning 72 countries, and has negotiated, designed, and implemented marketing strategies that optimize growth opportunities and drive revenue directly to the bottom line. Over the past 20 years he has crafted a strategic growth marketing approach that is data driven and cross-functional and has led global brands in retail, philanthropy, real estate, entertainment and luxury lifestyle.  

 Kevin has managed regional teams across N. America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and beyond creating lasting and impactful relationships with heads of state, lead marketing agencies, developers, and thought leaders via a respected body of work that has been featured at marketing and development conferences around the world.

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