Fine Art Appraisal and stamped Valuations are available from us to you almost anywhere in the Western United States. If you do not have a current documented, stamped and filed appraisal of your fine art, you would very likely NOT be reimbursed full value from your insurance carrier in the event of loss due to fire, smoke damage, or criminal activity. Documented appraisals on fine art holdings can be crucial in the event of divorce action, estate planning, probate court requirements, fair legacy asset designation, and for prevention of inheritor disputes under a will.
Ninya spent 18 years as an insurance agent and Licensed Financial Planner, before coming back to her first love, the ART industry. She will come to your home or office for the initial review of your art collection. Please feel free to call for an estimate of charges. The cost will be minor indeed compared to your possible LOSSES.
Ninya Lee Greek has extensive education and professional experience in the Art Industry: Chouinard Art School in Los Angeles (now California Institute of the Arts located in Valencia, CA)
University of Missouri at Columbia, MO
Winona State College at Winona, Minnesota
William and Mary College, extension division in Norfolk, Virginia
Juneau Douglas Museum studying Tlinget Haida culture, art and artifacts
154 credit hours toward a Masters Degree in Fine Arts and Art History
Thanks to her eclectic schooling [including recognition and transliteration of ancient, medieval, and modern languages], and given her buying and art market experience around the word, Ninya feels equipped to view, identify, and valuate most types of fine art.
Gallery owner for 18 years in Anchorage, Alaska
Gallery Acquisition travel for recognition and authenticity study of Native Art and Artifacts in Alaska: Nome, Kotzebue, Fairbanks, Delta Junction, Sitka, Juneau-Douglas, Petersburg, Wrangell, Ketchikan
As an appraiser specializing in American Native Art and Artifacts—with a particular interest in Alaska Native Art—Ninya is considered one of the country’s foremost experts in buying and selling nearly all artists and artisans, Native or Caucasian, in Alaska— practicing/contemporary, and deceased.
A side note: “Ms. Greek's love of art and artisans has helped her gain commendable insight into matching people to their perfect choices in fine arts for their home or office. Her intuitive insight may exceed that of others in her field because her depth and breadth of knowledge, plus traveling all over the US while doing appraisal work, allows her a wider range of 'What is out there.' ‘Remember, viewing art is food for the soul,’ she often says to me. ‘All people are truly unique especially in their Art choices.’ Ninya feels it is her highest calling to help a person find happiness in their selection of Fine Art. ‘One must understand a buyer, their desires, budget, and expectations,’ she has told me on many occasions. Estate Appraisals Associates has services for every budget.” Candi Evans
Authentication Instructions:
1. Try to answer all questions in Parts I and II below; information should come from your own knowledge. If data comes from a document that you have viewed but cannot include as hardcopy, or comes from discussions with another individual, put that information in "quotation marks." Please do not guess.
2. You should prepare a separate Authentication Form for each of your originals or prints, also a separate Authentication Form for each set (portfolios) of prints.
3. We require five (if pertinent) photographs of your original piece or print:
a) the complete image/sculpture/artifact including mat and frame and any other accompanying case or display materials
b) the signature (close-up)
c) the numbering/date (close-up)
d) the back, sides, bottom of the piece if three dimensional or otherwise pertinent [for example, many photographers—including Ansel Adams—sign their photos on the back; many ceramicists sign/date pieces on the bottom]
e) a mid-range view to show brush strokes, original print marks, or chisel/hand-crafting marks
4. If you have any relevant documents, such as Certificates of Authenticity, Invoices, original receipts of purchase, etc., please make copies and attach them with this form, or scan and e-mail them.
5. Please enclose a check or money order for the initial fee, which we will discuss on the phone—sometimes nothing, or sometimes a fair amount once there is agreement on work to be performed.
How
to take photos:
You can submit photographs of the piece (pieces) which you are hoping to have Appraised. However, unless you do the photographs in the specific manner described following, they will be practically useless. Digital photos, unless done by a professional, invariably have reflections and shadows prohibiting a TRUE VIEW. We can't see a thing clearly. And clarity is absolutely imperative. The resolution is better with a standard 35 mm camera, but the same problems of reflections & shadows apply as above.
It is, however, definitely cheaper to snail-mail me a CD composed by a professional photographer, rather than pay for travel expenses for myself; or, barring that, travel expenses for yourself. Eventually, I will have to view the pieces in questions IN THE REAL. But, initially you would, no doubt, like an informed opinion as to IF these items are VALUABLE ENOUGH to plan a "full on" Appraisal. This is where the professionally done photographs are 100% required.
When hiring a photographer, go to the best you can afford, preferably at a photography store front location, rather than a friend, where the following requirements are understood and results are guaranteed.
Place the pieces on over large black felt or velvet background to delete any and all distracting information and minimize reflections.
Use the strongest light you can find, quartz lighting is good. But DO NOT allow that light to shine on your Fine Art for more than a few minutes. Avoid light damage like the plague, especially on antique pieces, photographs or watercolor originals. Lighting should be stabilized, not hand held. Motion at the optimum moment is ruinous to your results. Stabilize your camera, as well.
Take five photos as described above.
Semi-gloss 8 x 10 color prints are acceptable, providing details are clear; high-resolution images on a CD are fine, even preferable because of zooming options, as long as the file extension chosen by the photographer is standard, such as jpeg or tif.
Authentication Instructions: