ART VALUATIONS
Messenger Art Advisory provides independent valuations of Australian and international art for private collectors, corporate collections and public institutions. We work with clients and their professional advisers in Sydney and across Australia, preparing reports for insurance, probate and deceased estates, family division, Cultural Gifts and pre-purchase decisions.
Valuation Reports
From a single work to an established collection, our reports draw on art-historical research, market evidence and an assessment of the work itself. The purpose of the valuation guides the approach, with attention to provenance, condition, quality and relevant national and international sale records.
We provide pre-purchase art valuations for independent advice before buying art from auction, dealer or gallery (reporting on value relative to market analysis, condition, provenance) to ensure our clients avoid regretful choices.
All enquiries are handled with discretion and confidentiality.
Insurance Valuations
We prepare valuations to support appropriate insurance cover, considering the cost of replacing a work with a comparable example. Reports can cover individual artworks or a collection.
Probate & Deceased Estate Art Valuations
We assist executors, families and their professional advisers with valuations of art forming part of a deceased estate. Where advice extends beyond valuation, our collection-management services can support documentation, transfer, sale or donation.
Cultural Gift Valuations
We provide specialist art valuations for proposed donations under the Cultural Gifts Program. Our approach brings together curatorial knowledge, research and relevant market evidence to assess the works under consideration.
Market Value, Family Division and Other Purposes
We also prepare valuations for family division, matrimonial matters, superannuation and other market-value purposes. The intended use and scope of each report are established at the outset.
Pre-Purchase Valuations
Before acquiring a work through an auction house, dealer or gallery, clients can seek an independent assessment of value, supported by market analysis and consideration of provenance and condition.
Related Collection Valuations
For clients with broader collections, services also extend to decorative arts, furniture, high-end luxury items, jewellery and household contents. Jewellery valuations are undertaken by qualified gemologists and registered jewellery valuers.
Valuation Categories
“Saatchi Gallery in Adelaide: British Art Now is another instalment in the Art Gallery of South Australia’s effort to re-badge itself as a contemporary art space… [Co-curated by Jane Messenger], this exhibition represents quite accurately the contemporary art Saatchi finds congenial.”
- Terry Smith The Monthly August 2011
Our valuation practice draws on Jane Messenger's curatorial experience, academic training in art history and period consulting to an established auction house.
Director Jane Messenger (Bachelor Arts Hons and Master of Arts, The University of Melbourne) is:
Accredited Valuer: Federal Gov. Tax Incentive Scheme for the Arts.
Certified Practicing Valuer: Auctioneers and Valuers Association of Australia (AVAA)
Registered Valuer: Art Consulting Association of Australia (ACAA)
Member: International Association of Art Critics (AICA)
Jewellery valuations are completed by qualified gemmologists (F.G.A.A) and registered valuers with the National Council of Jewellery Valuers.