The Collectors: Richard and Betty Hedreen

Richard and Elizabeth “Betty” Hedreen began collecting art for practical reasons: to fill the walls of their new home. “We started out looking for paintings that reflected the Seattle region, made by artists who were from around here,” Richard said. “We wanted works that would connect our home to the area [such as] William Ivey and Guy Anderson.”

The Collector: Jacqueline Delubac

The French actress Jacqueline Delubac (1907-1997) was considered the most elegant woman in Paris, and her art collection, which featured modernist works by Picasso, Degas, Lam, Léger, and more, followed suit.

The Collectors: Gifford and Joann Phillips

“Contemporary collecting, it seems to me, involves the eye and the mind in a particular relationship. The eye must be relied on primarily, for it is usually the more trustworthy guide, especially when the forms are novel,” Gifford Phillips once said. “I have found in collecting that there is still no substitute for time and repeated exposure in distinguishing the artist of superior talent.”

Gifford and his wife, Joann, were patrons of cultural institutions and passionate advocates of contemporary art. Their personal collection included work by Richard Diebenkorn, Willem de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, and Mark Rothko.

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Jessica Hromas/Getty Images Entertaiment/Getty Images

What Is Appraisal Review?

Appraisal review provides clients with high assurance that their appraisal reports are credible, reliable, and accurate. Appraisal reviews aid in dispute resolution, litigation, and mediation by providing qualified and expert second opinions. The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) provides the following definition: “the act or process of developing an opinion about the quality of another appraiser’s work (i.e., a report, part of a report, a workfile, or some combination of these) that was performed as part of an appraisal or appraisal review assignment.”

Thomas Smillie (1890–1913) The Department of Preparation, The Smithsonian, 1890–1913, cyanotype.

Appraising Public Art

Appraising public art can be a daunting exercise, especially since it is not intended to be traded in the secondary market. It is particularly illiquid and difficult to sell in comparison to stand-alone artworks such as paintings and sculptures. Public art achieves its maximum value when it is enjoyed by a community that is enthusiastic about its display; has easy access to it; is able to connect with its meaning and aesthetics; and when the art is installed in a safe environment that maintains and preserves its longevity. Its purpose is to serve the population and contribute to civic life. Over time, these works become part of the permanent visual landscape.

An egg tempera on plaster mural by Helen Forbes, Mother's Building, San Francisco Zoo. California Public Art