It’s Appraisal Day again at Gratz Gallery & Conservation Studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania. People travel from near and far to this annual event, with paintings and frames in-tow, to get guidance from two of the region’s foremost fine arts experts. If you’ve always wondered what that painting is worth that your grandparents gave you, or what it would take to repair the rip in the painting that fell off the wall last year, Gratz Gallery & Conservation Studio will be offering a day of free appraisals and conservation estimates on Saturday, April 5, from 1 to 5 p.m. Bring your great-aunt’s portrait for a fair-market appraisal; bring your Bucks County art for a cleaning and repair estimate. Bring in your paintings and old frames for insight and guidance from the gallery’s owner and lead conservator, Paul Gratz with Cindy Charleston, ISA CAPP, one of the nation’s foremost appraisers. Due to the popularity of this annual event, patrons are requested to limit their inquiries to two pieces per family. The appraisers will get to all the paintings they possibly can in the day.
Cindy Charleston, ISA CAPP, is the founder and President of The Art Appraisal Firm, an independent appraisal company dedicated exclusively to the appraisal of fine art. Ms. Charleston has distinguished the firm within the industry by removing potential bias from the appraisal process. Art Appraisal Firm appraisers do not sell, broker or represent fine art for sale in any capacity. For this reason, prominent auction houses, prestigious galleries, national museums, financial advisors, attorneys and private collectors from around the country rely confidently upon her expertise as an unbiased independent appraiser and art consultant. A fully accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers (ISA), Cindy utilizes her more than twenty years experience in the marketplace to evaluate collections? of American and European paintings and sculpture. In 2007, Ms. Rosenberg was awarded the ISA CAPP distinction by completing the experience, continuing education, report writing, and qualifying examination requirements for ISA Certification to Appraise Fine Art (CAPP). CAPP status is the highest level of recognition ISA can bestow. As of this writing, there are fewer than 25 individuals holding the ISA CAPP designation in Fine Art in the United States and Canada. Certification to appraise personal property issued through this program is the result of a several year process of study that includes instruction, research, testing and peer review. ISA Certified membership also requires continuing education and a requalification examination every five years.
Specializing in the conservation of oil paintings and gilt frames for twenty-five years, Paul 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. Today, Paul leads a team of skilled artisans in combining modern techniques with Old World craftsmanship to offer the finest in treatment for oil paintings, murals and gilt objects. Since 1982 Gratz has provided his services to museums, historical societies, universities, churches and many private collections. “Truly skilled conservation of your art,” says Gratz, “preserves as much as is possible of the original art itself, and therefore preserves its utmost value. Conservation treatment restores original radiance, color and detail to your treasured oil paintings, adding years of life and maximum value to even the most damaged artwork. Our dedication to the quality of care for your investment is surpassed only, perhaps, by our passion for the beauty of the craft itself.”
Located at 30 West Bridge Street in New Hope, The Gratz Gallery and Conservation Studio features American 19th and 20th century oil paintings, particularly those of Bucks County, Philadelphia Ten and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Art artists, as well as museum quality fine art conservation services and custom framing. The gallery is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays, noon to 6 p.m., as well as by appointment. Call (215) 862-4300 or visit the Gratz Gallery and Conservation Studio Web site at www.gratzgallery.com