fine-art-collection-management-debra-leitnerMaintaining an art collection is an ongoing process to ensure esthetic integrity and financial value of your fine art collection is not compromised. Correct art management can enhance and improve the value of your collection. An artwork which has been properly maintained & protected, along with comprehensive documentation is more valuable than an artwork which has not been properly managed. We believe you should derive not only pleasure from your collection, but security and profit as well. Our collection management services include: documentation, insurance, loans, estate planning & logistics.

Documentation

The most important tool an art collector can have is a relational-database informational management software system.  Leitner Fine Art will determine the most appropriate database and cataloguing system for your collection.  Each piece of your collection will be identified with:

  • Comprehensive descriptions
  • Photographs and video
  • Provenance/ sales records
  • Exhibition history
  • Artists biographies
  • Literature records

Also included:
Backup of databases, catalogs, organization and tracking of objects, condition reports, reports for insurance and legal purposes.

Insurance

Collections should be protected not only from theft and vandalism, but also from environmental, natural and manmade hazards.  Excessive UV light, humidity, heat, cold, floods, poorly maintained HVAC systems and building design can all affect the integrity of artwork.  Leitner Fine Art will review your current insurance coverage and recommend the most compatible coverage for your specific needs and ensure all standards are met to maintain validity of insurance policies. The value of your collection fluctuates with the market and we coordinate appraisals as needed.

Loans

Loaning art is advantageous for the lender and the exhibitor providing the lender is fully protected.  Loan agreements must address not only insurance and condition reports, but also conservation, costs of round trip packing and shipping (usually provided by the museum), tax considerations, reproduction rights and special considerations for international loans, such as seizure. Work not offered for sale also has special considerations in different states and countries.  In California, if no return date has been documented and the lender has not filed to recover the artwork within 25 years, then the museum may consider that the artwork has been donated to them.  If donation of the artwork were not the intention of the lender or heirs, obvious problems would ensue.  Leitner Fine Art attends to all loan paperwork with careful scrutiny.

Estate Planning

Just as real estate, business assets and securities have their own requirements regarding estate planning, fine art collections present unique opportunities for a collector to reduce current income tax and eliminate capital gains and estate taxation on art assets. Leitner Fine Art provides expertise for you to take advantage of current tax laws, which may allow a collector to reduce certain liability on art assets.  The value of your collection may be used to create income, fund a trust or be leveraged in ways that are commonly adopted for other classes of assets.  Leitner Fine Art can develop succession plans, which orchestrate how your collection will be managed in the future.  Leitner Fine Art will work with you, and your legal and financial advisors to identify your collections and provide accurate inventory, provenance and value to successfully deal with the unique situations that fine art presents in the estate planning process.

Logistics, Crating and Shipping

When artwork must be moved, Leitner Fine Art works closely with craters and shippers ensuring a safe and timely shipment.  We negotiate the most advantageous pricing and only work with proven and trusted air, sea, trucking or courier services who specialize in handling and transporting fine art.

Links of Interest

Guidelines for making records that describe art, antiques and antiquities
Compliments of the Getty Research Institute
Object ID: publications relating to Object ID – Archives – ICOM

Guidelines for preserving fine art
Compliments of CCAHA and Penn Libraries:
In partnership with Penn Libraries, CCAHA has developed this poster picturing key preservation terms and guidelines to let members, visitors, and donors know how important preservation is to the longevity of collections.

preservation-of-art-guidelines
Download the PDF in color or black and white.