Antiques Appraisal Fair at Bennington Museum
Antiques Appraisal Fair at Bennington Museum
Bring your personal treasures for evaluation by professional appraisers Charles Flint, Lorraine German, and Maria and Patricia Siskind. Plus, we welcome members of the Collections Care and Conservation Alliance who can advise you on the best ways to preserve your precious items.
Bring up to 5 items for appraisal at $10 per item. You may bring other items at no charge for consultation with the Collections Care & Conservation Alliance.
No need to register in advance. Participants will be paired with appraisers based on order of arrival.
Collections Care & Conservation Alliance @ the Appraisal Fair
We are excited to welcome back members of the Collections Care & Conservation Alliance, a network of conservation and preservation professionals that seeks to improve collections care by providing information and education to individuals, organizations, and institutions.
Want to know how to handle your framed piece of art properly? Do you wish you knew more about the correct types of boxes and storage supplies that should be used to pack your cherished textile? Have questions about stains on a watercolor or print or wonder why the mat has yellowed? Want to know how to find a qualified specialist?
If these are questions you have asked yourself or have other topics you’d like to talk to a professional about, come to the Bennington Museum Appraisal Fair with your object(s) to be appraised and visit with the members of the Collections Care & Conservation Alliance (CCCA) who will be there again this year to answer your questions about your heirloom or something you’ve inherited, at no fee. The mission of the CCCA is to provide information and education to individuals and entities caring for art, artifacts, historical records, and other collections in an effort to help improve collections care through a network of conservation and preservation professionals. The Vermont non-profit’s audiences include private collectors, artists, cultural institutions, and municipalities.
Each year CCCA members are asked to attend several public events, including the Norwich (VT) Historical Society’s Annual Antiques Show and the Bennington Museum Appraisal Fair. “Wherever we exhibit, our model is the same -whether you have recently inherited something or are an experienced collector, the general public can bring items for a complimentary examination and assessment. One of our conservators will discuss condition issues, make some basic recommendations for handling, housing, and/or treatment, or advise where to find answers to particular questions. Another CCCA member will be available to talk about best practices for displaying something within one’s home, how best to inventory and photograph the item for insurance, gifting or estate planning purposes or to just advise on how to find a new home for the item.
The following CCCA Members will be present at the Appraisal Fair:
Michele Pagan is a Textile Conservator in Private Practice, located in East Dorset, VT. A textile conservator since 1984, Michele has worked for organizations large and small, beginning at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and now happily working with private collectors who wish to preserve family heirlooms, especially 19th century schoolgirl samplers. She is presently deeply involved with the Vt Sampler Initiative, coordinating the VT Samplers Driving Tour, which will feature exhibits at 20 different locations all over the State, from6 May-October 2025. Michele is a Professional Affiliate of the Collections Care & Conservation Alliance as well as one of the 13 original co-founders.
Julie A Reilly works in the field of conservation, museum and nonprofit consulting. She is an objects conservator and conservation educator experienced with a wide range of 3-D objects, from scientific instruments and historic collections to modern materials. She can help by answering care and preservation questions about your treasures. Julie is a Professional Affiliate of the Collections Care & Conservation Alliance.
Elsbeth Geldhof is a conservator with broad museum experience in painted objects and historic interiors, as well as leading community conservation projects. Originally from the Netherlands, she's worked and lived in other parts of Europe moving to western Massachusetts in 2021. Elsbeth is a Professional Affiliate of the Collections Care & Conservation Alliance. Come to us with any questions on recognizing historic materials and techniques, and simple tips for general care.
Darlene Bialowski is a contract museum registrar and a fine & decorative arts appraiser located in southwestern NH but with clients nationwide. From her broad experience over the years from grant funded curatorial assistant work, to legal assistant and paralegal positions in state government and the private sector to being the only registrar for five museums and two satellite locations, Darlene combines her network and skill sets to her firm. She works with museums, historical societies, private collectors, institutional organizations with collections and artists. Darlene is one of the 13 co-founders of the Collections Care & Conservation Alliance, its Immediate Past President now Vice President, advisor to the Center for Painted Wall Preservation having served as the second President in the non profit's history, lectures for various organizations on a variety of topics and is an author of many articles, essays for publications with several publications in the works.
If you are unable to attend but have any questions for the Collections Care and Conservation Alliance, please reach out directly to the email address below or visit the website for further information.
Email: collectionscarealliance@gmail.com
Website: https://collectionscarealliance.org/
We hope to see you in Bennington in April!