In this episode, Sarah Talks with Elizabeth Abston, a fine art appraiser and art consultant based in Jackson, MS. They discuss the role of an art consultant and how to start collecting. Elizabeth shares how art values are determined and the purpose of an appraisal.  She also shares her experience working in visual arts museums, galleries, teaching middle school, and managing arts residencies in San Antonio and Jackson. There is also an exciting upcoming project with the estate of artist Andrew Bucci that she is organizing for venues around the state of Mississippi. 

Elizabeth was employed as the Curator of American Art for over four years at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson before founding her own business in 2019. In her professional capacity, she appraises fine art for a variety of estate, federal, and insurance purposes, works with clients on building and managing their art collections, and participates in curatorial projects with museums and nonprofits.

Abston has a MA in art history from the University of Texas, San Antonio and a BA from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. She studied art in Siena and Florence, Italy through the Richmond University of London. Her previous experience includes time at the contemporary artist residency and gallery Artpace as an arts educator and two years in collections management at the McNay Art Museum, both in San Antonio, Texas. A member of the International Society of Appraisers since 2019, Abston has been a longtime member of professional organizations including the Southeastern Museum Conference (SEMC) and the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC).

You can find Elizabeth on instagram @eafineart_ms and www.eafineart.com