Interview with art advisor & appraiser Jennifer Carman
Jennifer Carman was born in State College, Pennsylvania, but grew up in North Little Rock, Arkansas. After graduating from Hendrix College, she completed a Master’s Degree in Art History from the University of Glasgow and became a Graduate Connoisseur of Christie’s in London, where she, in her words, “totally geeked out on the aesthetics, materials, and history of American and European fine and decorative arts.” After returning to the states, she obtained a Certificate in Appraisal Studies from the State University of New York in conjunction with the American Society of Appraisers. She is an art advisor and Accredited Senior Appraiser whose firm, J. Carman, Inc., has spent over sixteen years serving a diverse clientele of private collectors, museums, insurance companies, and professional advisors. She co-authored Historic Arkansas Museum’s upcoming Arkansas Made: A Survey of the Decorative, Mechanical, and Fine Arts Produced in Arkansas through 1950. (University of Arkansas Press). Jennifer can be contacted through her website J. Carman, Inc., Facebook and Instagram (you should also check out her secret side project @nude.descending.a.staircase for an art history account that aims to celebrate the “delightful depictions of the disrobed from Willendorf to Wesselmann”).
The images appearing in this post are courtesy of J. Carman, Inc. and the gracious clients who have granted permission for their artworks to be shared (unless otherwise noted, e.g., the Lord and Lady Clapham dolls used by permission from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London).
Jeptha Homer Wade (1811-1890), Nathaniel Olds, oil on canvas, 1837, 30 1/8” x 24 1/8”, Cleveland Museum of Art
AAS: What kicked off your love of art?
JC: I cannot recall any period in my life where art was not a big part of what made me tick. I’ve always been making art, reading about art, collecting art, visiting galleries and museums, and – most importantly – looking, looking, LOOKING. My maternal grandparents lived in Cleveland, so the Cleveland Museum of Art was my first real exposure to an art museum. When I was four years old, I fell in love with a well-known 19th century painting in their collection, Jeptha Homer Wade’s (1811-1899) 1837 portrait of Nathaniel Olds, which famously depicts its subject wearing green-tinted glasses intended to protect his eyes from the bright light produced by lamps that burned whale oil. So many things about it were blowing my young mind --- the fact that it was a likeness of a person that was actually painted instead of a photograph, the fact that the person depicted lived in a different time period when people dressed differently, and, perhaps most of all, the fact that this object was a sort of messenger across time and space that could offer us a window to the whale oil lamps of the past. I was hooked on the whole idea that an object could hold such power. I suppose that magic has never left me, because I still feel it each time I stand in front of that painting, and I’ve felt it in front of countless other artworks and objects in the years since.
AAS: Did you always know you wanted to be an art appraiser?
Lord and Lady Clapham Dolls, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
JC: Goodness, no. But I did always know that I wanted art to be an integral, daily part of my life, and that is the fundamental truth that has guided my every decision. To be honest, I had never even considered appraising as a career path I would be interested in. In fact, if you’d asked the younger me about that, I would’ve immediately dismissed the idea and said I wasn’t interested in the financial side of art or antiques. For a time, I wanted to be an artist, and then I wanted to pursue art conservation, and after that I wanted to become a museum curator, and then I thought about teaching art history. You get the picture. I was lost in a way – passionate, but aimless really. The one thing that always held my attention and focus was my attraction to the objects. When I was a grad student completing the connoisseurship program at Christie’s, we had an assignment called an “Object Analysis.” This assignment was intense, essentially amounting to a fifty-page report on a single object. The subject of my research was a famous pair of late 17th century dolls at the Victoria and Albert Museum known as Lord and Lady Clapham. I’ll spare you the details, but this research project took me on a magic carpet ride that encompassed deep dives into the history of dolls, 17th century fashion, 17th century furniture, shoe-making, lathe-turning, fabrics and their patterning, textile trade routes, provenance and genealogy, wood types, pigments, hairstyles, domestic life in 17th century Britain, conservation of materials including human hair, linen, muslin, silk, and felt. In short, I was in HEAVEN. I made a mental note that I wish there was a job where I could get paid to do that kind of research all day long. For a time, I thought that a museum curatorial position might scratch that itch, but I quickly discovered a conundrum: the typical museum’s starting salary wouldn’t enable me to repay the student loan debt I had accumulated while gaining the qualifications necessary for such a position. This cruel and persistent irony continues to affect graduates in the art history and museum studies fields, among countless others. I’m one of the lucky ones, as I managed to cobble together a variety of ways to utilize my unique knowledge and skillset to pay the bills. After graduation, my initial freelance adventures ranged from cataloging objects for museums and authoring curatorial text to restoring plaster statues and recreating original stencil patterns in historic buildings. None of these activities alone could have supported me, but I quickly learned that if I said yes to everything, I could keep the dream alive another day. I didn’t exactly intend to become an appraiser, but I found that many museums and collectors were asking me to value items by virtue of my experience at Christie’s Education, so I figured I might as well go through the training to add that to my bag of existing tricks. I naively thought that I would take a few months of classes and that would be that. I truly had no idea what I was in for or how long it would take. I undertook courses of study with the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) and the Appraisers Association of America, eventually earning accreditation with both organizations in different areas. As I began to study appraisal theory and methodology in a serious way, and as I amassed hours toward accreditation, the world opened up. I slowly realized that appraising was precisely what I was looking for, the perfect combination of connoisseurship, research, analysis, writing, and – the best part - frequent hands-on time with objects and lots of opportunities to cross paths with other object-oriented people who share my interests. Ultimately, I found my dream job all thanks to countless years of mentorship and encouragement from a number of incredible senior appraisers at ASA who took me under their wings and shared their knowledge and experience with me. For the most part, even a bad day is a good day because I genuinely love what I’m doing.
AAS: What is your typical day like?
JC: One of the best things about my work is that there is no such thing as a typical day. On any given day, I will likely be doing a random combination of the following: inspecting or photographing artwork or objects, meeting with collectors, sifting through databases of auction results, talking to gallerists or dealers on the phone, visiting with artists, cataloging collections, writing narrative analysis for an appraisal report, or just trying to stay on top of emails and phone calls. Sometimes I get to do really fun things like provenance research or acting as an agent for authentication. At any one time, I’m typically juggling ten projects that are in various stages of completion. It’s like being a detective of sorts, and the cast of characters is always evolving. Each day involves new and different collectors, objects, market events, and artists to get immersed in. Every time the phone rings, it could be ANY sort of wild scenario or treasure you can dream of.
Pietro Bellotti (1725-c. 1800), A View of the Grand Canal, Venice, Looking Towards the Punta Della Dogana, oil on canvas, 14 5/8” x 20 ½”, Private Collection
AAS: Have you discovered anything here in Arkansas that was an unexpected treasure?
JC: If by “discover” and “treasure” you mean something that would make a great movie about identifying and uncovering an unbeknownst and literal long-lost treasure, then I’d say that has happened several times. I’m not at liberty to share the specifics of one of my best “discoveries” in recent years, but I can say that I found and brought to light a painting of royalty by a Dutch Golden Age painter that had been hanging on a wall at a roadside antique mall in Pulaski County. Through research and collaboration with European experts, that canvas has now successfully been identified and is looking forward to a new chapter in its life. Perhaps in the years to come, I’ll be able to talk more about that, as it’s pretty thrilling.
Catherine Weldon (1844-1921), Sitting Bull, oil on canvas, 1890, Historic Arkansas Museum
On the other hand, if by “unexpected treasures” you meant high-quality items that an outsider wouldn’t necessarily expect to find in Arkansas, then I’d say I’ve encountered such treasures hundreds of times, perhaps even thousands. I’m really not exaggerating. Arkansas collectors have really blown my mind with the amazing quality and breadth of materials they’ve amassed. Sometimes when I attend conferences and tell people that I’m from Arkansas, I see a brief and awkward expression of surprise or confusion or pity cross their face, but the reality is that my career here is the ultimate bliss. Though I technically have a national clientele, most of my best finds have actually been here in Arkansas. We would be here for weeks on end if I told you about all of the incredible items that come to mind.
Andrew Loomis (1892-1959), Everybody Helps! (Dionne Quintuplets), oil on canvas, 30” x 40”, 1947, Private Collection
However, a few memorable items in recent memory include the following: the only portrait of Sitting Bull painted from life, a rare Norman Rockwell painting of Peggy Best’s studio in Stockbridge, MA, where the artist painted from live models once a week, an 18th century Venetian veduta painting by Pietro Bellotti, and a pair of paintings by American illustrator Andrew Loomis depicting the famed Canadian Dionne Quintuplets. Last year, at the end of a dirt road, I was surprised to find myself in a house that was home to terrific postwar works by George Grosz, Louise Nevelson, Ibram Lassaw, and Reginald Marsh. Right here in downtown Little Rock there is a house filled to the rafters with the most focused collection of 20th and 21st century Arkansas art that I’ve ever seen. Collectors in this state have also given me the opportunity to appraise major works by artists including Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, George Inness, Franz Kline, Joseph Henry Sharp, Henry Moore, Andrew Wyeth, Christopher Wool, Jenny Holzer, and David Hockney. While my experiences researching works by these household names has certainly been terrific, the most satisfying work has often been more local and intimate in character. I’ve researched silver services of early prominent Arkansans in museum collections, some of the earliest portraits painted in the region that remain in private collections, multiple estates of artists and literary figures, and world-class collections of Southern Folk Art. Perhaps most poignantly, I appraised the Rosalie Santine Gould - Mabel Jamison Vogel Collection of artworks and ephemera made by Japanese Americans interned at Camp Rohwer during WWII. This landmark project opened the door to further appraisals of other collections of internment camp art around the country. I suppose you can see why I love my work so much. I spend my days immersed in history and beauty and interesting ideas and fascinating research.
AAS: I understand that your company is celebrating a bit of a milestone this year. Tell me how it got started and who your typical clients are.
JC: It’s true. This year marks my “Sweet Sixteen,” as my company, J. Carman, Inc. began providing valuation services in 2004 and was incorporated in early 2005. It’s been quite a ride. Since 2004, I’ve gone from working part-time from my kitchen at home to working 50+ hours a week from my new dream office downtown at the Mills-Davis House, the former home and studio of Arkansas photographer William E. Davis. My advisory clients range from new collectors to seasoned professionals including gallerists and museums. My appraisal clients are typically private collectors who require an appraisal to insure their collection or gain a tax benefit from a non-cash charitable contribution. I also do a fair amount of estate-related work for families and trust departments or insurance companies and adjustors. Believe it or not, I sometimes even do wild things like appraise stolen property for the police to help small-town prosecutors pursue criminal cases. Because my work is strictly confidential, it means I will be taking a lot of great stories to the grave one day.
AAS: What’s your favorite thing about your work?
JC: The people and places and objects that I’ve worked with over the years. They all feel like friends to me, every single one of them. Also, the connoisseurship. I never tire of growing that skill, and I think it is increasingly important in a fast-paced world that has tried to leave it behind. It boggles my mind that most PhDs in art history can identify a variety of saints or recite mythological plots from memory, but cannot flip a painting over and differentiate between various canvas weaves or wood species. I love staying focused on the objects and the materials and methods by which they are made.
AAS: What is the most challenging aspect of your work?
“Because my work is strictly confidential, it means I will be taking a lot of great stories to the grave one day.”
JC: Geoffrey Chaucer summarized the challenge perfectly during the 14th century, “The life so short, the craft so long to learn.” The biggest challenge is definitely the time it takes to become adept. Being a personal property appraiser requires unshakable ethics, consummate connoisseurship, an understanding of the principles of valuation, and extensive experience with diverse applications of appraisal theory and methodology. While the first trait might come easy to some, the last three simply require diligence and time and dedication and then probably some more time. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have been preparing appraisals for 18 years, but it probably took me six or seven years of full-time work before I started doing good ones. In fact, I think I should take a moment right now to use your blog to apologize to all clients who retained my services prior to 2008. (Ha! Just [half] kidding). If I can be frank, the other challenging aspect of this work is trying to access private treaty sales that aren’t a matter of public record like auction results.
AAS: So how do you get those prices? In other words, if you wanted to find examples of private sales that aren’t public, how do you manage that?
JC: Three words: By building relationships. Certainly, there will always be a handful of galleries who stubbornly refuse to work with appraisers and won’t share their “confidential” sales data with outside entities. However, most of the best galleries understand that the art world is a small place and that collaboration among experts is essential. Galleries that recognize the importance of independent appraisers or who are sympathetic to the requirements of the IRS, courts, and insurance companies are often eager to help. I attend multiple conferences each year, and I attend art fairs when I can. The fairs can be a great method of gathering comps, though it can be a bit tiresome. I have been building connections over many years, via the appraisal organizations, ArtTable, fairs, general research inquiries, and professional volunteerism. So maybe that’s a fifth thing one needs….a fat rolodex. Especially for generalist appraisers like myself, it’s critical to know the limitations of your own knowledge and who to call.
on collecting – “…living with art and objects in your day-to-day life that make you feel engaged and alive is absolutely invaluable, AND, if you’re lucky, it just might pay dividends down the road beyond all of the joy you’ve derived from it.”
AAS: Word on the street is that you’ve got a lot of books. Talk about that.
JC: Ha! Boy, do I ever. It’s a little bit of a problem! I’ve been collecting them since elementary school. It all started with a book that I received as a childhood Christmas gift entitled, “Masterpieces of the World’s Great Museums.” It was a large and heavy and serious-looking coffee table art book, and the images I found in it absolutely transported me. In the years since then, I’ve purchased a lot of monographs, exhibition catalogs, and catalogues raisonnés. My dad built me these amazing bookshelves at my office, but I’m embarrassed to say that most of them are two-books-deep where you can’t even see what’s behind each book. I have no idea how many books I have, but I suspect that all of my family members (and my friends who have helped move them!) would say that I’ve got “enough.”
AAS: What do you say when people ask you what they should collect?
JC: That’s easy. If they are earnestly asking, I tell them to buy works that feel like good companions and that they feel genuinely excited to live with. I also encourage them to buy the very best pieces they can afford, emphasizing quality over quantity. If they are asking because they are hoping to make money and treat their collection strictly as an investment akin to their stock portfolio, I jokingly tell them to buy warehouses full of Georgian and Victorian furniture, since that market has been in such an extended slump that its recovery is virtually inevitable. Most people don’t like to hear that, but that’s the reality. While art CAN be an incredible investment, the truth is that future market trends are unpredictable, and even the most esteemed artists and movements can cycle in and out of favor with the changing tastes of a fickle public. Art can also present an issue with liquidity, so it’s not an optimal piggy bank for many people. However, living with art and objects in your day-to-day life that make you feel engaged and alive is absolutely invaluable, AND, if you’re lucky, it just might pay dividends down the road beyond all of the joy you’ve derived from it.
Grace Mikell Ramsey, The Eye Is Not Satisfied With Seeing, oil on wood panel, 36” x 24”, 2014
AAS: What do you collect? What are some favorite items in your own collection?
Leon Niehues, Large White Oak Pot, #17, white oak, brass and stainless steel screws, thread, 24” x 19” x 19”, 2014
JC: I mainly try to collect works by living artists, because I believe in spending my money in a way that upholds my values. History offers a never-ending tale of starving artists who made many dealers and gallerists and auction houses and collectors obscenely wealthy long after their deaths. I’d personally prefer to live in a world where more creative thinkers and artists of all types are valued and supported in their art or craft while they are alive. Seeing Arkansas artists like David Bailin and Kevin Kresse raising families on their art back in the 1990s made a big impression on me. My walls are filled with art that I acquired from living artists – many of whom are my friends, and my jewelry and ceramic kitchen wares are mostly handmade by local artists. I occasionally make an exception to buy the works of dead guys (and gals) if they are Arkansas artists. I’m trying to build a cohesive collection of Arkansas art that I plan to give to a museum one day. I’m pretty serious about it, but my budget is modest. I’ve got works by many of my favorite figures from the past, including Louis and Elsie Freund, Josephine Graham, Don Marr, and Kathryn Hail Travis. I recently purchased a Carroll Cloar lithograph, but I’d ultimately love to have a painting one day. Also on my bucket list are Jenny Delony, Adrian Brewer, Charles Banks Wilson, Delita Martin, Robyn Horn, Tarrence Corbin, Sheila Cotton, Dewitt Jordan, Susan Chambers, and members of the McCann family. Fortunately, many of my favorite artworks in my home are by artists who are still living, including Michael Lierly, John Kushmaul, Nate Powell, Grace Mikell Ramsey, Baxter Knowlton, Stephen Cefalo, Kat Wilson, Charles Henry James, and Leon Niehues. I could never choose one favorite. It’s just impossible.
AAS: Has COVID-19 impacted your business?
JC: I’ve been very fortunate. In early March I met a colleague for an inspection day at a museum out of state, and then I returned to Little Rock and worked on that project for a couple months until I could start resuming some of my appointments. I’m now meeting some clients in their homes with social distancing measures, which is probably what will continue for the foreseeable future. In these pandemic times I’ve been making lots of bread and discovering the joys of Instagram.
AAS: You’ve been working on Historic Arkansas Museum’s “Arkansas Made” for some time now. Now that it’s being published, what’s next?
Arkansas Made, A Survey of the Decorative, Mechanical, and Fine Arts Produced in Arkansas through 1950, 2nd edition, Swannee Bennett, Jennifer Carman, and William B. Worthen, University of Arkansas Press, 2020
JC: Arkansas Made has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Many years ago, Swannee Bennett, the Director of Historic Arkansas Museum, hired me to do some of the census research for their project. The museum was trying to chronicle and record every artist and artisan working in Arkansas, and I’d spend my days going cross-eyed looking at microfiche. By the time 2015 rolled around, we realized that if we added my own company data and personal research to what the museum had been collecting, that we could publish over 1,000 artists working in the state up through 1950. I researched and wrote biographies on hundreds of artists, but I lose sleep at night over the ones that we somehow missed or forgot. It was a doozy meeting that manuscript deadline, but it will go down in history as one of the greatest honors of my life to be entrusted with that project. Swannee Bennett and Bill Worthen have both been tremendous mentors and friends to me over the years. [AAS: The book comes out in late Summer, but it can be pre-ordered now: Arkansas Made: A Survey of the Decorative, Mechanical, and Fine Arts Produced in Arkansas Through 1950.]
As far as what’s next, I’m currently working on research relating to the art schools that operated in the Ozarks during the first half of the 20th century, mainly by Louis and Elsie Freund and Olin and Kathryn Hail Travis. After a lengthy rest, I may try to steel myself for bringing Arkansas Made up through 2000!
