Price of Integrity: Collaboration in the Art Market

Courtney Booth Christensen, as Senior Director of Trusts & Estates for Winston Artory Group, brings more than 25 years of experience to her work with fiduciaries, executors, families and advisors on strategic estate planning, appraisal, and disposition of tangible personal property. Prior to joining Winston, she spent 18 years at Sotheby’s where she was Head of Department, Trusts & Estates and Senior Specialist in American Art and Prints, working in the firm’s New York, London, San Francisco, and Philadelphia offices. Courtney has been a licensed auctioneer since 2008 and continues to offer her auctioneering expertise to a host of museums and charitable organizations. She has been a lecturer and panelist on a full range of art and art market topics at museums and continuing education organizations across the country, including the Heckerling Institute Annual Trusts and Estates Conference, the Appraiser’s Association of America Art Law Day, STEP (Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners) events, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, to name a few. Courtney also sits on the Aldrich Council at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, the Advisory Council to the Winter Show art fair held annually at The Armory in New York, and the Planned Giving Committees for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New York Historical Society. Courtney holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Princeton University and is compliant with Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). She lives with her husband and two daughters in Weston, Connecticut.

Laura Murphy Doyle is the Senior Vice President for Chubb. She attended the University of Richmond in Richmond, VA and the University of Bristol in Florence, Italy, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History with a focus on Fine Art Management. Laura has a certificate in Appraisal Studies of Fine and Decorative Arts from New York University in New York City. Prior to joining Chubb, Laura worked at the Lora Robins Gallery in Virginia. As the National Fine Art Specialist, Laura provided advisory to Signature and VIP underwriters and services high value collectors by consulting on risk mitigation for fine art, antiques, jewelry, and collectibles. Additional services include collection valuation reviews, review of consignment and loan agreements, advisory on packing, shipping, disaster planning and collections management, and referrals to fine art professionals such as art handlers and conservators. Laura has coordinated Chubb sponsored art events, led private art tours for brokers and clients, authored articles on fine art risk management, and taught fine art continuing education courses for insurance agents, brokers, and wealth advisors. As Senior Vice President, Laura works closely with ultra-high-net-worth clients to prepare them to transfer their collections. Doyle discusses the nuances of the process, providing clarity on the steps to execute this properly. She is a member of the Arts & Records Committee of the Inland Marine Underwriter’s Association and an Affiliate member of the Appraisers Association of America. Laura is USPAP certified by the Appraisers Association of America with training in fine art appraisal.

Arlie Sulka, a graduate of Smith College, is the owner of the world-renowned gallery, Lillian Nassau LLC, in New York City. Lillian Nassau, the gallery's founder, has been credited with reviving the interest in, and almost single-handedly creating the market for the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany and Tiffany Studios. In 1980, Ms. Nassau directly recruited Ms. Sulka from a New York auction house, to work for her in the legendary 57th Street gallery.

Ms. Sulka is a renowned expert in the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany and Tiffany Studios, particularly the blown glass, lamps, windows, and ceramics. She has lectured in museums throughout the United States and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Antiques and Art Dealers Association of America, Inc. (NAADAA) and the Art Glass Forum. She is a Corning Glass Museum Fellow and a member of the Chairman's Council and Collection Committee at the New York Historical Society. Since 1998, Ms. Sulka has appeared as an appraiser of glass on PBS' Antiques Roadshow.

David Walker is the Founder of Walker Decorative Arts, and deals in historical objects from Europe and around the world. He was previously head of 19th century furniture and a Vice President at Sotheby’s in New York, and head of European furniture at Freeman’s in Philadelphia, prior to which he worked as a book cataloguer at Bonhams in London. He is a certified member of the Appraiser’s Association of America, and has been a regular appraiser on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow since 2011.