The art industry comprises an incredibly diverse tapestry of experts in all sorts of professions.
The ARTnews Top Art World Professionals list (alphabetical and not ranked) focuses on the leaders in 12 categories within the United States, the largest single national market for art. (For more information on some of the professionals, read ARTnews’s 2023 edition of the list.)
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Advisers and Advisory Firms
Advisers maintain extensive Rolodexes that may provide access to highly desirable works; they offer clients a plethora of services in building and managing art collections, including estate planning, appraisal, and ongoing oversight.
- Abigail Asher, New York
- Aileen Agopian, New York
- Art Intelligence Global, New York and Hong Kong
- Artsource Consulting, New York
- Erica Barrish, New York
- Victoria Burns, New York and Los Angeles
- Eleanor Cayre, New York
- Wendy Cromwell, New York
- Beaumont Nathan, New York and London
- Ralph DeLuca, New York
- Andrea Feldman Falcione, Los Angeles
- Elizabeth Fiore, New York
- Gagosian Art Advisory, New York
- Patti Gilford, Chicago
- Benjamin Godsill, New York
- Gould Art Advisory, Florida
- Adam Green, Dallas
- Sandy Heller, New York
- Megan Fox Kelly, New York
- Jacob King, New York
- Laura Lester, Chicago
- Levin Art Group, New York
- LK Art Consultants, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago
- LSS Art Advisory, San Francisco
- Mireille Mosler, New York
- Melanie Ouyang Lum, Los Angeles and Shanghai
- Esthella Provas & Associates, Beverly Hills, California
- Ruth | Catone | Goulding, New York
- Schwartzman&, New York
- Chrissie Shearman, New York
- Sokoloff + Associates, New York
- Irina Stark, Los Angeles
- Courtney Strimple Colman, New York
- Laura Smith Sweeney, San Francisco
- Elizabeth Szancer, New York
- Rob Teeters, New York and Dallas
- Cristin Tierney, New York
- Tanja Weingärtner, New York
- Zlot Buell + Associates, San Francisco
- Sharón Zoldan, Los Angeles and Luxembourg
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All-in-One Logistics
These companies can serve as a single point of contact for shipping, storage, and handling needs.
- Acumen International
- Atelier 4
- Atthowe Fine Art Services
- Crozier
- Dietl International Services
- Mana Fine Arts
- SRI Fine Art Services
- UOVO
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Banking
Banks are essential in helping develop art collections. Traditional borrowing can be cumbersome, but some institutions will lend to collectors solely on the value of their art holdings.
- Athena Art Finance
- Bank of America
- Citi
- East West Bank
- JP Morgan Chase
- TPC Art Finance
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Conservators
Conservators may repair damage, but their job is ultimately to understand an artwork: how it was made, the materials that constitute it, and how to preserve it.
- ACdR Art Conservation de Rigueur, San Francisco
- Amann + Estabrook, New York
- ArtCare Conservation, New York
- The Better Image, New Jersey, New York, and California
- The Conservation Center, Chicago
- Corey d’Augustine, New York
- Fine Art Conservation Group, New York
- Modern Art Conservation, New York
- New York Art Conservation
- Paper Conservation Studio, New York
- Preservation Arts, Oakland, California
- Gloria Velandia Ludmer, New York
- Whitten & Proctor, Houston
- Wilson Conservation, New York
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Fabricators
Artists rely on them to execute ideas in any number of mediums. For collectors, they may help realize a major commission or provide assistance in restoring or displaying a work.
- Let There Be Neon, New York
- Lippincott’s, Connecticut
- Lite Brite Neon, Brooklyn and Kingston, New York
- Milgo/Bufkin, New York
- Modern Art Foundry, New York
- Powerhouse Arts, New York
- Prototype, New York
- Standard Sculpture, Hudson, New York
- Walla Walla Foundry, Walla Walla, Washington
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Framers
It might be easy to overlook a frame when it’s subtle, but the right frame can have tremendous impact on an artwork’s presentation.
- 24 FPS, Dallas
- APF-Munn Master Frame Makers, New York
- Bark Frameworks, New York
- Baobab Frames & Art Services, New York
- Downing, New York
- Drummond Framing, New York
- East Frames, New York
- Lowy, New York
- Minagawa Art Lines, New York
- Professional Fine Art Services (PFAS Inc.), Los Angeles
- PSG Framing, Boston
- Robinson and Reeves, Miami
- Small Works, San Francisco
- Sterling Art Services, Oakland, California
- Debra Stevens, Dallas
- Vineyard Frame Designs, Dallas
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Freeport Locations
Collectors who want to keep their treasures away from regulators’ invasive eyes often turn to freeports.
- ARCIS, New York
- Bayshore, Delaware
- Delaware Freeport
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Insurance Carriers and Brokerages
Art insurance is an everyday matter for those with valuable collections they must protect against mishaps large and small, including weather-related disasters resulting from climate change, theft, loss, and damage.
- AXA XL
- Huntington T. Block
- Chubb
- Driesassur
- Gallagher
- Lloyd’s
- Risk Strategies
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Lawyers
Art lawyers can fix messes when they happen, but the best ones minimize the risk of their ever developing. Many large law firms have their own art law divisions, reflecting the importance of these highly skilled professionals.
- Jo Backer Laird (at Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler)
- David R. Baum
- John Cahill (of ARTxLAW)
- Gregory A. Clarick (of Clarick, Gueron, Reisbaum)
- Danziger, Danziger & Muro
- Judd Grossman
- Wendy J. Lindstrom (of Mazzola Lindstrom)
- Frank K. Lord IV
- Daniel McClean (at Cypress LLP)
- Luke Nikas (of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan)
- Kaye Spiegler
- Thaddeus J. Stauber (at Nixon Peabody)
- Silberman Zaretsky
- Christine Steiner
- Stout, Thomas & Johnson, New York
- Diana Wierbicki (at Withersworldwide)
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Photographers/Videographers
No gallery could operate without photographers and videographers.
- Thomas R. DuBrock
- Tom Powel Imaging
- SandenWolff
- Michael Tropea
- Joshua White
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Shipping
Shipping companies help customers manage matters like taxes, security, customs and duties, and import and export regulations as artworks move internationally among the burgeoning number of museums and events.
- ANR Transport Fine Art Services, Houston
- Cooke’s Crating and Fine Art Transportation
- Maquette Fine Art Services
- Masterpiece International
- Welpak
- U.S.Art
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Storage
Top museums and collectors often display only a fraction of their holdings. The rest has to go somewhere, and that’s where secure climate-controlled storage comes in.
- Artemis
- The Box Company
- Icon Fine Arts Services
- Minnesota Street Project Art Services
- Cooke’s Crating and Fine Art Transportation
A version of this article appears in the 2024 ARTnews Top 200 Collectors issue.