Art

Every work has a story. And a market.

Artwork comes to Salem Art House in all kinds of ways — a painting inherited from a grandparent, a collection built over decades, prints found while settling an estate, an artist’s studio left to family, or a piece whose history has been forgotten.

We work with paintings, prints, photography, sculpture, works on paper, and other fine art. We help owners learn more about what they have and understand their options for selling it.

Often, the first question is simply the one we return to again and again.

What do we have here?

Finding the right path

Not every work of art should be sold the same way.

Depending on the artist, medium, condition, provenance, market and potential value, an artwork may be appropriate for any of the following.

Salem Art House and Stefani Art Gallery are distinct businesses, but their proximity allows significant works to receive additional consideration when appropriate.

Auction
Competitive bidding can be effective for works with established demand, provenance, or broad appeal.
Private Sale
Certain works benefit from a more targeted or discreet approach.
Specialist Referral
Some objects belong in highly specialized markets; we may recommend another specialist or venue.
Gallery Consideration
Select works may warrant consideration for presentation through Stefani Art Gallery.

Collections & artist estates

A collection is more than a group of separate objects.

The connections between the pieces can tell an important part of the story — artists, time periods, subjects, ownership history, and records all provide useful context that can be lost if a collection is separated too quickly. Before deciding what to do with individual pieces, we look at the collection as a whole.

An artist’s studio often contains much more than finished work: studies, sketches, photographs, letters, exhibition records, tools, archives, and unfinished pieces. We can help families sort through the options, identify next steps, and bring in other specialists when needed.

Research & documentation

Please don’t throw the paperwork away.

Signatures, labels, inscriptions, gallery stickers, exhibition records, receipts, and family histories can provide important clues about an artwork. Even an old envelope or handwritten note can sometimes contribute to an object’s history.

Have something you’d like us to see?

You don’t need to identify the artist first.

Send photographs and whatever information you have. We can begin there.