Renée Vara 141 Wooster Street, Suite 4D New York, NY 10012 P: 917-921-1708 [email protected] Professional Experience Vara Global Fine Arts, LLC, New York 2003-Present Founder & CEO • Founder and lead expert of private advisory, curatorial, and collection management firm providing advice to foundations and private/corporate collectors as a full-service alternative to dealers and consultants. • Act as a lead expert to provide holistic and long-term advice for collections requiring historical expertise and care with art market objectivity in collecting postwar and contemporary art. • Provide full service collection management including acquisitions, deaccession, tracking, cataloging, appraising, insuring, risk management, vetting of outside purchases, scholarly research, conservation, collection documentation and installation for new and existing collections specializing in postwar, contemporary and emerging art. • Act as Court Expert in contemporary art legal cases including: issues of attribution, valuation and VARA (Visual Artists Rights Act). • Act as an agent to collectors: negotiate purchases and sales of art and design, including the proper valuation, review of contract terms, auction estimates, catalogue profile, marketing strategy and fee structure. • Advise and review all museum loan requests, forms and transport specifications including proper insurance coverage. • Advise emerging & established artists estates: valuation, outreach, authenticity, conservation, scholarship & archiving standards Academic Experience New York University, School of Professional Studies (SPS), New York Adjunct Instructor, Professional Programs in the Arts 1999-Present Courses: • Alternative Space & Gallery Management • An Insider’s Look at Emerging Art and Artists • Appraising Contemporary Art • Appraising Emerging Art and Artists • Appraisal of Post-World War II Art • Art Market Practices: Building & Managing Collections • Business and Marketing Techniques for the Appraiser • Collection Management for Collectors, Appraisers, and Risk Managers • Corporate Art Collection • Creating Public and Private Art Collections • Curator Talks: The Emerging Art Scene • Getting your Foot in the Door: Business and Marketing Techniques for the Appraiser • Introduction to Collecting Fine Art • Perspectives on Six Icons: Understanding Modern Art • Pop Art and Beyond • Risk Management for Private Collections • The Art Market Today • The Art Market Revolution: Online Art Auctions • Today’s American and International Art Market • Today’s Curator • Virtual Art Market Curriculum Consultant 2015-2017 Designed, developed & recruited faculty for three Professional Certificates: • Art & Technology • Building Collections & Collection Management • Art Advising Curriculum Consultant for Master of Science Degree: 2016 • Designed, developed & recruited faculty for MS in Art Market Studies (International: NYU Shanghai & NYU New York) International Curriculum Consultant: 2016 • International Executive Education Certificates (New York, Western Europe & Hong Kong) Diploma Consultant: 2016 • Designed, developed, recruited and managed faculty for a 1-year accelerated art market professional studies diploma New York University, School of Continuing Professional Studies (SCPS), New York Course Developer: 2011-2015 • An Insider’s Look at Emerging Art and Artists • Appraising Contemporary Art • Appraising Emerging Art and Artists • Appraisal of Post-World War II Art • Curator Talks: The Emerging Art Scene • Perspectives on Six Icons: Understanding Modern Art • The Art Market Revolution: Online Art Auctions • Today’s Curator • Virtual Art Market Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York Adjunct Lecturer 2011-2012 Courses: • Building and Managing Collections • Valuation of Art – Issues & Its Practice Guggenheim Museum, New York Appointed Lecturer 2001-2003 Courses: • Contemporary Art in a Global Context II • Contemporary Art in a Global Context I • Emerging Art and Postmodern Theory • Introduction to Contemporary Art + Theory, II • Introduction to Contemporary Art + Theory, I New York University, Steinhardt School of Art & Education, New York Adjunct Lecturer 1999 Courses: Art Criticism & Contemporary Culture I & II (Undergraduate) Education The Appraisal Foundation USPAP Certified 2002-2019 Appraisers Association of America Certified Member, Accepted 2007- Present • Post War, Contemporary & Emerging Art Certified Member, Accepted 2001-Present • 19th Century European Art: Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture • American Art: Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture • Impressionist & Modern Art: Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture 2 Hunter College, City University of New York, New York 2001 Master of Art, Art History - Thesis Topic: “Reviving Death: Andres Serrano’s Morgue Series”. Supervised by: Dr. Emily Braun, Professor & Katie Siegel, Associate Professor Winterthur Museum, Winter Institute Concentrated Studies, Delaware 1994 Certificate in Material Culture & Museum Studies Goethe Institute, Mannheim, Germany Certificate German Language 1993 Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania Bachelor of Art, Art History 1989 Art Expert & Legal Consulting • Expert Witness, Heritage Capital Corporation v. Christie’s Inc. 2018 - Present • Expert Witness, 5Pointz v. G&M Realty L.P. 2015 - 2017 • Appraisal Mediator, Gagosian v. Mugrabi 2016 • Legal Consultant, Pryor Cashman 2014 - 2016 • Martin Hilti Family Trust v. Knoedler Gallery LLC. Nonprofit Experience • Selection Committee, City Arts 2017- Present • Advisory Council, Appraisers Association of America 2011- Present • Board Member, Appraiser Association of America (Two Terms) 2011-Present • Board of Directors, POWArts, NY 2011-2013 • Board of Directors, POWArts, NY 2009-2011 • INPUT Journal, Executive Editor and Creative Director 2009-2013 • Chairperson & Member, New Group of Young Collectors, New Museum, NY 1993-1995 Other Professional Experience Chubb & Son, Inc., New York, NY and Corporate HQ, NJ National Fine Arts Specialist/Chubb Collectors Program 1989-2003 • National Divisional expert offering fine art consultative advice for both internal staff and external insurance brokers overseeing collections valued between $10mm and $500mm, including: appraised values, provenance & authentication issues, conservation, preservation within the residential setting of 60% of ARTnews Top 100 collectors. • Created, developed and further expanded Chubb Collectors, a national digital educational resource and program for collection management including: an internal database of international resources, private inventory program, online marketing, design of corporate deliverables, event planning and training programs, an E-commerce division (for online portal expansion with educational resources, galleries, nonprofit agencies, art servicers and online auction sites) protocols and quality controls. Independent Curator & Exhibition Producer • Curator, “Crisis”, Performance by Ken Pietrobono, Public at Gavin Brown’s Enterprise (Forthcoming: 2018) • Head Curator & Co-Producer, “BLUE ACIER Print Studio and Dali Art Museum Tour,” Salon Art Society (February 2015) • Head Curator & Co-Producer, “Upper East Side Revival Tour,” Salon Art Society (November 2014) • Head Curator & Co-Producer, “Lower East Side: Emerging Art Scene Tour,” Salon Art Society (October 2014) • Head Curator & Co-Producer, “Chelsea Art District Tour,” Salon Art Society (October 2014) • Co-Producer, Private Event with The Contemporaries and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, (June 2013). • Co-Producer, INPUT #4 “Second Skin” Exhibition Opening and Book Release, VPL (May 2012). • Co-Curator, “Second Skin” Exhibition at VPL in SoHo, (May 2012) • Co-Producer, Input Journal #3, “The Pink Iguana,” Book Release (August 2011). 3 • Juror, “No.19 National Juried Exhibition,” Featuring Dennis Yuen, David Bogus, John Breiner, Heechan Kim, Rebecca Rose at Phoenix Gallery (June – July 2011). • Co-Producer, Input Journal #2, “Me, Myself, and I (Conversations with Oneself)” Book Release (March 2010). • Head Curator + Producer, Art Viceroy, Exhibition of 45 Solo Artists, Miami/Basel (December 2009). • Co-Producer, Input Journal #1, “Common Spaces: Public Places,” Book Release (March 2009). • Curator + Producer, ArtHaus, “100 Artists from Emerging Markets,” Miami/Basel Week (December 2007) • Collective Art Performance & Video Installation, “ArtHijack”, Monkeytown, NY (May 2007). • Independent Organizer, Host & Moderator, “Migration Patterns”. Panelists included Henry Buhl, Donna Clovis, Juan Puntes (Director, WhiteBox) and Steve Pacia (Owner Pacia/Bose Fine Arts), Ekphrastic Evenings, Soho, NY (November 2006). • Curator, Public Art Performance, “100% Acrylic,” Agata Olek Olesiak, Dumbo Art Under the Bridge Festival (October 2006). • Curator, “Cow Parade: Bryan Zansnik,” Photo NY Fair, Fair Installation, (October 2006). • Curator, Group Show, “Contingencies of the Real,” Photo NY (October 2006) • Independent Organizer, Host & Moderator, “Forgetting the “F” Word?” Panelists included Maura Riley (Curator, Brooklyn Museum), The Barnstormers and Gae Savannah (Flash Art) Ekphrastic Evenings, Soho, NY (September 2006). • Performance Reading, “Ode to Clement Greenberg,” Dumbo Paneling Live (July 2006). • Independent Organizer, Host & Interviewer, "Protofeminism: An Interview with Betty Tompkins". Ekphrastic Evenings, Soho, NY (May 2006). • Head Curator + Producer, Official Project, 9th Istanbul Biennial, “Two Continents and Beyond: WATERWAYs,” (October 2005). • Head Curator + Producer, “WATERWAYs 2005,” Ecovention of 33 Artists and 5 Curators,