From Acquisition to Legacy
Mercer Contemporary provides USPAP-certified appraisals with over a decade of experience in Modern, Post-War, Contemporary, and Emerging art. Each valuation is credible, well-researched, and supported by a world-class network of specialists and intelligence. In addition, Mercer Contemporary works with a trusted network of appraisers across other categories, ensuring comprehensive and authoritative valuations for diverse collections.
Claude Monet, Water Lillies, 1906, Oil on Canvas, Art Institute of Chicago. Gift: Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection
Art Advisory
A guided partnership, from discovery to display, shaped by market analytics, curatorial insight, and personal vision.
From vision to installation, Mercer Contemporary partners with private and institutional collectors to build collections of distinction. Every step – acquisition, display, conservation, and philanthropy – is guided with absolute discretion, ensuring your privacy is protected. Through trusted global relationships, we offer access to rare artworks, priority placements, and exclusive opportunities not available to the general market. With deep market insight and curatorial finesse, we translate your vision into a coherent, meaningful, and enduring collection that resonates across generations.
- ACQUISITIONS
- SALES
- INSTALLATION
- PRESERVATION & CONSERVATION
- COLLECTION MANAGEMENT
- PHILANTHROPY AND DONATIONS
Appraisals
Professionally USPAP-certified, defensible valuations for insurance, tax, estate, and donation purposes.
As a USPAP-certified appraiser accredited by the Appraisers Association of America, Nicole Bray delivers appraisal reports you (and institutions) can trust for insurance, estate planning, resale, or charitable gifting. With rigorous research, market-based valuation, and credibility, we ensure your collection or artwork is accurately valued, defensible, and protected.
- INSURANCE
- ESTATE
- RESALE
- NON-CASH CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
LEGACY PLANNING
A thoughtful, coordinated strategy safeguarding the personal and cultural story behind your collection.
Your collection tells a story of passion, of heritage, of legacy. Mercer Contemporary’s Legacy Planning ensures that this narrative endures. From close documentation and archiving to philanthropic strategies, market stewardship, and estate coordination, we ensure collections have lasting legacies. Working alongside estate attorneys, tax advisors, institutions, and academic partners, we create a purposeful plan for your collection’s future, preserving your vision with scholarship and cultural impact.
- BUILDING LONG-TERM ESTATE PLANS
- PUBLIC LIAISON
- INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
- CONSULTATION ON PLACING OR SELLING WORKS
- PLANNING FOR ARCHIVE PLACEMENT
- CATALOGING AND DIGITAL ARCHIVING
- COPYRIGHT AND LICENSING
- ADVISORY ON THE CHOICE OF EXECUTORS OR BOARD MEMBERS
- SUPPORT MARKET MANAGEMENT
- CONSULTATION ON ART WORLD BEST PRACTICES
- DAY-TO-DAY ESTATE OR COLLECTION MANAGEMENT
- ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP
- APPRAISALS
- ADVICE ON BEST INSURANCE, LEGAL, TAXATION, STORAGE, AND CONSERVATION PARTNERS