 |
| LOCAL NEWS AND VIDEO FOR OGLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS |
Created: Wednesday, October 14, 2009 10:58 a.m. CDT
|
Under the appraiser's eye |
| By Chris Johnson - Reporter |
 |
| Art appraiser Farhad Radfar talks with librarian Marsha Zaccone about the Eagle’s Nest Art Collection and how the appraisal will be conducted. (Photo by Chris Johnson) |
| The Eagle’s Nest Art Colony Collection at the Oregon Public Library got its seven-year checkup earlier this month. Farhad Radfar, an art appraiser from MIR Appraisal Services, Inc., Chicago and Anne Zakaras, also of MIR, were at the library Oct. 1 to complete an updated insurance appraisal for the collection. “Art collections need to be preserved for the community,” said Radfar. “The artists created these. These collections need to be preserved for generations. It tells the story of the history. Radfar said the appraisal helps determine how the art pieces are holding up. “The artists were inspired,” said Radfar. “Don’t forget it. We are doing our work to preserve these art works. Having art is not enough — preserving and maintaining is. We need to take care of them. The main thing is conservation.” Pieces from the art collection are on display on the second floor of the library. Selections include the working model for Lorado Taft’s Blackhawk Statue and The Blind. The last appraisal of the collection was completed in 2002. Only the Eagle’s Nest collection was appraised. Other works the library owns were not included in this appraisal. “MIR will finish the appraisal in two-three weeks,” said librarian Marsha Zaccone. “These works of art are irreplaceable, but we need to put a price on them for insurance.” An updated catalog for the collection will be posted on the library’s website after the final appraisal is completed, said Zaccone. The online catalog may include photos and descriptions of the art as well as a brief biography of the artist. The appraised value of the pieces will not be included in the online catalog. During the appraisal process, Radfar and Zakaras carefully examined each piece and took updated photos. “The art market changes,” said Radfar. “We examine the signatures and the strength of the canvas. It is our job to check the work and confirm it.” Changes in condition were also noted. Radfar said recognizing problems with a painting early can help with maintenance and making sure the paintings last for generations. Some pieces may receive a recommendation about how to restore or preserve them. “Having a group finance a piece is brilliant,” said Radfar. “It is much easier if one family steps forward to help.” Signs under the paintings in the collection name donors who paid for the cleaning and restoration of the works. Over time, every painting will need some work done to maintain the piece, said Radfar. “Art needs to be inspected every five to seven years to be checked,” said Radfar. “You have to check them out.” Throughout the appraisal, Radfar talked about the history of the collection. “They all have a story to tell,” said Radfar. “They all have historical aspects. We don’t want to lose any of these paintings.” As of Oct. 13, the results of the appraisal had not yet been received, Zaccone said. |
| View the article as it looks in the newspaper... |
 |
Van Gogh Art Heist: Inside Job or Something More? |
Mysterious California Theft of $27 Million in Art Pieces Raises Questions |
| By ANNE MARIE DORNING |
| Oct. 1, 2009— |
| It's like something out of "Ocean's 11." A house in a wealthy, gated and guarded community is hit by thieves in the middle of the day. The burglars make off with at least 16 pieces of art by some of the world's great masters -- Renoir, Rembrandt, Pollock and Van Gogh to name a few. No one sees a thing. |
| The owners estimate their loss at more than $27 million, though they've been qouted in press acounts as saying that single pieces of the collection might be worth up to $60 million. |
| The art works were owned by Dr. Ralph Kennaugh, 62, a former faculty member at Harvard Medical School who had recently retired from his oncology practice and moved to California with his roommate and business partner 31-year-old Angelo Amadio. The men rented a house in the exclusive enclave of Pebble Beach, Calif., where neighbors include Clint Eastwood. |
| Last Friday, the two men arrived home just before 7 p.m. "My business partner went into the house first; we had been out all day looking at real estate. I dropped him off by the garage and I parked the car and when I got into the house he said we have been robbed," said Amadio. |
| Amadio said at least 16 pieces of art work are missing including a Matisse and a Jackson Pollock that Amadio believes is worth $20 million. Several other pieces of lesser value are also gone. A 2002 appraisal indicated the entire collection was worth $27 million. |
| "We have been working on this constantly and aggressively since we learned of it," said Commander Mike Richards of the Monterey County Sherriff's Office. Richards said he has "found evidence that a window may have been forced" although other windows were "unsecured." There are security guards posted at the entrance to the housing complex. In addition, numerous surveillance cameras line the area so police are hopeful these will yield some clues. |
| Although it wasn't found in the original search, Richards said one of the victims handed the police an extortion note that turned up on the property. It is a typewritten note demanding money in exchange for the return of the paintings. It also conveyed death threats to the victims should they contact law enforcement. |
Was Art Theft and Inside Job? |
 |
'Dutch Woman' by Vincent Van Gogh and a painting by Miro are two of the works said to be stolen from a private California collection.
(Handout) |
| Amadio is convinced the theft was an inside job. "There are very few people who knew we had these pieces. Very few people knew where they had been stored," said Amadio. And he added that because of the death threat he is "not so much concerned with the art right now&we don't think we're ever going to see the artwork again. Now we have to concentrate on not getting killed over artwork," said Amadio. He declined to provide the titles of any of the stolen works. |
| How are they coping with the loss? "We both meditate a couple of times a day. It's important not to panic," said Amadio. |
| Meanwhile, some in the art world expressed shock that such a seemingly important collection could have gone unnoticed. Farhad Radfar, a senior appraiser with Mir Appraisal Services in Chicago, said the art world is very small and that works by great masters tend to be tracked quite closely. |
| Legitimate works of art are sold with a provenance -- a history or resume of the work -- so that sellers and buyers can prove where it came from. "I haven't heard anything about this collection," said Radfar. "At the same time people who would have such a great collection, they must have insurance, and if you have insurance you must have proof of ownership and a provenance." |
| Details surrounding the heist seem to defy logic, however. |
| Amadio said that because the two men had recently moved from Boston, they were in a "funny transition period" with their insurance. Although the works were insured in Boston, Amadio said he had yet to activate a policy in California. |
| And they claim they were not allowed to put a security system in the rental house. |
 |
Art heist
(ABC News) |
| Amadio said the thieves took "the back up provenance on the hard drive" which will likely make it even more difficult to prove the works' authenticity. |
| Detective Donald Hrycyk of the Los Angeles Police Department's art theft unit has been tracking art thefts for 15 years. "Unlike TV dramas, we usually have very little to identify who the crook is. We focus on trying to find the unique property and then work our way back," said Hrycyk. |
| He recently found two high-value pieces for sale at a N.Y. auction that had been stolen in 1989. Finding the property, led Hrycyk to the thieves some 20 years after the crime had been committed. But thefts involving more than a dozen works of art like the one reported in Pebble Beach are rare, said Hrycyk. |
| "Fine art and paintings tend to be bulky you have to pull up a van or a pick-up truck and load up these big objects. Still, any crook if he has the means will take anything he thinks is of value," he said. |
| Amadio said he never set out to be an art collector -- his previous business efforts included selling purebred puppies and an asset allocation company. |
| "I have always said I know nothing about art. I just have it around me," said Amadio. |
| But Ralph Kennaugh did know art, according to Amadio, and had been collecting for over 30 years. "Ralph's credibility gave us access to an exclusive market" where the two men would track "substantial pieces" and buy them at probate or divorce sales, said Amadio. "We just got very lucky in business." |
| But that luck may have now run out. The pair are offering a $1 million reward for the return of the art. |
| Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures |
|
DuSable denies link to Gary art |
| Post-Tribune |
| November 21, 2008 |
| By Jon Seidel |
| GARY-- The curator of the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago firmly denied Thursday knowing the whereabouts of two paintings missing from the Gary school's collection. |
| The missing paintings could be worth as much as $20,000 each, one appraiser said, and school officials have no record of them leaving their collection. |
| "The paintings are not in our possession," Charles Bethea, the DuSable's director of curatorial services, said. |
| School board attorney Ragen Hatcher sent a letter to Bethea last month asking about the Charles Dawson paintings "Quadroonn Madonna" and "Brother and Sister." She wrote the letter after local art enthusiast Jim Nowacki told the board he found "Brother and Sister" hanging in the DuSable. |
| “I don't know where he would have thought he saw those particular paintings," Bethea said. "We've never displayed anything like that.” |
| Bethea didn't respond to Hatcher's inquiry, nor several calls for comment, until a report about the inquiry was published this week in Chicago-area newspapers. The museum operates with a small staff, and Bethea said he was too busy to respond earlier. |
| “I haven't had a chance to get back to you on that,” Bethea said. |
| Nellie Moore, the school board president who authorized Hatcher's inquiry, said she has further research to do before deciding how to proceed. |
| “It's going to be interesting,” Moore said, "because Mr. Nowacki said he observed the paintings hanging in the museum." |
| Farhad Radfar, head operator of Mir Appraisal Services Inc. in Chicago, said Dawson likely painted the portraits in the 1930s or 1940s, although records indicate the paintings might have been exhibited as early as the 1920s. The paintings suggesting social interaction among the races would have been controversial at the time. |
| Based on that subject matter, Radfar said it's possible that the paintings' retail value could be as high as $20,000 each. |
| “They have important significance,” Radfar said. |
| Contact Jon Seidel at jseidel@post-trib.com. |
Peddling PicassoHere’s what one of the city’s most priceless possessions would go for on the open market. |
| Time Out Chicago |
| Issue 178: Jul 24–30, 2008 |
| By Christina Couch |
 PRECIOUS METAL Hey, Blago: If you really want to balance the budget, put this baby on the market. Photo: Vanessa Valdovinos |
| Sure, the city’s sculptures have immeasurable cultural value, but let’s talk cash. Should the city decide to hock one of its most prominent pieces—say, the untitled Picasso (pictured, right) sitting in Daley Plaza—how much would it rake in on the open market? According to Farhad Radfar, the owner and director of MIR Appraisal Services Inc. (307 N Michigan Ave, 312-814-8510), enough to put a dent in even Donald Trump’s pocketbook. |
| “It’s a symbol of the city. It’s our Mona Lisa or Eiffel Tower,” Radfar explains. “It’s very hard to put a number on it. I would estimate $50 [million] to $75 million, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it sold for $500 million.” |
| Factors he considers when appraising any kind of art include size, originality, historical significance and prominence of the artist—they all play into a piece’s auction price tag, Radfar says. So does the cultural significance of the former owner. |
| “At Jackie Kennedy’s estate auction, one trash can sold for $12,000 just because of who it belonged to,” Radfar says. “[The Picasso] belongs to all of Chicago. International auction houses are going to fight for that with the last breath they have.” |
What's the true value of an heirloom? |
| The Doings-Western Springs, Sun-Times News Group |
| October 4, 2007 |
| By Jennifer Zimmerman, Staff Writer |
| In every home you can find items that tell a story. Most of us own items that have been passed down our family tree, but not all of us know their origins or price tag. |
| With a town packed with history, the Western Springs Historical Society's latest fundraiser Saturday, the Antique Appraisal Show, seemed like a fitting event. |
| Based off the popular PBS show, the event at the Theatre of Western Springs drew in residents from all over the area to have their treasured items appraised by Chicago-based company MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. |
| Amid the live classical music, catered food and wine, I thought about how hard it would be to really put a dollar amount on my things. |
| I brought two rings and a locket that had all been passed down from my grandparents. To me, no matter how big the price, it would never match the stories and emotional attachment I had to my jewelry. |
| One of my rings and my locket was given to me by my grandma. |
| I remember a few summers ago sifting through her jewelry box admiring all of pieces, wanting to know where each one came from. We bonded over the stories about the origins of her jewelry before she passed on the amethyst ring and locket for me to wear. My other ring was a diamond ring given to me on my 16th birthday as a present from my parents and a grandfather who had passed away. The diamond was taken from a ring he had left me that he never left home without. |
| As I chatted with others in line, I realized how many people didn't know the stories behind their antiques. |
| People such as Hinsdale residents Ted and Mike Walters were searching for their family story behind a small pendant and a stopwatch given to them by her parents. Mike said she knew some of her ancestors came to America on the Mayflower, so she was anxious to learn more about her family history from the antique. The pendant dated back to 1790, however, 170 years after the Mayflower voyage. She did learn the script inside, which is barley visible to the human eye, is a copy of the Lord's Prayer. |
| Ted's watch also dated back to the 1920s, making the object even more interesting because it still worked. |
| Despite the pendant and watch both only being worth $100, the couple was able to walk away with the priceless discovery that both pieces of jewelry have had quite the life span. |
| "Most items (people have appraised) have been passed down generation to generation," said Farhad Radfar, an appraiser at the event. |
| He said it is common for antiques to build up in value through the years because an ancestor may have been poor and unable to afford much when the items were purchased. However, as time passes the items accumulate in value. |
| Radfar said many people who brought in pieces of art to be appraised were surprised to learn the value of the items. |
| Although I don't know the original prices on my antiques, I was able to learn that both rings were valued at more than $1,000 and my locket was considered costume jewelry from the early 1900s. |
| However, what I found most interesting is my amethyst dated back to well before my grandma's years in the 1890s, meaning she must have inherited the ring from someone else. Which makes me wonder: What other stories are behind my home antiques? |
 Photograph Caption from The Doings-Western Springs: Western Springs residents Leslie and Dave Walters talk with Farhad Radfar from MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. at the Antique Appraisal Show. The Saturday event was as a fundraiser for the Western Springs Historical Society. (Photo for The Doings by Herb Shenkin) |
 Photograph Caption from The Doings-Western Springs: Reporter Jennifer Zimmerman brought pieces of jewelry to Saturday's Antique Appraisal Show at the Theatre of Western Springs. Both rings were valued at more than $1,000, but the locket was said to be costume jewelry by an appraiser. (Photo for The Doings by Herb Shenkin) |
Is that collectible worth any money?Find out from professional appraisers at park district's Antiques Show |
| Daily Herald |
| Saturday, March 2, 2002 |
| By Rhonda Sciarra |
| That old heirloom handed down from your great grandmother may be worth money. Just ask the Mount Prospect woman who discovered a 19th-century German painting she had was worth more than $20,000 at the Mound Prospect Park District's Antiques Road Show. |
| Don't worry if you missed last month's show, another one is being planned for July. These shows are a great opportunity for someone to have an antique evaluated by a unbiased professional, according to Farhad Radfar, a Chicago appraiser who travels across the area for these shows. |
| At a typical show, Radfar sees paintings, watches, vases, jewelry and everything in between. These items are often handed down from older family members, and the people who have them usually have no idea of their real value. Also, there are items that people see as ugly and not appealing, but they, too, could be a treasure. "Just because something is old and people may not like it doesn't mean it doesn't have value," he said. |
 Photograph Caption From the Daily Herald: "Farhad Radfar of MIR Appraisal Services, Inc., in Chicago examines an English porcelain pitcher during the Mount Prospect Park District's Antiques Road Show." |
Library art collection condition appraised "fair to good" |
| Thursday, May 9,2002 |
| By Doug Oleson |
| Fair to good. According to a Chicago art appraiser, that is the condition of most of the paintings in the art gallery at the Oregon Public Library. Unfortunately, That may not be good enough. |
| Farhad Radfar and Susan Ross of Mir Appraisal Services, Inc., Chicago, came to that conclusion when they evaluated the paintings, sculptures and prints at the library on May 6. The firm was hired by the library board to appraise the art collection for insurance purposes. In evaluating a painting's value, Radfar said they look for three things: the subject, the condition of the painting, and the artist. In some cases, they also have to check a painting's authenticity, but that isn't necessary here since the library knows where the paintings came from. |
| "This is a fabulous collection." Radfar said. "Normally, libraries don't have such an important (art) collection." According to library board member Marsha Behrens, the paintings were donated by members of the old Eagles Nest Art Colony early in the 20th century. Some of the paintings were done in Ogle County, which is evident from their subject matter, while others where done in other parts of the country and even the world - at least one is from France. |
| Behrens said it was the art colony which suggested the paintings be kept at the library, which was then under construction thanks to a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Fund. The paintings in the collection are so good, Radfar feels that some are even of "museum quality". In fact, one of the paintings, "Normandy Pine" by Harper is on loan to the Chicago Art Institute. In this case, Radfar said, "fair" is not good enough for these paintings. |
| Most of the 51 paintings in the Oregon collection, he said, need to be cleared and restored by professionals who know what they are doing. To prove his point, Radfar pointed out minor flaws in several of the paintings and sculptures, such as tiny cracks or holes that need to be addressed now before they begin to peel or chip away and affect their overall value. There are a number of reasons for deterioration, such as the age of the works, how they have been handled (like moving them around a lot), and where they are stored. |
| In most art galleries, for instance, paintings and sculptures are kept in temperature-controlled environments. Restoring them properly, however, will be a "little pricey". "We think the public should come together (and help out)," Radfar said. He also suggested that a new location might be helpful. "It's a shame not to have them in the proper place to be viewed he said." Right now, the art gallery is located on the second floor of the library, which is normally closed. |
| Anyone interested in seeing the paintings can do so by asking permission at the circulation desk. A librarian will then escort the patron upstairs. Due to space needs, the library board has decided to convert the art gallery into a young children's reading room. Besides art collections like this, Radfar said his firm appraises art all over the country. Although they are mainly hired by insurance companies the appraisers also do work for the federal government, U.S. Marshals, and U.S Customs. |
 Photograph Caption From the Oregon Republican Reporter: "Art Appraiser Farhad Radfar of MIR Appraisal Services of Chicago examines a slight hole in one of the many paintings in the Oregon Art Gallery at the Oregon Library on May 6." |
 Photograph Caption From The Journal & Topics Newspapers, Chicago's Northwest Suburbs: '"Appraiser Farhad Radfar tells Rosalyn and Earl Anderson of Mt. Prospect how much their antique ring might be worth during the Mt. Prospect Park District's Antique Road Show Saturday." |
 Photograph Caption From the Daily Herald, The Value of Art: "Roy A. Stobe, left, and Ruth Kindschi of Mount Prospect listen to Farhad Radfar, and appraiser from Chicago, as he discusses the drawing they brought in Sunday to the Antiques Appraisal Fair sponsored by the Mount Prospect Park District at the Friendship Park Conservatory in Des Plaines. " |
