Credentials
- Certified Appraiser of Personal Property. Margaret Minnick is a Certified Appraiser of Personal Property, the highest designation of the International Society of Appraisers. She has earned two certifications: Fine Art and Antiques & Residential Contents. Note: About 10% of the members of ISA earned Certification, but fewer than 2% earned two CAPPs.
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- Graduate degree. The Master of Arts degree from New York University is central to Margaret Minnick’s appraisal practice. The training for the History of Art from NYU was conservative and rigorous. It underpins her scholarly approach to identification and research. These are essential elements of a superior appraisal.
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- College instructor. Although she is now a full-time appraiser, for over twenty years Margaret taught courses in the History of Furniture, Modern Furniture, and Art History at Bellevue Community College and the Art Institute of Seattle. Scholarship underscores Margaret’s approach to appraising in identification of the object, finding the proper expert consultants, and determining multiple price points to ascertain value.
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- Continuing Education. Ongoing learning is a priority. Margaret Minnick actively attends museum-sponsored symposia and scholarly lectures about recent research in fine arts and decorative arts topics. This reinforces connoisseurship and sharpens research skills so important to appraising. See resume.
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- Contemporary Studio Furniture. Collecting contemporary studio furniture is a particular love of Margaret Minnick and she has published in this field. See resume.
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- Appraisal practice. Margaret’s practice centers on the Pacific Northwest. Large jobs include corporate art collections in Seattle, the complete furnishings of a historic home in Yakima, and estates of major private collectors from the San Juan Islands to Tacoma. Of course, smaller jobs are typical and always welcome. She has donated her expertise to “Appraisal Days” benefiting Spokane’s Museum of Arts and Culture, as well as Walla Walla’s Carnegie Art Center. Margaret Minnick is an active member of the Northwest Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers, where she served three terms as president.
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- Leisure. Vacations focus on study trips in the United States and Europe —except, of course, those vacations that focus on skiing and eating! In her daily life, Margaret finds that Jazzercise classes counter-balance all that time sitting at the computer, and help keep her somewhat sane. Margaret’s four grown children, John, Dorothy, Liz and Mark van Oppen, provide inspiration and humor her daily life.
EMPLOYMENT
Owner of Minnick Appraisal Service, 1999 to present. Certified Appraiser of Personal Property (CAPP) in two specialties:
Antiques & Residential Contents (awarded March 2003), Fine Art (awarded June 2006). Less than 2% of the membership of ISA
earned two CAPPs. President, Northwest Chapter of ISA, three terms: 2000, 2001, and 2006-2007. Certified in Uniform
Standard of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) effective through 2009.
Adjunct Faculty, Bellevue Community College, Bellevue, Washington
Five-credit courses: History of Furniture and Modern Furniture, part-time 2001 to 2005.
The Furniture Society, Free Union, VA
Recipient of $15,000 research grant to study studio furniture-makers in the Pacific NW, May 1998
Art Institute of Seattle, Seattle, WA
Faculty. History of Art, History of Furniture & Interiors, and World Civilization. January 1984 to June 1998.
Cornish Institute, Seattle, WA
Instructor, American design history; Spring 1983.
ACADEMIC EDUCATION
New York University, Institute of Fine Arts, New York, N.Y. Master of Arts, History of Art, June 1982.
University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Full-time student, History of Art. 1976-1977.
Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA. Bachelor of Arts in History, June 1974.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
American Studio Crafts: An Emerging Force in the Decorative Arts Market Appraisers Association of America,
One-day seminar on the post-WWII craft movement, Bonhams & Butterfields, New York, NY. October 2, 2009.
Best of the Northwest--Painters from Collections of the Seattle Art Museum. Appraisers Association of America,
One-day seminar with SAM curators. June 26, 2008.
Pacific Coast Ceramics Seminar, Scholarly presentations on a variety of 18th-19th & early 20th C British & Continental
ceramics topics, Victoria, BC, Three years: September 1-3, 2006; August 24-26, 2007 and August 30, 2008.
These are seminars of recent scholarly research for curators and connoisseurs of American decorative arts.
- Looking Closely, Becoming a Furniture Detective, March 6-7, 2008
- Inlay, Veneer, and Imported Woods in America, 1785-1830, March 1-2, 2007
- Understanding Surface on American Furniture Then and Now, March 2-4, 2006
- Tools and Techniques for Understanding Old Furniture, March 6-8, 2003
- Furniture of the Colonies 1680-1740, March 8-10, 2001
- Ceramics in America 1999, April 15-16-17, 1999
- Deceit, Deception & Discovery, Fakes in the Museum and Marketplace December 5, 1998
- Painted Furniture 1750-1850, April 16-17-18, 1998
- Furniture from Newport, Rhode Island 1750-1800, June 7-8, 1996
- Federal Chairs, June 9-10, 1995
The Art and Architecture of Middle Tennessee, Seminar of The Decorative Arts Trust, tours and scholarly
presentations, Nashville, Tennessee, April 1-4, 2004
American Studio Furniture 1940-1990 A Retrospective View, one day symposium, Boston Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston, Massachusetts, January 17, 2004
The Boston Furniture Symposium—New Research on the Federal Period, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem,
Massachusetts, November 14-16, 2003
The Arts of France and America Compared—Jefferson’s America, Napoleon’s France, Seminar of The Decorative
Arts Trust, tours and scholarly presentations in conjunction with New Orleans Museum, New Orleans,
Louisiana, April 10-13, 2003
Looking at Paper and Prints, International Society of Appraisers, Two-day specialty course in print identification
and connoisseurship. Denver, Colorado, February 8-9, 2003
Milwaukee’s Outstanding Collections, Seminar of The Decorative Arts Trust, tours and scholarly presentations,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, September 19-22, 2002
19th C Furniture Construction & Forms; Advanced Silver, Two 2-day courses sponsored by Whitehall at the Villa,
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, August 2-5, 2002
Musée des Arts Décoratifs Exhibit and Private Collections Tour, Program sponsored by Seattle Art Museum
Decorative Arts and Paintings Council in conjunction with Portland Art Museum; Portland, Oregon, April 5-6, 2002
Wood, Canvas and Silver: The Collections of Yale University, Seminar of The Decorative Arts Trust, tours and
scholarly presentations, New Haven, Connecticut, March 21-24, 2002
Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy: Gordon House Open Conference, Architecture & interiors by Wright, Aalto,
and Belluschi; with lectures. Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon, March 2-3, 2002
Historic Homes of Newport, Rhode Island, Seminar hosted by Appraisers Association of America, Inc. in
conjunction with The Preservation Society of Newport Mansions, October 19-21, 2000
Charles and Ray Eames House, Eames Design Seminar at Eames house and Eames Office, Santa Monica and
Pacific Palisades, CA, May 20, 2000
Seattle Art Museum, Porcelain Symposium, presentations of recent scholarly research,
Seattle, Washington, March 4-5, 2000
Winterthur Museum and Gardens, Wilmington, DEL Winterthur Winter Institute, Competitive admission. Three-week
program, American material culture for professionals, January 1991.
Victorian Society of America, London, England. Victorian architecture seminar. June 1980
VOLUNTEER BOARDS
Mercer Island Arts Council, Mercer Island, WA
Chairman Public Art, May 2003-May 2005. Chair of 1% for art committee that selected artist for Mercer Island
Community Center.
Seattle Art Museum Decorative Arts and Paintings Council, Seattle, WA
Executive Committee member, 2002 to 2005
Pacific Arts Center, Seattle, WA.
Member of Society for Pacific Arts Center, an arts education organization.
August 1997 to August 1999.
Joint Youth Ministry, Mercer Island, WA
President of Board. Joint Youth Ministry is a 4-church consortium providing Christian education for middle
school and high school youth. January 1995 to September 1997.
Youth Theater Northwest, Mercer Island, WA
Board member of theatrical production and arts education organization. 1991-1993.
Early Music Guild, Seattle, WA
EMG presents concerts of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music. BOD 1982-1987; President 1985-86.
PUBLICATIONS
"Studio Furniture" Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies 2008, edited by Todd Sigety. ISA Education
Foundation, 2008, pp. 217-228.
"Studio Furntiure-Makers Transcend Nature, One Unique Piece at a Time" by Rebecca Teagarden, Pacific
Magazine The Seattle Times, December 7, 2008, Article highlights Margaret Minnick’s personal collection.
Cover article Weekend Living, Section D, The Seattle Times January 26, 2008 in which Margaret Minnick is the
featured appraiser for an article identifying readers’ antiques, cover and pages 8-9.
Exhibition catalogue essay, 25 Year Northwest Fine Woodworking, NWFW, 2005, unnumbered. Essay for 25th
anniversary show catalogue of the Northwest Fine Woodworking, Seattle, Washington.
"Commissioning" Furniture Studio The Heart of the Functional Arts, edited by John Kelsey and Rick Mastelli, The
Furniture Society, Free Union, Virginia, 1999, pages 68-73.
"Nasty Hints in Household Furniture," Home Furniture, October/November 1997, Number 13, pg.86.
"The Decorative Arts Enjoy a Surge of Attention," The Practical Philanthropist, November 1991, cover article
SPECIALTY LECTURES
Museum of Arts and Culture, Spokane, WA, Objects of Surprising Value lecture to benefit the Campbell House,
April 17, 2009
Women’s University Club, Seattle, WA
Lecture (delivered February 9, 2009 and April 3, 2009): Evaluating Persephone, Hiram Powers’ Sculptural
Bust in 19th C America.
Three-lecture series: Regional Variations of Colonial Chippendale Furniture; Boston Federal Furniture;
Bourbon Era: French Furniture of Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. November 3, 2006; February 2, 2007,
and May 4, 2007.
Rejuvenation, Portland, OR Greene and Greene Architecture and Furnishings, October 21, 2006
Historic Seattle, Seattle, WA Bungalow Fair lecture, The Perfect Fit: Proper Furniture for the Proper House,
October 1, 2006
Furniture Society Annual Conference, Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah, GA, June 25, 2004
Panel presentation: Dynamic Marketing: Museums, Galleries, and Appraisal, June 25, 2004
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA. Shaker Influence in Contemporary Makers, in conjunction with exhibition
Creating Perfection Shaker Objects and Their Affinities, October 6, 2000
Furniture Society Annual Conference, California College of the Arts & Crafts, San Francisco, CA The Nature of
the Commission Process, June 27, 1998
Philadelphia Furniture and Furnishings Show, Philadelphia, PA The Pitch of Perfection: Collecting and
Commissioning Furnishings, April 18, 1998
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA Poised for the New Century: The Partnership Between Design & Craft featured
speaker at symposium in conjunction with museum exhibition Design 1885-1945 The Arts of Reform and
Persuasion, November 2, 1996.
PERSONAL
I grew up in Walla Walla, Washington but spent the decade of my twenties living in Ayrshire (Scotland), London, Munich, Boston, Washington DC and New York City. I now live in the Seattle area with my husband, architect Roger Wallace, in a remodeled 1936 cabin on the edge of Lake Washington. We put a high priority on travel and make frequent visits to art exhibitions, museums, studio furniture shows, and antique fairs in the United States and Europe. Jazzercise keeps me somewhat sane during the week, and we particularly love skiing each winter. My four children are grown but they still provide daily humor and continuously stretch the horizons with their interests and activities.
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