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Cora Michael
Senior Fine Art Specialist and Head of Valuations

An expert in Impressionist, Modern, and Contemporary Art with a distinguished career as a museum curator at world-class institutions, Cora has extensive experience appraising high value works of art for insurance, tax, and sales advisory purposes. She has advised institutional and private clients on the dispersal, sale, and acquisition of fine art, and has performed high-stakes provenance and attribution research for individual collectors. Drawing upon her deep domain expertise and global network of appraisers, specialists, and conservators, Cora works with West End Capital and Advisory’s team of finance and lending experts to ensure that the collateral for all prospective loans is evaluated with accuracy, discretion, and timeliness.

Prior to joining West End Capital and Advisory, Cora started her own independent art appraisal business in 2017, Cora Michael Fine Art LLC, after completing the Comprehensive Appraisal Studies Program with the Appraisers Association of America. Cora appraises works of art in all media ranging from Old Master to Contemporary and works with institutional and private clients to ensure their collections are valued accurately and objectively. In addition to her appraisal services, Cora also works as an independent art historian, lending her deep expertise and high-level research and writing skills to commercial and private collection projects.

Prior to establishing her art appraisal business, Cora had a distinguished career as a museum curator. Between 2008 and 2015, she served as Associate Curator of Drawings and Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she oversaw the French nineteenth-century collection. In her subsequent role as Associate Curator of Exhibitions and Drawings and Prints at the Brooklyn Museum, Cora organized notable exhibitions of Photography and Post-War Art. A well-regarded authority in her field, Cora continues to publish and lecture on topics related to Impressionist and Modern Art and Works on Paper.

Cora received her B.A. from Vassar College and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. She completed the Comprehensive Appraisal Studies Program with the Appraisers Association of America and is an Accredited Member of the organization. She adheres to the strictest ethical and professional standards set forth by the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice and is USPAP-compliant.