Erica Claus and Associates Appraisals

Established in Ottawa in 2012, the firm is defined by professionalism, integrity, confidentiality, accuracy and timeliness. Training in conflict resolution complements the appraisal practice and helps us assist clients with sensitivity.

Services include appraisal reports for cultural property donation, disposition, insurance (coverage, damage, loss), estate; appraisal reviews; research; writing; private collections/wealth management (inventories, appraisals, catalogues); collections disposition for downsizing clients (collectors and artists).

Clients include individuals, executors, legal firms, insurers, museums, galleries, libraries, archives, public institutions and associations, governments.

Erica Claus received Accreditation (ISA AM) from the International Society of Appraisers in 2012, signifying that she satisfies Member level requirements and demonstrates knowledge in her field through education and specialty expert work in her field (art and ethnology).

Ms. Claus has lived in Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, India and Berlin, and has travelled throughout the world (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America) consulting museums and galleries as well as attending internation art fairs in Toronto, Montreal, Venice, Kassel, Berlin.

Ms. Claus is trilingual (English, French, German), with rudimentary Tamil, and is available for speaking engagements and travel.

Career

Erica Claus was appointed Secretary to the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board in 2008 and served three years reviewing approximately 3,000 appraisals for cultural property of outstanding signifcance and national importance being donated to collecting institutions in Canada. Prior to this she served as Head of the Cultural, Academic Relations and Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of Canada in Berlin (2005-2008). Ms. Claus has held numerous positions in culture, arts and heritage over a thirty year career in the public sector working with cultural collecting institutions in Canada and internationally prior to joining the private sector.

Specialist Certification

Core Course in Appraisal Studies, International Society of Appraisers (ISA) (Chicago) 2009; Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), American Association of Appraisers (Boston) 2012; Fine Art Specialty Course, ISA (Chicago) 2012; USPAP Update Course, American Association of Appraisers (Toronto) 2014.

Education

19th C Collodion Wet Plate Photography Course, Genesee Libby Studio, Rochester, New York (2016); Graduate Diploma in Conflict Resolution, Law Faculty Carleton University (Ottawa) 2013; M.A. Anthropology, Carleton University 1982; Certificate in Tamil Language and Culture, Madurai Kamaraj University (Madurai) 1981; B. A. Anthropology and Museology (focus on Northwest Coast art), University of British Columbia (Vancouver) 1978; Diploma of Collegial Studies in Fine Art (Liberal Arts with Photography major), Vanier College (Montreal) 1973.

Anthropological Fieldwork in Madurai, South India: studied Indian art, Tamil language, literature and culture (1980-1981).

International Innovation

In 2000, upon invitation of the Secretary of State of the U.S.A., Ms. Claus joined the International Visitor Leadership Program on a “Cultural Heritage Preservation Tour” to meet with scholars, art historians, museologists and policy makers to discuss trends in collections management.

In 2007 Ms. Claus organized a delegation of 12 scholars, museum directors and curators from Germany and Switzerland for a study tour of Canadian native historical and contemporary art, the most extensive and indepth effort of this nature to date. The group visited museums, galleries, artist studios and First Nations centers to study art.