Elizabeth Stewart is a career appraiser of fine art and antiques, active in the field for 30 years. Elizabeth serves the Santa Barbara county area, and has appraised for clients nationwide. Elizabeth’s area of expertise is 19th- and 20th-century fine art and works on paper, as well as American and European 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century furniture. She is available for consultation onsite for one or one hundred items, for insurance purposes, charitable contribution purposes, and estate, trust and equitable distribution purposes. She has a field office on the East Coast as well, under the direction of her business manager Shawn Lozeau.
Elizabeth received her undergraduate degree in Architectural History, magna cum laude, from Tufts University in Boston, and she has a Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation from the University of San Diego. She holds a doctorate in Mythological Studies (with an emphasis on Material Culture) from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Her doctoral dissertation, “The Material Image: Why Collectors Collect,” focuses on the psychology of connoisseurs, hoarders, and fetishizers. Elizabeth is a docent and guest lecturer for the Santa Barbara Historical Society, and she travels nationwide with her own “Antique Road Show,” which she presents for non-profit organizations as fundraising events. Her first book, COLLECT VALUE DIVEST:The Savvy Appraiser was released in December 2016.
She consults with clients on how to create collections, find value and provenance, what to bequeath to heirs, and how and what to donate for tax benefits.
For the past nine years, Elizabeth has broadcasted her own “Art and Antiques Radio Program” on KZSB AM 1290 weekly, as well as writing a weekly column, aptly titled “Ask the GOLDDIGGER,” for the Santa Barbara News Press.
Elizabeth is certified with the professional organization the Appraisers Association of America, based in New York City, having successfully completed peer review and examinations. This included the industry’s most important exam, the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), the congressionally recognized set of appraisal standards put forth by The Appraisal Foundation. Elizabeth is constantly following the latest education in the practice, also having completed the Special IRS Appraisals course, as well as the State Bar of California’s Expert Witness course. She recently acted as expert witness in a case involving art theft for the Santa Barbara DA’s office. Elizabeth has strong ties with the country’s Trust and Estate legal community, 2022 resume Elizabeth Stewart as well as the CPA and local Museum communities.