This article is reprinted by permission from NextAvenue.org. Six years ago, when my father died and my sister Robin and I had to determine what to do with the possessions he and our late mother owned, I discovered there weren’t many good options. I wrote the experience on Next Avenue, and the article, “Sorry, Nobody Wants Your Parents’ Stuff,” went viral.
Recently, when my wife Liz and I needed to unload art in her mother’s beach condo, I wondered: Does anyone want your parents’ art? After talking with experts, I learned it’s quite possible that someone does. But to find that person or charity, you’ll need to commit time and effort — especially if you don’t know anything about the painting or sculpture. Otherwise, you’ll likely wind up junking the art, and that would be a shame.What decides the value of your art? Exactly how much money you’ll receive — if any — will depend on where you look for a buyer and the size, type and condition of the art as well as the reputation of the artist. Also important: what art people call the work’s “provenance,” or ownership history. Linda Frankel, owner of the Artful Transitions NYC relocation firm in New York City, says you can verify an artwork’s provenance by having something — a gallery brochure, museum catalog, bill of sale o …