Exclusive Interview With Head Of American Art Department At Sotheby's

Exclusive Interview With Liz Sterling, Svp. Head Of American Art Department, Senior Specialist at Sotheby's.

- Asaf Rolef Ben-Shahar, PhD

Thank you Liz for your willingness to participate in this Interview. First, we would like to offer a belated congratulations for the new position as the head of Sotheby’s American Art Department. Given that big changes always require time for adjustments, how do you feel your transition has been? How do you feel in your new role?

With my previous experience in the auction world, and the warm welcome I received from my colleagues at Sotheby’s, the transition into this role has been quite smooth.

Where is your professional passion? What would you be interested in achieving in your professional path?

There are a number of American Modern artists that I feel are still undervalued in the market and I would love to bring them more to the forefront as they were doing incredibly interesting work. I still believe that works by Stieglitz Circle artists – a group of talented Americans artists working in the 1910's-1940's – has yet to reach its potential. Also the Park Avenue Cubists – a group of artists working in New York in the 1920's-1940's. I’d also like to broaden the market for American Art by integrating works into other sale categories.

What does a regular day at work looks like for you?

One of the great things about this role is that no two days are alike! From travelling across the country to presiding over a sale, strategizing over business development to previewing museum exhibitions, each day is unique and somewhat unpredictable.

How do you balance Artistic integrity and curiosity with financial thinking and planning? Have you ever found yourself conflicted there? Can you share a story about it?

The intersection of art and business is at the core of this company, and being able to walk into an office where my passion is my work is a delight.