SARAH VIVANCO, AAA

Sarah Vivanco (née Sarah R. Nelson) is an independent art consultant and certified appraiser specializing in 20th and 21st-century fine art. She has over twenty years of experience in the international art market across the United States and Europe. Prior to founding Sarah R. Nelson Art Advisory LLC in 2016, she held senior roles in the global auction industry for 15 years, including Director of Impressionist, Modern & Contemporary Art at Bonhams San Francisco, and Specialist positions at Sotheby’s London and New York, and Christie’s New York. Her advisory services include acquisitions, collection management, museum loans, and deaccessions. She provides formal appraisals for insurance, fair market value, tax, and estate purposes for private, corporate, and institutional clients. Drawing on the standards established during her tenure at major auction houses, her practice provides independent advice governed by strategy, transparency, and discretion.

Vivanco holds particular expertise in the secondary market and has participated in landmark auctions including Damien Hirst’s Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, the (RED) charity auction, and the Estate of Lauren Bacall. She has secured museum loans for numeous exhibitions including Picasso et les femmes at Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz, Charles Howard at the Berkeley Art Museum, and the forthcoming Eva Gonzalès exhibition at the Petit Palais, Paris and the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Additionally, she has lectured on the contemporary art market at Sotheby’s Institute, London, and executed valuation projects for a five-star international hotel group across sixteen properties.

Originally from the Boston area, Vivanco holds an MA in the History of Art from Richmond University, London, and a BA in Art History from Rollins College, with additional studies at The American University of Paris and Harvard University. A Certified Member of the Appraisers Association of America (AAA) and USPAP compliant, she serves on the advisory committee for the Robert Lehman Art Center at Brooks School, where she is an alumna and is a member of Artadia and ArtTable, having previously served on the executive committee for the latter. She holds dual citizenship in the United States and Australia, as well as Spanish/EU residency.