Care, passion and attention go into collecting fine art. The same qualities can be exercised in appraising fine art. 20th C. West Art Appraisal, Inc. assists collectors and institutions by providing accurate, independent valuations of 19th C. through Contemporary American art for insurance, estate settlement, gift and general knowledge.

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20th C. West Art Appraisal, Inc. specializes in the appraisal of regional American Western paintings, prints, drawings and sculpture, and was founded by principal appraiser Caroline Seigel in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2004. Seigel is an Accredited Senior Member of the American Society of Appraisers and practices according to USPAP standards.

Seigel earned a Certificate in Appraisal Studies from George Washington University for completing the four core appraisal courses offered by ASA, as well as courses in conoisseurship of fine and decorative art. These ASA core courses cover appraisal methodology, research, report writing, and valuation law. She has been tested and practices in accordance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, or USPAP, as stated by the Appraisal Foundation in Washington, D.C. She is currently an officer of the New Mexico Chapter of the American Society of Appraisers, and has over a decade of art appraisal experience. Prior to starting her business, Seigel worked for three years with Bernard Ewell Art Appraisals, Santa Fe, and is recognized as an expert witness in art appraisal in New Mexico and Colorado.

Seigel earned a B.A. in Studio Art from Colorado College, Colorado Springs; a M.A. in Art History from Indiana University, Bloomington; and a M.L.S. (Masters in Library Science) also from Indiana University. She also earned a J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law, Albuquerque, and is a member of the State Bar.

Seigel has expertise in American paintings, sculpture and works on paper, with a specialization in Western and Southwestern fine art. She has appraised high-value fine art by members of the Taos Society of Artists and by New York Modernists for donation to the New Mexico Museum of Art and to the Georgia Keeffe Museum, both Santa Fe, as well as for insurance and estate settlement. Other professional projects include researching and writing bibliographies of sculptors represented in the Frederick Meijer Sculpture Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Seigel is also a member of the Santa Fe Estate Planning Council.