ABOUT ME:​

​My name is Laura and I am an independent scholar of Himalayan and Indian art. I am a professional art writer, editor, researcher, consultant, and provenance specialist. I have years of experience as an auction house specialist and a curatorial employee. I have a master’s degree in Languages and Cultures of Asia from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University. In my undergraduate and graduate careers, I steeped myself in the history, language, and visual culture of Buddhism in Tibet and the greater Himalayas. During my master's I had the opportunity for intensive Tibetan language studies at Ranjung Yeshe Institute in Kathmandu. As Research Assistant at the Rubin Museum of Art, I assisted Senior Curator Karl Debreczeny in cataloguing approximately 1,200 objects from the museum's permanent collection while also playing an instrumental role in creating the exhibition catalogue, Nepalese Seasons: Rain and Ritual by Dr. Gautama Vajracharya. As a specialist in the Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian department at Christie's New York, I viewed, handled, and evaluated tens of thousands of objects; carrying out insurance appraisals for major museums, evaluating important private collections, and assessing every-day inquiries. I was responsible for cataloguing, writing, exhibition preparation, and client interaction. I was also tasked with provenance research, as our department's expert in cultural property laws, and designated as liaison with Christie's legal team. Now, under my own LLC, I provide these same services to auction houses, dealers, and individuals alike. In my free time I contribute to Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org).