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"I gratefully thank Dr. Loomis for assembling this amazing collection, Laura A. Weinstein for doing a great job of researching and curating the rare pieces, and the producers of this beautiful book. May the vision of these treasures inspire present and future Tibetan and Himalayan artists to persevere in more creations at such an extraordinarily high standard." -Dr. Robert F. Thurman |
ABOUT ME:
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My name is Laura and I an expert in provenance research as well as a scholar of Himalayan and Indian art. I am also a USPAP certified art appraiser. My most recent position was Assistant Vice President and Specialist of the department at Sotheby's, New York. Prior to joining Sotheby's, I was acting as John H. Foster Associate Curator of Pre-modern Art at Asia Society Museum, New York where I curated “Buddha, Sage of the Shakya Clan: Masterworks from the Mr. And Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection.” In my role at Asia Society, I was responsible for provenance research and curation of the John D. Rockefeller 3rd collection. In 2022, I published a book of sculptural masterworks from a private New York City collection entitled Deities Unveiled: Himalayan Art from the Collection of John N. Loomis.
I am a professional art historian, writer, editor, researcher, consultant, and provenance specialist. I have years of experience working with museums, dealers, auction houses, and individual collectors. 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. In my first full-time role after graduate school, as Research Assistant at the Rubin Museum of Art, I assisted Senior Curator Dr. Karl Debreczeny in cataloguing approximately 1,200 objects from the museum's permanent collection. I also played an instrumental role in creating and editing (officially, co-editor under my maiden name) the exhibition catalogue, Nepalese Seasons: Rain and Ritual by Dr. Gautama Vajracharya. In my various roles I have viewed, handled, and evaluated tens of thousands of artworks from India, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia; cataloguing artworks and providing Tibetan translations where needed, carrying out appraisals for major museums and important private collections. My experience with provenance research in this particular field is also uniquely extensive as a result. In my free time I contribute to Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org) and continue to contribute as much scholarship as possible to my field. Please feel free to contact me through this website with any inquiries, or at [email protected]. |
PREVIOUS CLIENTS:ASIA SOCIETY MUSEUM
CARLTON ROCHELL ASIAN ART CHRISTIE'S NEW YORK CHRISTIE'S LONDON KAPOOR GALLERIES, INC. RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART SOTHEBY'S NEW YORK SOTHEBY'S HONG KONG HERITAGE AUCTIONS PRIVATE COLLECTORS |