Team — ESCHER ASSOCIATES

Nancy Escher, ASA, has many decades of experience as an independent appraiser specializing in fine art and rare books. She has a BA in Art History and her professional experience includes working at museums, auctions, the antiquarian book trade, galleries and advising private collectors. After founding Escher Associates, she joined the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), where she has served in a variety of positions locally, regionally and nationally on Personal Property committees and governing boards for the ASA. She has served as an expert witness in Federal Tax Court, Criminal and Civil Court, and has given depositions in preparation for civil and criminal proceedings involving insurance fraud, and damage and loss claims. In addition, she has extensive experience working with attorneys, private bankers, insurance companies and claims adjusters.

Lexi has over twenty years of experience in the contemporary art world. She received her BA from Hampshire College and MFA from the University of California, San Diego, where she studied with renowned California Conceptualists Alan Kaprow and Eleanor and David Antin. She began her post-graduate career in Los Angeles with Escher Associates before moving on to the gallery world, managing the bi-coastal Grant Selwyn in Beverly Hills and New York. As a partner of The Happy Lion in Chinatown, Lexi developed a critically acclaimed program of emerging artists and maintained a rigorous schedule of exhibitions and international art fairs. She expanded to found Nye & Brown in Culver City, working with artists such as Judy Chicago, James Turrell and Peter Alexander. Now she is happily returned to Escher Associates, and taking a leadership role in managing projects and developing new business, while building her credentials as a member of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA).

Jihae graduated with a BA from Scotland’s Glasgow School of Art, specializing in Photography, Sculpture, and Environmental Art. She is a practicing artist who works across a diverse array of mediums and has a professional background working for museums, artists’ studios, and archives including the Beach Boys and major contemporary artists including Thomas Houseago and Brian Wills. Jihae manages the day to day operations of the firm, prepares and polishes our reports, and supervises Escher Associates’ databases and photo archives. She works out of our Ojai office as Director of Operations.

Liza’s interest in caring for works of art began while studying art restoration at the Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute in Florence, Italy, after which she spent a decade in London continuing her studies and developing her career. She holds a BA in Art Conservation from Camberwell College of Arts, London and an MA in Museum Studies from University College London. Liza is the co-founder of CURA Art, a collections management company based in Los Angeles and London. Specializing in the care and management of art collections and as a team member for Escher Associates, her experience and skillset is an important asset for the research, analysis and inspection in the field.

Angela is a seasoned project manager, archivist, and collections manager with diverse knowledge in publishing, fine art, multimedia, and entertainment. Her versatile experience includes managing projects for large and small businesses, nonprofits, private sector clients, and sculptor Peter Shelton. She has overseen print and sculpture editions from conceptualization to fulfillment, collaborating with international museums and artists. For the recently released documentary film Robert Irwin: A Desert of Pure Feeling, Angela provided archival photo research on the artist's career. While building her credentials as a member of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), Angela's skills extend to asset management, logistics, archival principles and practices, ensuring the preservation and digitization of valuable assets including multimedia, audiovisual, ethnographic, antiques and decorative arts, and other valuable personal properties.