Arab American Museum Stages Antique Appraisal Event to Encourage Family History Preservation

posted on: Sep 4, 2009

As a cultural institution, the Arab American National Museum (AANM) is dedicated to documenting and preserving the artifacts and artworks that help tell the Arab American story.

Now, the AANM is encouraging the public to do the same for their own family’s history, by having their artifacts examined at the AANM by appraisal experts from Detroit’s DuMouchelles, Fine Arts Auctioneers & Estate Appraisers since 1927.

The appraisal event takes place from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, September 26 in the AANM’s Community Courtyard. Appointments are required; no walk-ups accepted.

Individuals wishing to schedule appraisal appointments must contact Barbara Logan at 313.624.0205 or blogan@accesscommunity.org. The fee is $10 to appraise one item; $15 to appraise two items.

Those with appraisal appointments are also welcome to tour the rest of the AANM during their visit, at no charge.

“While some people may be most interested in the cash value of an antique, we believe it’s more important to preserve family heirlooms for their intrinsic personal and historical value,” says Devon Akmon, curator of community history at the AANM.

“Grandma’s brooch or a painting by a distant relative may or may not bring a healthy price at auction, but in terms of documenting family history, such artifacts are invaluable and may represent the only physical connection between past and future generations of a family,” Akmon says.

Items presented for appraisal may include but are not limited to jewelry, artworks, textiles or furniture; individuals must provide their own transport for oversized items. Questions may be directed to Barbara Logan at the phone number above.

The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves, celebrates, and educates the public on the history, life, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans. We serve as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in this country. The Arab American National Museum is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization. Learn more at www.arabamericanmuseum.org