DALLAS, TX.- Heritage Auctions has announced that Michelle Castro, with more than a decade of experience appraising and auctioning fine and decorative arts, has joined its growing Trusts & Estates Division. Michelle will be responsible for assisting attorneys, executors, advisors and fiduciary professionals with their client’s needs for estate evaluations, appraisals and asset divestiture. She will represent Heritage Auctions throughout Texas and the Southern Region of the United States.
“Michelle’s experience in doing what’s best for her clients makes her an ideal person to help grow Heritage’s full service Trusts & Estates group,” said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage. “Her impressive knowledge spans three hundred years of fine arts and she has an impressive track record working with large estates and bringing important works to auction.”
A Southern native, Michelle spent her early career working with European and American paintings at a private gallery in New Orleans before launching a successful career in the auction industry, where she successfully curated and directed the sales of prominent Southern estates. Her work for the estate of a noted New Orleans art collector achieved record prices for several Southern artists with prices realized of more than $4.6 million. Soon after, Michelle sourced and managed a significant collection of American art in rural Texas with sales exceeding $3.9 million.
Michelle also brings extensive experience protecting clients’ long-term estate concerns and providing customized services for high-net worth private individuals and their fiduciaries. She can assist clients with estate tax, family division and insurance appraisals; the development of sale and marketing plans for auction or private treaty sales; and consignment management, all treated with the utmost discretion. She is also an accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers, specializing in fine arts.
To be based in Dallas, Michelle joins a team under the leadership of Mark Prendergast, Director of Trusts & Estates, and will work closely with Karl Chiao, Trusts & Estates Representative, as well as Carolyn Mani, Consignment Director and Trusts & Estates in Beverly Hills.
“It feels as though my entire career has culminated in this very unique role at Heritage,” Michelle said. “I’m truly excited to blend my passion for helping families prosper with Heritage’s extensive global resources. Whether it is a single item, a small collection in differing categories or the contents of an entire estate, Heritage provides a seamless and technologically harmonious auction and appraisal experience from the initial consultation through settlement.”
