Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers will be moving in February of this year to a state-of-the-art 24,000 square foot stand-alone building near the Houston Galleria.

The antiques, fine art, jewelry, silver, and decorative arts auction house has leased the property at 4901 Richmond Avenue; the current site of Parvizian Signature Rugs. During the remodeling phase Morton Kuehnert will continue to host their Thursday night auctions at their current location at 2801 W Sam Houston Parkway N.

“This move is an indication of the confidence we have in the global economy and in the Houston marketplace,” said Luis C. Lopez-Morton, chairman and managing director. “We are also responding to our clientèle who have encouraged us to move to a location that is convenient for consignors and buyers alike,” he added.

Morton partnered with Kuehnert’s Auction Gallery, Inc. in 2008 becoming Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers. Luis Lopez-Morton owns Galerias Louis C. Morton in Mexico.

Associate Director Patricia-Kuehnert Gillespy, who opened Kuehnert’s in 1988, sees the move as an opportunity to continue to build the Morton Kuehnert brand in an area of Houston that is frequented by international shoppers as well as Morton Kuehnert’s target market.

“We will continue to build upon our reputation for having integrity and for providing exceptional value and service to our loyal clientèle,” said Kuehnert-Gillespy, “and at the same time, introduce Morton Kuehnert to new collectors and buyers. We believe we are the best medium to bring them together, and our new location, the best setting,” she added.

The auction house will include a showroom, a photography studio, climate-controlled storage, and a private appraisal room. Appraisers will inspect, evaluate, and research consignment items. “This will allow us to provide our estate consignors with the promotional strategies needed to reach the best buyers for their collections,” said Morton.

Many of our weekly auctions in Houston include some very desirable modern and contemporary art. If you’re a collector, or thinking about becoming one, you would do well to visit our website every Wednesday to see what we’re offering. You can typically find some great buys on renowned artists’ lithographs, prints, printer’s proofs, as well as up-and-coming artists’ originals, just about every week. We’re noticing at our art auctions in Mexico City and in Houston a new laid-back population of collectors — young singles and young couples — building their collections at auction (one of the most cost-efficient ways of buying art).

The art world is changing, according to some experts, and people are buying what they like rather than what they are told to like. In one of our recent Houston auctions a colorful Ossip Zadkine Limited Edition Lithograph entitled “Les Messangers du Jour” sold for $400. Columbian artist Jaime Carrasquilla’s untitled oil on canvas featuring his signature tuba sold for $700. Both were purchased below the market value. Contemporary collectibles such as master glassblower Doug Merritt’s art glass vases also pop up. One signed vase recently sold for $500 at Morton Kuehnert.

More and more young people are finding the confidence to buy and the savvy ones know that buying at auction, whether in person at our gallery, on-line at Morton Kuehnert’s partner artfact.com, by absentee bid, or phone bid, is a great way to build a collection quickly and affordably.