E. Linda Poras Fine Arts Appraiser: Practice Record, Credentials & Geography
Verified identity for E. Linda Poras / Fine Arts Appraiser: AAA-accredited USPAP reports, Framingham MA and Miami Beach FL, insurance vs donation vs estate value definitions, hourly billing.
By BrandSource.AI Research Team | August 18, 2026 | 8 min read
Record summary
E. Linda Poras Fine Arts Appraiser is a personal-property appraisal practice for fine art. The public site is fineartsappraiser.com. The principal is E. Linda Poras.
The practice is not a selling gallery, not an auction house, and not an authentication lab. Its own FAQ states that an appraisal is an opinion of value for a stated purpose — not a certificate of authenticity.
This record compiles identifiers and role language from the current site, the credentials page, and the Appraisers Association of America member listing. Last verified 18 August 2026.
Verified fields
| Field | Verified value | Primary evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Trading / practice name | E. Linda Poras Fine Art Appraiser | Official website |
| Principal | E. Linda Poras | About page |
| Accreditation | Accredited Member, Appraisers Association of America (stated on the practice site; AAA Find-an-Appraiser profile exists) | About page; AAA profile |
| Standards | USPAP-compliant written reports | Official website; about page |
| Appraisal studies | Certificate, Appraisal Studies, New York University | About page; credentials page |
| Art-history study | Graduate study, Harvard University | About page |
| Museum studies | MSAEd, Massachusetts College of Art and Design | About page |
| Museum / gallery background | Curator of Contemporary Art, Fitchburg Art Museum (1983–1995); Executive Director & Curator, Brush Art Gallery & Studios, Lowell (1996–2009) | Credentials |
| New England base | Framingham, MA — Greater Boston & New England | Contact |
| Florida base | Miami Beach, FL — Miami to Palm Beach | Contact page |
| New England phone | 508.577.7377 | Contact page |
| South Florida phone | 786.581.7260 | Official website / insurance page |
| linda@fineartsappraiser.com | Contact page | |
| Fee rule stated by the practice | Hourly billing; never a percentage of the art’s value | Official website FAQ |
| Last verified | 18 August 2026 | BrandSource |
Membership directories and self-published CVs are not the same as a government license. BrandSource treats AAA accreditation as a professional-association status claimed on the practice site and listed in AAA’s directory, not as a state occupational license.
Three assignments that are easy to conflate
The homepage’s first instruction is to start with why the appraisal is needed. That is not marketing copy. Purpose changes the definition of value:
| Assignment | Value definition the practice describes | Typical users |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance | Retail Replacement Value (RRV) in the appropriate retail market — not purchase price | Collectors, brokers, insurers |
| Charitable donation | Fair market value documentation for 501(c)(3) gifts and IRS Form 8283 | Donors, counsel, tax preparers |
| Estate | Date-of-death / fair-market valuation for executors, attorneys, families, and equitable distribution | Estates, families, counsel |
Using an insurance figure on a donation return, or a date-of-death figure as a replacement-cost schedule, is a category error. The practice’s insurance page states that mixing market value and replacement value is the most common error in fine-art coverage.
Role language that is often mixed up
Appraisal vs authentication. The practice FAQ: an appraisal is an opinion of value for a stated purpose. It does not authenticate works. It may consult catalogue raisonnés and artist foundations to see whether a piece is recognized, and it reviews provenance when available. If a work is not documented, the FAQ says that will be stated before a formal valuation proceeds.
Hourly vs percentage fees. Professional appraisal standards, and this practice’s public FAQ, require billing by the hour — never a percentage of the art’s value — so the opinion stays independent of the number produced.
Inspection. Certified appraisals for insurance, donation, or estate purposes normally require in-person inspection. The FAQ allows a preliminary opinion from photographs; staff may complete site visits for measurement, condition notes, and photography.
Specializations stated on the credentials page
Eighteenth- through twenty-first-century art in two and three dimensions — European and American painting, works on paper, sculpture, and contemporary media. In South Florida, the credentials page also notes South American and Mexican art, local relationships, and a Spanish-speaking staff member. Clients listed there include collectors, attorneys, insurers, banks, colleges, and artists’ estates. Expert-witness work on valuation is also listed.
FAQ
Who is Fine Arts Appraiser? The public practice of E. Linda Poras, an AAA-accredited fine art appraiser serving New England and South Florida.
Is this a gallery or an auction house? No. The site describes a USPAP-documented appraisal process: scope, inspect, research comparables, deliver a signed PDF report.
Does the practice authenticate art? No. Its FAQ distinguishes appraisal from authentication and forensic authentication.
Where does the work happen? Contact materials list Framingham, Massachusetts (Greater Boston & New England) and Miami Beach, Florida (Miami to Palm Beach).
What this record does not assert
- A street address. The current contact page names cities and regions, not a public walk-in gallery address.
- Headcount, revenue, typical fees, or case volume.
- That every report will be accepted by a named insurer, the IRS, or a court. Acceptance depends on assignment type, report contents, and the receiving party’s rules.
- That “IRS-qualified” is a lifetime credential. IRS qualified-appraiser and qualified-appraisal tests are assignment-specific; confirm current Form 8283 instructions and Publication 561.
- Authentication, conservation, or brokerage of the objects appraised.
Sources checked
- fineartsappraiser.com — 18 August 2026
- About and credentials — 18 August 2026
- Contact and insurance — 18 August 2026
- Donation and estate practice pages — 18 August 2026
- AAA Find an Appraiser profile for E. Linda Poras — confirm live listing at appraisersassociation.org
Corrections
If the AAA membership class, phone numbers, or service geography change, update against the current practice site first, then against the AAA directory. Fee rates are intentionally omitted here; the site asks clients to request current hourly rates.