Art appraiser Winston Art Group and art-tech firm Artory have merged to form the Winston Artory Group (WAG), a new company offering art appraisal, advisory, and digital collection management services. The merger is backed by a strategic investment led by Strobe Ventures, with support from CMT Digital, Galaxy Digital, and the family office of Eijk van Otterloo. WAG combines Winston's valuation expertise with Artory's blockchain-backed technology and a database of over 50 million art market transactions, aiming to provide secure, data-rich valuations to insurers, banks, family offices, and collectors. The firm expects to handle $15 billion in valuations this year.
This merger matters because it addresses the art market's growing need for transparency and reliable data in a challenging economic climate where values are volatile—one print once valued at $1 million was recently reappraised at $300,000. WAG's access to private sales data, dealer price lists, and aggregated transaction records gives it a unique position to offer defensible valuations when auction results alone are insufficient. The firm's co-executive chairs note that appraisals are becoming more consequential as dealers close and collectors seek clarity on their holdings, underscoring how data-driven services are reshaping the traditionally opaque art advisory industry.