Catalogue Raisonné Submissions

The Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné provides in-depth records and documentation of individual objects and their ownership history, a timeline of Bertoia’s large-scale commissions, bibliographic references, and his exhibition history. The catalogue also features detailed explanations of Bertoia’s artistic development and an extensive glossary of his materials and techniques. Works included in the Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné are assigned catalogue raisonné numbers.

The Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné currently documents thousands of works by Bertoia, and will be updated regularly as new artworks, information, archival materials, and images are uncovered. The Harry Bertoia Foundation encourages owners of works by Harry Bertoia to contact the Harry Bertoia Foundation for inclusion in the catalogue raisonné. Please see the Submission Guidelines below for more details. 

To access the Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné, please visit the following link and register with your email address: [add link to Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné site]

The Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné is produced, published, and maintained by the Harry Bertoia Foundation. Please contact catalogue@harrybertoia.org with any additional questions or concerns.

Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné – Submission Guidelines

The Harry Bertoia Foundation is committed to the participation and privacy of collectors and dealers of Bertoia’s works. While any materials submitted will become the property of the Foundation, all ownership information is intended for internal research purposes only and will not be shared publicly without prior approval. All research conducted by the Harry Bertoia Foundation shall be confidential, though any opinions issued will not be confidential. 

Please note, the Harry Bertoia Foundation does not authenticate or provide valuations of artworks. Submitting a work for review does not guarantee that a work will be included in the Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné; all decisions shall remain within our sole discretion. The decision to include a work does not constitute a warranty or guarantee of authenticity or provenance. We reserve the right to reconsider or change our decisions. Neither the Harry Bertoia Foundation nor any person associated with it, including but not limited to members of the Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné Advisory Panel, research team, and external consultants, guarantees the finality or correctness of opinions and decisions.

Please note that there is a $500 administration fee for each three-dimensional object submitted or a $250 administration fee for two-dimensional work, which must be paid in order for the official review process of the work to begin. Payments will be processed via Paypal.

Submission Guidelines

The Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné Advisory Panel convenes quarterly to review submissions; in 2023 – 2024 the Advisory Panel will meet on November 29, 2023, February 7, 2024, May 1, 2024, August 7, 2024, and November 6, 2024. To be considered for inclusion in the catalogue raisonné, all required materials must be received at least two weeks prior to the quarterly meeting date. 

Submit images and any known information, as well as any supporting documentation, about work(s) you believe to be by Bertoia in your possession, for each individual work or object by email to catalogue@harrybertoia.org or by mail to: The Harry Bertoia Foundation, 1449 N 1400 W, Ste 11, St George, UT 84770. You may use our Artwork Information Form or email the following for each submitted work:

• Name and contact information of current owner or owner’s representative
• Title or description of work
• Medium/ materials
• Dimensions (including any frames, bases, or supports – please note if they are original)
• Any marks, inscriptions, labels, or numbers on the work (including any writing or notations on prints)
• Condition notes
• Provenance information (history of ownership; how and where you acquired the work)
• Exhibition history
• Bibliography/ published references
• Images of the work, including details of any labels, marks, or notable details. If you have hi-resolution images too large to email, please contact catalogue@harrybertoia.org
• Copies of all archival information in the owner’s possession related to the work (e.g. correspondence, invoices, sale agreements, bills of sale, auction records, exhibition history, bibliographic references)
• Any additional information you feel is relevant or questions and concerns that you have

You must also complete and sign the Submission Agreement Form, and return along with the artwork information, by either mail or email.

Please note that there is a $500 administration fee for each three-dimensional object submitted or a $250 administration fee for two-dimensional work, which must be paid in order for the official review process of the work to begin. This fee covers staff costs for researching the information and images you provide against the Foundation’s extensive archives, artwork database, and other records. Payments will be processed via Paypal and the Harry Bertoia Foundation.

The Harry Bertoia Foundation is committed to working with collectors of all levels and backgrounds; if you have any questions or concerns about the administration fee, please email catalogue@harrybertoia.org.

Submission Process

1. The submitted materials will be evaluated and cross-referenced with the Foundation’s database and archival records, and reviewed by the Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné Advisory Panel, which is composed of Celia Bertoia, Founder and Director of the Harry Bertoia Foundation, Dr. Marin R. Sullivan, Director of the Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné, Dr. Bridget Gilman, Senior Research Associate, and Wibur C. Springer, Chairman of the Harry Bertoia Foundation Board.
   1. The Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné Advisory Panel convenes quarterly to review submissions. To be considered for inclusion in the catalogue raisonné, all required materials must be received at least two weeks prior to the quarterly meeting date.
   2. An expedited review can be requested at the time of submission. If agreed to by the Foundation and Advisory Panel, an additional administration fee of $250 will be charged and must be paid in full before a research review of the submitted work is undertaken. Expedited submissions will be reviewed within two weeks of receipt.
2. Once the review process is complete, the submitter will receive an email, which will include either an advisory opinion letter about the submitted work or a request for further inquiry. Please note that any opinion issued by the Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné Advisory Panel on behalf of the Harry Bertoia Foundation is made in a purely advisory capacity and does not constitute an authentication or valuation of any artwork. The Foundation and panel members accept no liability concerning the content of the opinion.
   1. If an advisory opinion is issued, it means the HBCR Advisory Panel has agreed that enough information was available to determine whether or not the submitted work should be included in the catalogue raisonné. The letter will contain:
      1. Whether or not the information submitted corresponds to the Foundation’s records, and the Advisory Panel’s opinion on why the submitted work has been determined to be accepted into the catalogue raisonné, or not.
      2. If the work will be included in the HBCR, information on how the work will be cataloged, including title, date, medium and HBCR # will be provided.
      3. Any other specific information or answers to research questions requested in the initial inquiry.
   2. If an advisory panel opinion is not issued, it means the HBCR Advisory Panel has agreed that there was insufficient information currently available to determine whether or not the submitted work should be included in the catalogue raisonné. Instead, the submitter will receive a request for further inquiry that outlines possible next steps, should the submitter wish to continue the research and review process for the work, which might include:
      1. A request for additional images and/or information.
      2. An outline of additional research options, beyond Foundation materials, that need to be undertaken by the HBCR Advisory Panel in order to issue an opinion.
      3. A recommendation that the work be examined in person. The owner of the work will need to either arrange for shipment to and from the Harry Bertoia Foundation as well as provide the Foundation with a certificate of insurance or cover all expenses for at least one member of the Advisory Panel to travel to see the work.
   3. If the submitter decides to not pursue additional research or an in-person examination of the work requested by the HBCR Advisory Panel, they will receive an advisory opinion letter stating that there is not enough information at this time to support inclusion in the Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné.

Should the submitter wish to continue the research and review process at this point, an additional administration fee may be assessed and the submitter will be responsible for covering travel costs, agreed to in advance, related to needed research or in-person examination. Please also note that additional research or in-person examination requested by the Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné Advisory Panel may not result in the issuing of a definitive opinion at the end of the process.

If further evidence or information is made available after an advisory opinion is issued, it is at the discretion of the HBCR Advisory Panel whether the work should be subject to further review. There is no petition process for decisions submitters find unfavorable and no refunds will be issued for paid administration fees.

The Harry Bertoia Foundation is committed to the participation and privacy of collectors and dealers of Bertoia’s works. While any materials submitted will become the property of the Foundation, all ownership information is intended for internal research purposes only and will not be shared publicly without prior approval. All research conducted by the Harry Bertoia Foundation shall be confidential, though any opinions issued will not be confidential.