Head of Sale
Katherine Halligan
Director, Fine Art
Katherine “Katie” Halligan joined John Moran Auctioneers in October 2024 as Director of Fine Art, where she leads a highly experienced team specializing in a wide range of categories, including California, American, and Western Art, Modern and Contemporary, Prints and Multiples, and Ultra-Contemporary Art. With more than 25 years in the art world, Katie has held lead specialist roles at major international auction houses. She notably headed the Western Art Department at Bonhams, where she launched and led their stand-alone Western Art sales, and served in the American Paintings department at Christie’s Los Angeles, focusing on California and Western art sales.
Before joining Moran’s, Katie built an impressive career as a fine art appraiser through her private firm, Halligan Fine Art Appraisals and Advising, where she specialized in insurance, charitable gift, and estate tax appraisals, and provided acquisition advising for collections. She has handled sales for private and institutional collections at both the regional and international levels and has collaborated directly with the estates of artists such as Conrad Buff and Arthur Dominique Rozaire.
Katie’s professional focus centers on building lasting relationships with collectors and institutions to ensure the optimal sales process, from initial consignment through to final dispersal. She actively contributes to scholarship in her fields of expertise by writing and lecturing on a range of topics related to California and Western art.
Katie earned her BA in Art History from Wells College and completed master’s coursework at Binghamton University. She is a Certified Appraiser with the Appraisers Association of America and is USPAP compliant.
