About Dirk Soulis and Soulis Fine Art Appraisals of Kansas City
The History of SoulisOur Institutional ClientsDirk Soulis is the founder and principal of Soulis Fine Art Appraisals of Kansas City. He has worked in the fine art and antiques industry around Kansas City and throughout the Midwest since 1985. Beginning with antique jewelry, Dirk quickly expanded into the broader fields of art and antiques, exhibiting at shows across the U.S. and working for two local auction houses before founding Soulis Auctions in 1998.
In May of 1999, his firm was among the first and only in the world to conduct a live gallery auction with simultaneous internet bidding – a groundbreaking moment that saw a painting by Buck Dunton sell for $50,000 – thanks to the push of an online bidder. By 2003, Soulis was again ahead of the curve, becoming the first auction house in the Midwest to regularly integrate live internet bidding alongside in-house and telephone bidder participation long before many auctioneers had even a basic website, and years before online bidding became standard practice. As the Kansas City Star noted in 2004: “Last month, Soulis broke five world records … in an auction held in Lone Jack that included bidders in his gallery, on the phone and online.”
In the course of their work as auctioneers, Dirk and his team have cataloged more than 36,000 objects, according to third-party statistics from LiveAuctioneers.com. Each of those entries involved careful examination authentication, research, market context, and an estimate of value – skills that also underpin formal appraisal work.
In the course of their work as auctioneers, Dirk and his team have cataloged more than 36,000 objects, according to third-party statistics from LiveAuctioneers.com. Each of those entries involved careful examination authentication, research, market context, and an estimate of value – skills that also underpin formal appraisal work.
