NEW YORK - American antiques and art expert Leigh Keno has established a full-service auction business at his gallery at 127 E. 69th St. in New York City. Known as Keno Auctions, the company will conduct its inaugural sale featuring furniture, folk art, paintings and decorative arts (including ceramics, silver and jewelry) sometime in May of 2010.

Leigh Keno's lifelong immersion in the world of Americana has made him one of the foremost experts on antiques. He holds a B.A. in the History of Art from Hamilton College, was a graduate fellow at Historic Deerfield, and a visiting scholar at Winterthur Museum in Delaware. Leigh worked as the Director of the American Furniture Department at Doyle Galleries in New York City, as well as Vice President of Appraisals and specialist in the American Furniture Department at Christie's in New York.

In 1986, Leigh left Christie's and opened his Manhattan gallery, specializing in 18th- to 20th-century American furniture and decorative arts. During the past 25 plus years, he has helped build some of the top institutional and private collections of American furniture and decorative arts in the world.

Together with his twin brother Leslie, Leigh Keno lectures extensively throughout the country and appears regularly on the popular PBS television show Antiques Roadshow. In 2000, the Keno brothers co-authored Hidden Treasures: Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture, which recounts some of their most memorable furniture discoveries. Beginning in 2001, they wrote monthly furniture and design columns for House Beautiful and This Old House magazines, and are currently editors-at-large for Traditional Home magazine, for which they write a monthly column.

In 2005, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President George W. Bush at The White House.

Leigh enjoys spending time with his family, fly-fishing and racing vintage racecars. He serves as a judge for the preservation class each year at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, an annual automotive charitable event in Pebble Beach, California. He also participates in the Monterey Historic Automobile Races conducted at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the week-long events at Pebble Beach.

Leigh exhibits at two antique shows annually: The Winter Antiques Show in New York City which occurs in January and the Philadelphia Antiques Show in April.

Consignments are now being accepted for the May 2010 auction. Contact Leigh or staff members Jack O'Brien or Sarah Sperling at 212-734-2381. Visit the new company's Web site at www.kenoauctions.com.