Creating a successful career in the art business requires expertise across a variety of subjects like art history, curation, brand management, finance, and even law. If you’re looking to begin an art career, Sotheby’s Institute of Art offers a variety of programs that cater to multiple career paths in the art world. Whether you’re an aspiring art curator or interested in luxury business, Sotheby’s Institute has a course suited to your career goals.
Keep reading to explore courses based on your art world interests.
Art Curator
Learn exactly what goes into the curation of a top-tier exhibit and explore the ways in which art institutions are evolving in an increasingly digital world.
Program Highlight: Curating: From Idea to Exhibition
Develop the fundamental skills needed to navigate a curating career, from writing effective proposals to developing comprehensive exhibition plans.
Art Dealer
Explore the international art market and develop an understanding of the nuances of buying, selling, and the dynamics of the auction world.
Program Highlight: Art as a Global Business: The Value of Art
Gain essential insights about the systems, structures, and dynamics that drive the art market to reveal the key influencers and the legal context within which they operate.
Program Highlight: The Art of Buying and Selling at Auction
This course provides an insider’s perspective on the thrilling, fast-paced world of art auctions, taking you behind the scenes to learn from top professionals at one of the world’s premier auction houses.
Gallerist
Learn about the many aspects of running your own contemporary gallery and the exciting opportunities and unexpected challenges that gallery owners face in this dynamic industry.
Program Highlight: Running a Contemporary Gallery
Equip yourself with the practical knowledge necessary to run your own contemporary gallery, from day-to-day responsibilities to the strategic operations of a gallery. This includes managing artists and clients, preparing for and participating in art fairs, negotiating relationships with other players in the art market, and marketing through online channels.
Art Publicist
Publicists in the art industry have one of the most exciting jobs, liaising between the brands and publications at the forefront of culture and art. A career as an art publicist not only requires sharp communications skills, but a knowledge of key art market players and trends.
Program Highlight: Art Marketing, Digital Technology, & Communications
Explore foundational strategies of art world marketing and public relations, and survey the tactics used to create integrated marketing and communications campaigns specific to the arts.
Program Highlight: Art Writing
Discover the techniques necessary to become an articulate art writer and examine the key writing formats of today’s art world. In this course, you will study specific forms of art writing and analyze the key attributes of compelling press releases, catalog essays, exhibition reviews, interviews, and artist statements.
Luxury Specialist
Develop your knowledge in the luxury market by examining the world’s premier luxury brands and their marketing strategies.
Program Highlight: Principles of Luxury
This course offers an overview of the international luxury industry and its major players and trends. Analyze luxury brand communications and strategies and understand the challenges faced by brands as they balance their history and expertise with the increasing demands for innovation and digitalization.
Art Finance Specialist
The art market isn't just about aesthetics, it's a financial hub with investments, assets, and huge monetary exchanges.
Program Highlight: Introduction to Art and Finance
Fine art has been increasingly marketed, collected, and valued as a financial asset. Explore the various financial positions possible in today’s international art market, including direct purchases, art funds and art exchanges, as well as art lending and the creation of private foundations.
Art Lawyer
The intersection of art and law is intricate, and for those interested in pursuing a career in the art world, understanding copyrights, restitution, and common legal concerns in the art industry is vital.
Program Highlight: Art Law
This course provides an overview of important legal and ethical issues in the art world and examines legal and business relationships among artists, dealers, collectors, and auction houses.
Program Highlight: Art as a Global Business: The Value of Art
Understand the systems, structures, and dynamics that drive the art market, key influencers in the market, and the legal context within which they operate.
Advance your art career with two- to eight-week online courses in key art world topics at Sotheby’s Institute of Art.