The Industry Fellowship offers a number of MA students in New York direct access to paid, professional work experience at Sotheby’s while earning academic credit, with the program set to expand to London.

Sotheby’s Fellows work alongside experts across key departments at the auction house such as Prints & Photos, Restitution, Valuations, American Art, and Latin American Art, gaining hands-on experience, contributing to real world projects, and receiving insider exposure to how the global art and luxury market operates.

The Industry Fellowship builds on a strong foundation of work-integrated learning already embedded in the Sotheby’s Institute MA experience.

Read on to hear Samuel’s experience in the Sports Memorabilia department at Sotheby’s New York.

Before: Expectation and Imagination

Before starting this placement, I was really looking forward to and excited to receive hands-on experience. It was an opportunity to apply everything we learned in the classroom to real-world practice. So much of this industry revolves around having the experience and knowledge to do things — whether it’s how to catalogue certain artwork or how to physically handle art. So I was excited to be given the opportunity where I would be able to learn these practices.

I was imagining myself in the thick of everything — being able to handle the art, talking to high-value clientele where I’m helping to broker multi-million-dollar deals, and being in the auction room. It was a movie-esque and dreamlike scenario I saw myself in.

“…this experience gave me a much clearer idea of where I see myself in the future.”

 

During: Reality and Discovery

I was placed in the Sports Memorabilia department of Sotheby’s. I was excited about this as I grew up as a fan of sports. To be surrounded by memorabilia and game-worn attire from all my favourite athletes was amazing. I was definitely fanboying a lot during my time here!

Being in the Sports Memorabilia department was great because it offered an opportunity to be involved in and learn about a specific area of the industry that wouldn’t typically be taught in school. Unsurprisingly, my time during the fellowship wasn’t as movie-esque as I first envisioned it to be, but it was just as educational and rewarding as I hoped it would be.

I was able to learn about the inner workings of a department within an auction house and pick up on skills that I can apply to my next experience within the art world. It gave me a much clearer understanding of how teams operate, how auctions are prepared, and the level of detail and collaboration required behind the scenes.

After: Clarity and Direction

This was my first time working at an auction house and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in the Sports Memorabilia department. Before starting this placement, I was still unsure about which area of the art world I wanted to pursue as a career. However, this experience gave me a much clearer idea of where I see myself in the future.

I enjoyed the fast-paced and collaborative workplace environment, and I found that I thrived in that setting. Being able to work closely with specialists and learn more about the auction process confirmed my interest in the industry. I can definitely see myself continuing to pursue a future within the auction world.

Photos courtesy of Samuel McClements