Certificates

Art Business

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Date
September 15 – December 11, 2025
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Time
Wednesday and Thursday*
10:30 AM – 4:30 PM GMT
Duration
12 Weeks
Location
London
Program
Certificates
Mode of Learning
In-Person
Price
Price
£8,500
You may select your preferred local currency as the payment option.

A discounted rate is available for individuals who wish to participate in both the 12-week Art Business and Art History courses this fall. Contact our admissions team at shortcourses@sia.edu for more information and a discount code to use on our registration form.
Language
English
Topic
Art Business
Contact Admissions

+44 (0)20 7462 3232 +1 646-438-7268 shortcourses@sia.edu

This intensive 12-week semester course takes place 2 days each week and is designed to demystify the art industry by introducing course participants to its key players, its infrastructure, and its vast cultural and economic history.

Course participants will examine established art markets in the developed world and emerging art markets in the developing world, together with legal and management issues related to global art business practice, with a particular emphasis on the international auction house system.

Designed to encourage the kind of entrepreneurial thinking on which the art world thrives, the course culminates in a final project in which students develop a new art business and pitch it to investors.

The course prepares students for a wide range of careers in the art world, both commercial and not-for-profit sectors, or for further study on one of our postgraduate programs. Practical skills gained include connected to accessing and analysing art market data, and to evaluating market value for art works across key sectors. Students are introduced to contemporary management models for commercial and non-commercial practices through theory, case studies and practical work. Branding and marketing issues are explored, and essential art market professional roles (e.g., art advisor, curator, gallerist, collector, journalist, art fund manager, etc.) are investigated, together with innovative new art business models, including online initiatives. Through lectures, seminars and visits, students witness first-hand what it takes to make a business successful in today’s art market.

Students who complete this course are eligible to receive a partial tuition fee waiver equivalent to $2,000 USD if they subsequently enroll in one of our Master’s Degree Programs at our New York, London, or Online locations (pending application and acceptance to the Master’s Degree program). For further details, please see our Student Policies.

Reading Week: Week commencing October 27

*Please be advised, the timings may vary based on the day’s schedule, however sessions will conclude no later than 5:30pm.

Highlights

Specialized Art World Knowledge

Build critical thinking skills and gain in-depth insight into key topics shaping today’s global art market.

Designed for Every Art World Path

Varying formats for art enthusiasts, students, working professionals, or those considering a career pivot.

Career-Focused Content

Develop practical skills and industry understanding to support career development in an array of fields.

Sessions

Fall

Dates
September 15 – December 11, 2025
Faculty
Jeffrey Boloten
Status
Open
Register Link
Register

Spring

Dates
January 21 – April 16, 2026
Faculty
Jeffrey Boloten
Status
Open
Register Link
Register

Sample Schedule

Week 1

Gain a basic understanding of the current art market and learn about the auction process.

Week 2

Explore the tools used to analyze the art market, such as varying research methods. Examine the state of the art market through auctions.

Week 3

Discover the Chinese art market and learn about what goes into producing and curating an exhibition, as well as museums and commercial enterprises. Visit a contemporary gallery, such as Gallery Rosenfeld, and get a tour of the current exhibitions.

Week 4

Learn how art law impacts business, from intellectual property laws to selling art online, via a working lawyer.

Week 5

Discover art fairs and the market for photography and visit Sotheby’s Auction House for a preview of upcoming sales.

Week 6

Explore the financial side of art business through case studies and take a day trip to Margate to explore the burgeoning gallery scene.

Week 7

Understand entrepreneurship and what it takes to run a commercial gallery. Speak with a gallery director about their experience starting and running their own gallery.

Week 8

Examine various marketing strategies and approaches to PR.

Week 9

Explore sustainability, buying and selling at auction, and patronage and artists in relation to the art market.

Week 10

Focus on the role of the art advisor and learn about collecting in the 21st century. Hear from experts in art advising and collecting.

Week 11

Engage with new technologies and performance art as they relate to the art market.

Week 12

Teach fellow students about what you learned through final presentations.

Faculty

Director of Art Business and Enterprise Programs, London

Jeffrey Boloten is Co-Founder and Managing Director of ArtInsight Ltd., the education partner of art market research firm, ArtTactic. He was a director with several leading international publishers, including Penguin Books, and has held posts at the Tate and as General Manager of a London art college. Boloten is a frequent speaker and lecturer at international art fairs and conferences on topics including the global art market, photography market, and art investment markets.

Learn More
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Details

Course Combinations

For individuals looking for an expansive grounding in the art world, Art Business can be paired with the 12 week Art History course to create a full time (4 days per week) schedule of study over the course of a semester at a discounted tuition rate (Art Business/Art History).

Requirements

English Language Requirement
Course participants should be proficient in written and spoken English and be able to participate in group discussions and presentations in English. It is recommended that participants have the equivalent level of IELTS score of 6.0 /TOEFL score of 78 IBT, however evidence of test scores is not required to register.

Age Requirement
Courses are open to participants 18 years of age or older, however, we prefer that students have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience to be able to properly engage in the course.

For more information, please see our Terms and Conditions.

Students Will Learn

  • To identify the rise and sustaining influence of art fairs, auctions and art object dealing, from the eighteenth century to date, as an art market imperative.
  • To recognize and understand the role and influence of different management functions, including research and development, feasibility, project planning, financial planning and human resource strategy.
  • To recognize the relationship between management strategy and legal imperatives, in international art market, business and management contexts.
  • To define a number of negotiation issues, including the legal directives encountered in the execution of business and professional activities of the international art market, identify, distinguish between and use a range of specialized communication techniques, take an active role in the selection and execution of appropriate communications activity within an organizational framework.
  • To research and evaluate data relating to the established art market, and to a number of emerging global art markets.
  • To understand theory and be able to think independently about global art market legal and management issues, at a foundation level, analyse empirical data and discuss it within a historical and contextual framework.

Sample Topics

  • Art World Institutions: Auction Houses, Galleries, Art Fairs, and Museums
  • The Global Art World: Developing vs. Established Markets
  • Entrepreneurship in the Arts: Developing a Unique Value Proposition for the Art World

Course Completion

Course participants take away in-depth and valuable insight into the current and future art world, to be sufficiently prepared for a wide-ranging career within the art industry. Those who successfully complete their course will receive a certificate of completion from Sotheby’s Institute of Art.

Sotheby’s Institute of Art course participants come from all over the world, from a wide variety of backgrounds. As they study, travel, and explore the art world alongside each other throughout the program, fierce and long-lasting collaborations are frequently born. Individuals who complete these courses join our network of over 8,000 alumni around the globe who hold top positions at renowned art organizations.

Students who complete this course are eligible to receive a partial tuition fee waiver equivalent to $2,000 USD if they subsequently enroll in one of our Master’s Degree Programs at our New York, London, or Online locations (pending application and acceptance to the Master’s Degree program). For further details, please see our Student Policies.

Book A Consultation

We encourage interested individuals to book a consultation time with the course leader, Jeffrey Boloten, to learn more about this course and the student experience. If you are unable to find a time that works for you, please feel free to reach out to us directly at shortcourses@sia.edu.

Please use this link to book a consultation time via phone or video call.

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