Evening Courses

Ethics of the Art Market

Register Request Info
Date
September 14 – October 26, 2026
Time
Monday Evenings
6:30 – 7:45 PM EST
Duration
5 Days
Location
New York
Program
Evening Courses
Mode of Learning
In-Person
Price
Price
$850
Early Booking Rate
$790
Early booking rate for Sep 14 class ends June 1.
Language
English
Topic
Art Business
Contact Admissions

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

This course examines the legal frameworks, power structures, and ethical dilemmas that shape today’s global art world.

Designed to complement Perspectives on Art Business, the course offers a critical lens on the structures and systems that underpin the art market.

Beginning with an overview of the art market’s key for-profit and nonprofit players—artists, galleries, advisors, auction houses, museums, foundations, and government entities—the course explores the laws and regulations governing financial transactions, licensing, cultural property, taxation, due diligence and more, while comparing art market oversight to other regulated industries.

Through case studies, participants analyze fraud, accountability, and market transparency. The course addresses authenticity, agency, and ethical questions– equipping participants with a nuanced understanding of ethical responsibility across the art ecosystem.

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.

Learning Outcomes

  • Gain an understanding of the art market “regulatory” framework.
  • Understand historical precedents that have led to ethical concerns in the market.
  • Develop the required skills to anticipate and handle regulatory and ethical challenges.
  • Understand the potential risks inherent to art market transactions.
  • Define role and responsibilities of the art market operators.

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.

Sample Schedule

Week 1

What is the art market and who are the players: What do we mean when we speak of the art market (artists, galleries, advisors, appraisers, auction houses, art fairs, the art press, governmental entities, museums, foundations, non- profit art organizations).

Week 2

Art market scandals, looking at famous case studies: A focused analysis of major controversies, including fraud and market manipulation, to assess accountability, regulatory gaps, and evolving professional standards.

Week 3

Museums structures - public, private, government owned: A comparative study of museum structures and funding frameworks, with attention to fiduciary duty, donor influence, and institutional accountability.

Week 4

Museums and issues around cultural property, stolen art and deaccessioning.

Week 5

Who has agency? Issues of what is real, multiples, agency: An exploration of authorship, authentication, multiples, estates, and digital production, considering who determines what is “real” and how those determinations shape value.

Week 6

Ethics in photography from censorship to consent rights of subjects to ethics of protest photography.

Faculty

Faculty, New York

Andrea Danese is a partner and co-founder of Artem Advisors LLC. Most recently, Andrea was co-founder, President & CEO of Athena Art Finance Corp. He co-founded the company in February 2015. Athena Art Finance is a specialty lender for the art market providing non-recourse financing against art as collateral. Lead investors in Athena were Carlyle Private Equity and Pictet Bank. The company was sold to Yield Street Inc. in April 2019. Over a 4 years period, Athena grew to be the leading independent lender in the art market with more than $250mm of assets originated and a market recognized innovative methodology to manage risk in a highly illiquid and opaque asset class like art.

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Details

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.

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.

Book A Consultation

We encourage interested individuals to book a consultation time with a member of our admissions team to learn more about this course and our registration process.

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

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