Evening Courses

Perspectives on Art Business

Date
September 16 – October 21, 2025
Time
Tuesday Evenings
6:30 – 7:45 PM EST
Duration
6 Weeks
Location
New York
Program
Evening Courses
Mode of Learning
In-Person
Price
Price
$850
if registered by June 30, 2025
Language
English
Topic
Art Business

Over six weekly sessions, professionals across the art business will share their perspectives on what they do, how they do it, and why.

We will meet artists, gallerists, art fair operators, collectors, auction houses and entrepreneurs. Each week, we will look at the financial and economic issues, challenges and opportunities that these different stakeholders face on a daily basis.

Learning Outcomes

  • Meet the people involved in how the art business operates and evolves, and understand the business decisions that these people make and the factors that they weigh up.
  • Understand the basic terms, concepts and principles that they apply on a daily basis.
  • Gain an appreciation of the need and potential for adaptation and innovation within the finances and economics of the art business.
  • Apply this understanding in real time through interaction with the course leader and guest speakers.

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

Discuss the economics of being an artist.

Week 2

Discover new business models for galleries.

Week 3

Learn how to "spend money to make money”; the basics of building an art collection.

Week 4

Understand the economics of art fairs and what goes into participating.

Week 5

Explore how art world actors are making deals and winning business on the secondary market.

Week 6

Technology and innovation: what is the cost?

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.

Details

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.

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.