Online Courses

Artists’ Estates and Foundations

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Date
September 16 – 30, 2026
Duration
2 Weeks
Program
Online Courses
Mode of Learning
Online - Instructor Led
Price
Price
$975
Save 40% with code CELEBRATE15.
Language
English
Topic
Art History
Contact Admissions

+1 212-331-7700 online@sia.edu

This course offers an introduction to the key concepts and issues at play in the field of artists’ estates and foundations, including historical, curatorial, legal, ethical, and market topics.

Estates and foundations occupy an ever-increasing segment of the contemporary art market and today’s art world is experiencing a time when an unprecedented number of artists require assistance with their legacies.

Historically, the upsurge of graduate art education programs in the post-war period resulted in an exponential increase in professional artists, resulting now in a demand for expertise in the field of estates and foundations as these creatives age and pass away.

Spread over five course sessions, students will hear from their course leader about the key structural and legal issues of a legacy project by looking at key examples including the Keith Haring Foundation, Louise Bourgeois Estate, The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, and The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation.

Lectures on ethical considerations and discussions of the ways in which living artists can engage with estates are complemented by guest appearances by professionals in the field working for significant estates or foundations. The course culminates in a practical project in the form of a proposal for a foundation or estate, or a short research paper.

Students Will Learn

  • Gain a solid foundation in the basic vocabulary around artist legacies
  • Learn about the key structural and legal issues
  • Be knowledgeable about the various roles in estates and artist endowed foundations
  • Have knowledge of landmark cases in artist estates
  • Be equipped with the best ethical guidelines for working with artists’ estates
  • Learn how living artists engage with artist estates
  • Be introduced to current literature on the subject

Sotheby’s Institute are celebrating 15 years of online learning innovation. Register by July 31, 2026 to save 40% with code CELEBRATE15. All discount registrations will also receive a $250/£180 credit toward any in-person 5-Day Intensive courses until August 31, 2026.*

*Discount and tuition credit offer does not apply to the Online Certificate in Art Business or Master’s programs. To redeem the tuition credit toward a 5‑Day Intensive course, please contact Admissions at the time of enrolment. Email: shortcourses@sia.edu

Highlights

Flexible & Interactive Learning

Engage with weekly recorded lectures and faculty-led discussions designed to offer a dynamic and flexible online learning experience.

Specialized Art World Knowledge

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

Access to Industry Experts

Learn directly from industry professionals and receive personalized feedback to support your growth.

Sample Schedule

Day 1

Key Concepts and Terminology of Artist Estates and Foundations

Day 2

Landmark Legal Cases in Artist Estates

Day 3

Key Roles in Artist Estates and Foundations

Day 4

Session with the Executive Director of an Artist Endowed Foundation

Day 5

Session with a Guest Speaker (artists/collector/architect) at the planning stage of their legacy

Next Steps

Faculty

Faculty, New York

Dr Kathy Battista is a writer, educator, and a curator of exhibitions in museums, galleries, and non-profits. Her research is primarily focused on cross generational feminist art, in particular performance and body-oriented practice. She is the author of New York New Wave: The Legacy of Feminist Art in Emerging Practice and Renegotiating the Body: Feminist Art in 1970s London as well as co-editor of Creative Legacies: Artist Estates and Foundations. Battista has over twenty years of leadership positions in the art world.

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Details

About Flexible Courses

This flexible online course is delivered in weekly modules consisting of recorded lectures, instructor-guided discussion boards, and supplementary resources. The course will include a final project with personalized feedback from the course instructor. All participants will have read-only access to the course materials for an additional 90 days after the course end date.

Review the online course Terms and Conditions.

Course Completion

For successfully completing this course, you receive a verified Certificate of Completion from Sotheby’s Institute of Art as well as 14 IACET Continuing Education Units. *

Our digital certificates allow you to share new skills with various social media platforms, including LinkedIn. Successful completion is defined by each instructor in the course syllabus and consists, at the least, of regular, thoughtful participation in online activities and timely submission of assigned papers or projects.

*As an IACET Accredited Provider, Sotheby’s Institute of Art offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard.

Course Preview

Check out our sample course to click through modules and preview the course structure in our learning management system, Canvas.

Flexible Payment Plans

Flexible payment plans are available for individuals who register up to 3 weeks or more before the start of the course and are selected during the online registration process. For any questions, contact our admissions team at shortcourses@sia.edu.

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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