Pre-College

Art Business

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Date
July 6, 2025
Duration
2 Weeks
Location
New York
Grades
Rising 10-12, Graduating Seniors
Program
Pre-College
Mode of Learning
In-Person
Price
Day Program
$5,660
Residential Program
$6,990
Tuition Information
Language
English
Topic
Art Business
Contact Admissions

+1 646-665-1861 precollege@sia.edu

Get a behind-the-scenes look at New York’s illustrious art world and discover how art is created, bought, and sold in a dynamic global market.

This course will provide an insider’s look at the vibrant contemporary art market. Students will gain an understanding of both primary and secondary art markets in New York and London and be introduced to other globally important art markets in China, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. The course will delve into the recent evolution of blockchain, NFTs, and digital art commerce, and examine how art institutions have adapted their business strategies for an increasingly virtual world. The class will also explore the potential for a myriad of business innovations in an ever-changing art industry.

Students will go on site visits to the various businesses that deal in contemporary art and engage with prominent artists, gallerists, and auction house specialists. The series of lectures and tours throughout the city and its immediate surroundings will identify the key personalities and most influential venues that contribute to the rich, varied dialogue around contemporary art and its trade. This class will also address the relationships between the marketplace and the not-for-profit sector with a focus on museums — a notable facet of New York’s cultural landscape.

Highlights

Explore New York’s Art Scene Up Close

Visit galleries, artists’ studios, and collectors’ homes across vibrant art neighborhoods like Chelsea, Tribeca, and the Lower East Side. Trips may include a behind-the-scenes visit to Sotheby’s auction house and a tour of a private collection.

Connect with Leading Art Industry Professionals

Hear firsthand about the inner workings of the art industry from speakers including auctioneers, gallerists, art fair directors, and online art sales entrepreneurs. Learn how they navigate the art world and gain insight into the daily work of managing artists, collectors, and exhibitions.

Explore Pathways to a Career in the Art Industry

Whether you love creating art or simply love seeing it, discover how to channel your passion into a future career. Learn what it takes to enter the art world—from the skills expected to the steps you can take now.

Understand the Art Market and Its Future Trends

Follow a work of art from creation to sale. Examine how the market functions today, how technology is transforming it, and where the next innovations may emerge.

Next Steps

Details

Site Visits

Visits will include trips to commercial and non-profit art venues, such as museums and artists’ studios, and other places of business related to art production and sales.

In the past, site visits have included:

  • Sotheby’s auction house
  • The Museum of Modern Art
  • Corporate art collections
  • Top galleries such as David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth, and Pace Gallery
  • Chelsea and the Lower East Side neighborhoods, epicenters of art dealing
  • Artists’ studios and collectors’ homes
  • Public Art Fund art installations

Please note: This information is subject to change at any time at the discretion of Sotheby’s Institute of Art

Guest Speakers

Students will hear firsthand about the inner workings of the art industry from speakers that may include artists, gallerists, art fair directors, and online art sales entrepreneurs.

In the past, guest speakers have included:

  • Auction house experts and famous auctioneers
  • Gallery Directors from some of the best galleries in the business, including Gagosian and Lisson Gallery
  • A gallery tour with an important art advisor
  • Marketing and communications specialists for galleries and museums
  • Collectors opening their homes for a private visit
    Artists working in new media

Please note: This information is subject to change at any time at the discretion of Sotheby’s Institute of Art

Summer Institute Faculty

Our instructors are award-winning Sotheby’s Institute faculty, recognized thought leaders and professional experts in the art world. Each faculty member structures their course around real-time conversations defining their professions and helps students master the unique forces at play in the art world.

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