Look Inside the Enterprise Studio

An Incubator for Student Businesses Born at Sotheby’s Institute of Art

Now more than ever, art business has shifted from a landscape built on a legacy to one accelerated by cutting-edge technology and next-gen business practices. Sotheby’s auction house has emerged from its long-standing status as the world’s largest and oldest art business to also be a leader in digital advancement. In recent years Sotheby’s Institute has correspondingly introduced new areas of academic inquiry, from a program in Art Logistics to electives in technology and online courses on blockchain and NFTs.

Each year, Sotheby’s Institute asks incoming graduate students what sector they intend to pursue after their studies and there has been a growing interest in entrepreneurship, over 40% of the most recent class self-identified as future entrepreneurs. It was to support these up-and-coming disruptors, innovators, and change-makers of the art world that Sotheby’s Institute established the Enterprise Studio in 2022 – the graduate student center for art and entrepreneurship.

Graduate Programs
A Global Idea and a Physical Space

About Enterprise Studio

The Enterprise Studio was created as an extra-curricular program for Master’s students to receive training and support for new business ventures, culminating in a start-up pitch competition, the Gavel. Through close access to mentors, students have the chance to shape their plans from ideation to execution with the winning Gavel team receiving significant seed funding for their future business.

Jeffrey Boloten on Entrepreneurship

Institute faculty and Co-Director of the Enterprise Studio, Jeffrey Boloten share his views on entrepreneurship. Jeffrey brings years of entrepreneurial experience to students seeking to solidify their visions on what it means to make change happen within the art world.

2026 Gavel to be Hosted at Sotheby's London & New York

Sotheby’s Institute of Art is pleased to announce the 2026 Gavel competition is to be held for the first time simultaneously at Sotheby’s auction houses in London and New York, as well as streamed online. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. EST in New York and 4:30 p.m. BST in London.

2026 Judging Panel Highlights

Benjamin Doller

Chairman, Americas, Sotheby’s New York

Benjamin Doller joined Sotheby’s in 1979 and in his almost 47 years with the company has sold well over $2 billion in art. He is a Senior Expert in 19th and 20th Century European & British Art, while working primarily in the Impressionist and Modern field.

Harry Rosebery

Honorary Chairman, Sotheby’s UK

Harry Rosebery (now the Earl of Rosebery) began his career at Sotheby’s as a graduate trainee in 1990. He became a Director in the House Sale department in 1999 and rose to Chairman of Sotheby’s Olympia in 2003.

Melanie Gerlis

Columnist

Melanie Gerlis became the art market correspondent for the Financial Times in 2016 and has a dedicated weekly slot. She was previously Art Market Editor for The Art Newspaper (2007–2016) and remains its editor-at-large.

2025 WINNER

The Image Platform Built by and for African Creators

MA Art Business alumna and the 2025 winner of The Gavel, Chantel Thompson combined her curatorial experience with entrepreneurial skills to launch NOW Images—a curated digital licensing platform showcasing authentic African photography.

2024 WINNER

A Unified Online Art Space for the Indian Art Market

Alumna Kanishka Porwal, artist and the 2024 winner of The Gavel, shares her journey at Sotheby’s Institute and her vision for One-IN-Art – a platform aimed at amplifying the cultural richness of Indian art.

2023 WINNER

An Insight Into Sustainable Art Logistics

Alumna Mithra Stevens is an art historian specialising in sustainable logistics within the fine art sector. We spoke with Mithra about her time at Sotheby’s Institute and how art world organisations can address their carbon footprint.

2022 WINNER

The Alumna Giving Plastics a Second Life

The ability to promote sustainable development has become an essential skill for art professionals in both public and commercial sectors. These notions form the ethos behind MA Art Business alumna, Elsa Åkesson’s Spongy Bags.

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