The pillars of the art ecosystem—galleries, auction houses, and museums—are explored one by one as their inner workings are revealed. Further learning includes discovering both established art markets and emerging art markets alike but also being introduced to legal, ethical and management concepts pertaining global art business practice, with a particular emphasis on the international auction house system.
Participants will gain practical skills connected to art business, including accessing and analyzing art market data to evaluating market value for art works across key sectors. The radical impact of technological advances on the art market is studied through an examination of case studies of some of the most innovative initiatives in the industry. Branding and marketing concepts are introduced by professional marketing entrepreneurs while other essential art market roles (e.g., art advisor, curator, gallerist, collector, journalist, art fund manager, etc.) and potential careers paths are also discussed.
Identify the key players in New York's contemporary art scene, from artists and curators to dealers and auction house specialists.
Understand the variety of career trajectories within the art world and what it means to be an art world professional, as explained by leading experts in the field.
Navigate confidently the contemporary art landscape in New York by exploring venues and neighborhoods of contemporary art activity.
Become familiar with the most important and critically acclaimed artists, styles, and trends of the most recent years and terminology specific to the art world.
Adjunct Faculty, MA Art Business, Online
Lawrence S. Motz is an adjunct faculty member at Sotheby's Institute New York. Upon graduation from business school, Motz became an institutional emerging markets bond trader and later an investment banker with Prudential Securities, PaineWebber (UBS), and Kaufman Brothers, a boutique investment bank specializing in telecommunications. During that time, he also co-founded and served as CFO of eNet China, an early online Internet retailer headquartered in Beijing, China.
Read MoreDay 1: Gain a understanding of the current art market and learn about the auction process. Visit Sotheby’s Auction House for a preview of upcoming sales.
Day 2: Explore the tools used to analyze the art market, such as varying research methods. Examine the state of the art market through market reports and press articles.
Day 3: Visit the blue-chip market hub of Chelsea or Tribeca and get a tour of the current exhibitions at galleries including David Zwirner and Gagosian.
Day 4: Learn how art law impacts business, from intellectual property laws to selling art online.
Day 5: Learn about collecting in the 21st century. Hear from experts in both art advising and collecting.
Course participants take away in-depth and valuable insight into the current and future art world. 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 past participants around the globe who hold top positions at renowned art organizations.
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.
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.