Over five live sessions, students will meet expert guest speakers and be guided through the key components of a business strategy for professional fine art practice. The course starts with defining success and identifying workstreams to balance creative freedom with income generation. Participants will learn how to build relationships with cultural institutions and public sector funding bodies, as well as positioning within a global market, from pricing works of art to effectively negotiating commissions and gallery representation. Students will also explore the wealth of potential of digital strategies from social media to the rise of web3. In the final session, students will consolidate their learning into a framework for their own individualized practice.
Course Leader, Online Summer Intensives and Study Abroad Summer Program, Entrepreneur Pathway
Leo Crane is a producer, artist and educator. For 25 years, he has bridged physical and digital industries, founding three creative studios and, in 2024, establishing the AI Film Academy. Throughout his career, he has forged long-standing relationships with cultural institutions, including V&A and Sotheby’s Institute, where he leads courses in art and art business, as well as Animate Projects, where he serves on the board.
Read MoreDay 1: Defining your purpose
Day 2: Building institutional relationships
Day 3: Market positioning, incl. pricing, negotiating gallery relationships, secondary markets
Day 4: Digital strategies
Day 5: Building a business strategy for your practice
This live online course is delivered with live-streamed lectures featuring group discussion and QandA. All live sessions are also recorded and available in the course platform typically within 24-48 hours for participants unable to attend the posted times. The course will include a final project with personalized feedback from the course instructor. All participants will have access to the recordings for an additional 30 days after the final course lecture.
Review the online course Terms and Conditions.
For successfully completing this course, you receive a verified Certificate of Completion from Sotheby’s Institute of Art as well as 1.8 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.