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Read what alumni have to say about our Summer Institute program in New York City.


Summer 2015 Jaime CastroJaime Castro

Legal Adventures and Misadventures in the Art World

Age: 30 years old

Occupation: Lawyer for the Central Bank of Colombia (Banco de la República)

What is your nationality and where do you live?
Colombian, Bogotá, D.C.

In what ways does the art world interest and excite you?
Art as a human expression is captivating in all its forms. Apart from enjoying the aesthetics of art, I'm also interested in how the expression of the ideas through art implies a complex set of issues that arise when you are dealing with it in today's world.

What was it about the program that made you decide to come to Sotheby’s Institute?
As a lawyer, I'm also looking for the legal implications of trading art apart from enjoying the aesthetics. The summer course, Legal Adventures and Misadventures in the Art World has both the classroom sessions of study of the legal perspective, and field trips to galleries and museums.

What did you like best about the program at Sotheby's Institute?
Having Judith Prowda as lecturer during the Summer Course was a very enriching experience given her wide experience in the field and her kindness with students. Additionally, New York is an amazing place to have a firsthand contact with the art world.

How did you explore and enjoy the New York art scene while here?
A lot of things happen in New York during the summer. It's the perfect time to explore all the museums and street art around the city. Walking around Chelsea, Williamsburg, and Manhattan you can find amazing street art as well as galleries and museums. It's New York, the city that has everything.


Summer 2015 Sonali BatraSonali Batra

Contemporary Art and Its Markets
Experience Art History

Age: 25 years old

Occupation: Art Gallerist and Education Consultant

What is your nationality and where do you live?
Indian, New Delhi, India.

In what ways does the art world interest and excite you?
The relationship between art and emotion has always intrigued me. Art is an emotional experience- it has the ability to evoke memories and capture imaginations. I like that art is subjective and can be interpreted differently by everyone.

What was it about the program that made you decide to come to Sotheby’s Institute?Having grown up in India, I was exposed to Indian art from a young age. However, this summer I wanted to learn, explore, and broaden my understanding of the international art scene. Studying Contemporary Art and Its Markets and Experience Art History was perfect as I got a holistic perspective about the global art world.

What did you like best about the program at Sotheby's Institute?
I liked the site visits a lot. Visiting the Whitney, MoMa, and Met museums as well as several galleries in Chelsea with my class and Sotheby's Institute lecturer was definitely the best element of the course. I also enjoyed winning the Instagram competition (#SIAsummer) that Sotheby’s Institute of Art had started!

How did you explore and enjoy the New York art scene while here?
Beyond the lectures, I went to Frida Kahlo's exhibition at the Botanical Gardens, The Cloisters Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum, and even took on a personal quest to try and view as many Jeff Koons sculptures in the city!


Summer 2015 Melissa SwopeMelissa Swope

Principles of Business
The New York Art Scene: Modernism to Today
How the Art World Works
Experience Art History

Age: 22 years old

Occupation: Full-time student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

What is your nationality and where do you live?
My family is from Atlanta, GA.

In what ways does the art world interest and excite you?
I thought for a while that art went directly from one artist to one buyer. Principles of Business in the Art World helped me begin to understand the complexity and beauty that is the art market. I never knew about all the roles that play into taking a piece of art from one home to another.

What was it about the program that made you decide to come to Sotheby’s Institute?
I was so excited about the complete immersion into the New York art scene, such as all the museum visits, gallery viewings, and auction house tours. I wanted a more clear idea of what working in the art world would look like, and now I am excited to be starting my career in the art world!

What did you like best about the program at Sotheby's Institute?
I loved meeting all the different people from all around the world who love art as much as I do. I also could not get enough of the engaging and fascinating museum tours with the amazing faculty.

How did you explore and enjoy the New York art scene while here?
My best friend that I made while in the program and I went kayaking by the Brooklyn Bridge, exploring all the best French brunch restaurants in search of the perfect Eggs Benedict, navigated through Central Park, and walked the High Line in the city lights.


Dean O’Brien

Introduction to Curating

Age: 53 years old

Occupation: Creative Director for BT Financial Group

What is your nationality/where do you live?
Australian, and in Sydney.

In what ways does the art world interest and excite you?
I am a visual artist (painter) in my spare time, I am also a collector, and I am actively involved in the arts scene in Sydney.

What was it about the program that made you decide to come to Sotheby’s Institute?
I attended the Summer Study program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art-London a few years ago and enjoyed the high level of learning and excellent facilities. The program offered in New York for Curating is what attracted me to attending Sotheby’s Institute again.

What did you like the best about the program at Sotheby's Institute?
The diversity, the behind the scenes, and the visits to major art institutions.

How did you explore and enjoy the New York art scene while here?
I researched what was on and also listened to advice from the teacher and other students. The most enjoyable event was a Sunday trip to Dia: Beacon.


Giovanna Quattrone

Introduction to Art and Finance

Age: 21 years old

Occupation: Full-time student at the College of Charleston double majoring in Art History and Arts Management

What is your nationality/where do you live?
Third generation Italian American currently living in Charleston, SC.

In what ways does the art world interest and excite you?
The economics of contemporary art is fascinating. I have always appreciated the aesthetics, but I am specifically interested in art as a commodity.

What was it about the program that made you decide to come to Sotheby’s Institute?
I have a tremendous amount of respect for The Institute due to the high regard with which it is held by my professors, employers, and mentors. I also thought a Summer Study Course would be a great opportunity to see if a Master’s degree at Sotheby's would be a good fit.

What did you like the best about the program at Sotheby's Institute?
My favorite element of the course was the exposure to a multitude of careers within the art world. My instructor arranged for successful professionals in the field to come speak with us. These individuals spoke about their jobs, their backgrounds, and how they landed these positions. We were also given the invaluable opportunity to network with these people.

How did you explore and enjoy the New York art scene while here?
Site visits were a big portion of our course. As a class, we traveled around the city to The Whitney Museum, Jim Hodges' studio, FLAG Art Foundation, and Sotheby’s auction house. Additionally, we were given details about art events taking place throughout the duration of our course, and we were encouraged to attend as many as possible during our time in the city.


Marlies Quirino Cabrita

Contemporary Art in New York - June

Age: 37 years old

Occupation: Traveling through the USA looking for great (upcoming) artists and art

What is your nationality/where do you live?
Dutch, Amsterdam.

In what ways does the art world interest and excite you?
It makes you think more about life, yourself, others, society, history, and so much more. It triggers you to look further and question things, or makes you think about matters you normally don't even think about or take for granted.

What was it about the program that made you decide to come to Sotheby’s Institute?
A friend of mine had taken the course and recommended it to me. Experiencing the NY art scene sounded like an amazing experience, and it was!

What did you like the best about the program at Sotheby's Institute?
The diversity of the program; the different types of galleries (Chelsea, SoHo, LES, Brooklyn, UES -- you really see a range of scenes); having class once a week to get theoretical background of the sites visited; meeting amazing artists and collectors; meeting wonderful people from all over the world; seeing New York in a different way.

How did you explore and enjoy the New York art scene while here?
Not only do you explore the art scene during class in an intensive way, but as there is almost not enough time to see it all, we also went on our own to different shows that were recommended to us. We also had a lot of fun checking out all the rooftop bars in Manhattan and Brooklyn, it was quite a challenge! There is so much to do in the summer in New York – I can highly recommend it to anyone.


Elle Bulger

The Art of Fashion

Age: 23 years old

Occupation: Marketing Coordinator & Online Community Manager for McGregor/ American Essentials

What is your nationality/where do you live?
Born and raised in Toronto, Canada.

In what ways does the art world interest and excite you?
Since a young age I have been mesmerized by art and continue to find escapism through both creating and studying it. When on vacation, I'd pick an art gallery over a beach any day!

What was it about the program that made you decide to come to Sotheby’s Institute?
Sotheby's Institute is a brilliant, historical, reputable brand, and NYC is the heart of the art world. My two strongest passions are fashion and art, and a course that combines these two was an ideal opportunity that I simply couldn't miss. Furthermore, as I begin and develop a career in the fashion industry, brand/ art collaborations are prevalent.

What did you like the best about the program at Sotheby's Institute?
I LOVED my two teachers, Kathy Battista and Nathalie Khan, and have remained in touch with both of them via Facebook. They are great resources for shows to see when I visit NYC and I also loved that the course combined lectures, visitors, and fieldtrips. I learn best when classes are interactive and constantly changing like this.

How did you explore and enjoy the New York art scene while here?
I asked both teachers for recommendations of exhibits to see that were not covered in class and explored various parts of NYC with several classmates who were NYC residents or from abroad like me. After, I'd discuss the exhibits with those colleagues and both teachers. Part of the art experience is dissecting these exhibits with others!


Geeta Rao

Understanding the Luxury Market

Age: 49 years old

Occupation/Current Pursuits:
Media/brand Story Teller, Blogger

What is your nationality?
Indian.

In what ways does the art world interest and excite you?
I find the contemporary art world fascinating - you can connect, it’s rooted in popular culture, and it engages you more directly and it is much more globally cohesive.

What was it about the program that made you decide to come to Sotheby’s Institute?
I had always wanted to study art but in an informal way without looking for credits etc. I started off looking at the 'Contemporary Art in New York' course but when I saw Sotheby's Institute had a course that combined art with luxury and looked at art itself as an extension of luxury brands I thought it was a very interesting balance and opted for that. I do plan to go back and do the Contemporary Art course.

What did you like the best about the program at Sotheby's Institute?
Besides all the art I got to see in and around Sotheby's Institute and auction house, I really enjoyed using the library and getting my hands on books and periodicals I had read about.

How did you explore and enjoy the New York art scene while here?
I discovered Chelsea galleries, saw some great summer shows like the Punk exhibition at The Met, Dennis Hopper, Ken Price, exhibitions at the Park Avenue Armory, the New Museum, walked through the street art of the Bowery, and much more.

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