Buying and selling art is often an art of its own. This course aims to bring transparency to the buying process – how to bid at auction, how dealers sell primary and secondary art, and how consultants and funds establish their fees. This practical course allows for participants to understand the ambiguities in the market in order to participate with great confidence.
Click here to download course programme (PDF).
Faculty
Vanessa Curry, Director, Fine Art Source
Vanessa Curry is the Founder and Director of Fine Art Source which was born from her personal desire to form a sophisticated art advisory service, providing fresh ideas, independent guidance and a highly bespoke service. Vanessa wanted to use her market acumen to help private individuals and families with art acquisition and shed new light on stale collecting ideas. Vanessa has worked for and with some of the most well-respected artists and dealers in the international art community, on important individual collections as well as one-piece sourcing projects. She has worked as a research assistant for a revered specialist in Russian Impressionism and as an in-house consultant for a respected European art dealer. She has also assisted on the foundation of an art investment fund.
Jamie Anderson, Waterhouse & Dodd
Jamie Anderson joined Waterhouse & Dodd in 1998 from the contemporary art gallery, Long & Ryle. Jamie oversees the day-to-day running of the Cork Street gallery and is also responsible for the Contemporary Art program, which includes finding new artists, liasing with artists and planning our extensive programme of exhibitions and art fairs. Jamie has presented several talks at the Sotheby's Institute on collecting contemporary art and has advised numerous private clients, who were new to the art market, of the pleasures and pitfalls of collecting. Jamie graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in History of Art and Modern History, specialising in Post-War American art. His particular expertise lies in Modern British and International Contemporary art, and he deals regularly with galleries, auctions and private collections on behalf of clients.
Olivia Thornton, Deputy Director, Contemporary Art, Sotheby’s
Olivia Thornton joined the Contemporary department at Sotheby’s in 2006. She plays a pivotal role as the Head of Contemporary Art day sales, most recently overseeing the second highest total ever for a day sale in June, when the auction made an impressive total of £19.8 million. In 2008 Olivia was instrumental in the ground breaking sale of works by Damien Hirst, Beautiful inside My Head Forever, which achieved a staggering £111 million. Olivia read History of Art at Cambridge University, and followed with a Masters degree from the Courtauld Institute, London. Prior to joining Sotheby’s, Olivia worked for the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, working on exhibitions by Jackson Pollock and Ed Ruscha, and contributed as a freelance researcher for a publication on British Art.
Ruth Knowles, Director of Global Marketing & Business Development, The Fine Art Fund
Ruth Knowles is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators and is company secretary for Fine Art Management Services Ltd. She was educated at Durham University where she earned a degree in European Studies with a focus on German and Spanish. She has been working with Philip Hoffman since the inception of Fine Art Management Services Ltd. and was instrumental in developing and structuring The Fine Art Fund. She has worked alongside Philip Hoffman for over nine years. She oversees marketing and investor relations