This course provides an insider's look at today's vibrant contemporary art market in New York through gallery, museum, private foundation, auction house, and collection visits. Students gain an understanding of both contemporary art history and the newest developments coming out of Basel, Berlin, Brooklyn, and other important art markets. The series of lectures and tours throughout the city and its immediate surroundings helps identify the key personalities and most influential spaces which contribute to the rich, varied dialogue of contemporary art. It also addresses the relationships between the primary and secondary markets, the public and private spheres, and commercial and not-for-profit institutions.

The course is taught by Kathy Battista, art historian and Director of the Contemporary Art Program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, and Lowell Pettit, contemporary art advisor and Sotheby’s Institute of Art faculty member.

Kathy Battista, is co-author of Art New York (ellipsis, 2000) and Recent Architecture in The Netherlands (ellipsis, 1998), as well as editor and author of Haluk Akakçe: Reincarnation (gallerist, 2009). Dr. Battista is a regular contributor to the journals RES Art World and Art Monthly and is on the editorial board of Art & Architectural Journal. She has taught at Birkbeck College, Kings College, the London Consortium, the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford University, and Tate Modern. She founded the Interaction program for the public art agency Artangel and she was a Postdoctoral Fellow of The London Consortium at Tate Modern.

Lowell Pettit is a contemporary art advisor, independent curator, and educator. He has lectured on the history and business of art for various institutions including: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, Sculpture Center, and Tiffany & Co. Mr. Pettit has been featured in publications including the New York Times, ArtNews, and The International Art Newspaper, and is a member of the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) and the International Association for Professional Art Advisors (IAPAA).

Course dates
July 6 – 29, 2010
3:00pm – 5:00pm Monday & Wednesday
3:00pm – 6:00pm Tuesday & Thursday
Location: 570 Lexington Avenue

Course fee
$3,750

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Download Frequently Asked Questions about Summer Study.

For further information, please contact: publicprogramsNY@sothebysinstitute.com
Tel: +1 212.517.3929