A discounted tuition rate is available for individuals who are interested to enroll in two or more Sotheby’s Institute of Art In-Person Professional Courses within the same term. Contact our admissions team at professional@sia.edu for more information and a discount code.
The dedicated and intensive Curating course is designed to illuminate the history and theory of curatorial practice as well as the processes, procedures, and practical skills utilized by both curators and other professionals within the art world. Through a series of lectures, seminars, workshops, on-site visits to museums and galleries and in-depth case studies, course participants will develop an understanding of historic curatorial practices and their impact on the field today.
The course explores current debates about art museums and galleries in the context of the history of collecting, care, and exhibition of artworks as well as standards of best practice and curatorial competencies, both inside and outside of the museum model, including art fairs and commercial spaces. Through a hands-on learning approach, course participants will examine key components and considerations of curatorial practice, such as acquisitions and collecting, research, display methods, exhibition planning, conservation, and interpretation.
Orientation: 9am GMT, January 22
Daily visits to a wide variety of historic and contemporary museums, galleries, arts and cultural venues
Lectures and workshops delivered by leading curators and industry experts
Opportunities to attend special events and develop an in-depth awareness of curatorial practice across art world sectors
Course Leader, London
Vassilios Doupas is a curator and writer. Until recently, he was Curator of Programmes at the Contemporary Art Society in London. During his tenure, he organised a series of high-profile events including the 2019 Frieze Curatorial Summit (with Frieze Art Fair), a conference on public art (with the British Art Network and Tate Modern), a series of study days on the digital (with The Serpentine Galleries). At the CAS, he was also in charge of the programme for individual patrons that support the organisation. Learn more...
Read MoreWeek 1: Introduction to the role of the curator today, and a site visit to Oxford to discover museums there and learn about their relevance today.
Week 2: Explore the role of the institution as a driving force for contemporary art and culture in the UK and internationally.
Week 3: Visit contemporary commercial galleries in the East and West Ends of London and learn about their practices and agendas from working curators.
Week 4: Learn about how identity politics intersects with curation.
Week 5: Discover Frieze London and Frieze Masters. See the art fair as curatorial platform.
Week 6: Understand the artist as curator and visit artist-run galleries.
Week 7: Examine the artist’s legacy and understand the different ways this may be displayed.
Week 8: Analyze the difference between public and private collections and go on a site visit to an important private collection, the Cranford Collection.
Week 9: Learn about budgeting and fundraising and how these can apply to independent curatorial projects, as well as press and marketing strategies to promote various projects.
Week 10: Consider the power of visual display.
Week 11: Discover the Showroom, a contemporary art space, and its commitment to public programming.
Week 12: Visit the Towner in Eastbourne to view the Turner Prize exhibition.
A discounted tuition rate is available for individuals who are interested to enroll in two or more Sotheby’s Institute of Art In-Person Professional Courses in the same term. Contact our admissions team at professional@sia.edu for more information and a discount code.
For individuals looking for an expansive grounding in Art Business, Curating can be paired with the 12 week Art Business course to create a full time (4 days per week) schedule of study over the course of a semester.
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.
The course is assessed via an oral presentation and a practical written brief.
Course participants take away in-depth and valuable insight into the current and future art world, to be sufficiently prepared for a wide-ranging career within the art industry. 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 alumni around the globe who hold top positions at renowned art organizations.