Course description
This course offers an introduction to the key concepts and issues at play in the field of artists’ estates and foundations, including historical, curatorial, legal, ethical, and market topics.
Estates and foundations occupy an ever-increasing segment of the contemporary art market and today’s art world is experiencing a time when an unprecedented number of artists require assistance with their legacies. Historically, the upsurge of graduate art education programs in the post-war period resulted in an exponential increase in professional artists, resulting now in a demand for expertise in the field of estates and foundations as these creatives age and pass away.
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Training Course Content
Spread over five course sessions, students will hear from their course leader about the key structural and legal issues of a legacy project by looking at key examples including the Keith Haring Foundation, Louise Bourgeois Estate, The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, and The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Lectures on ethical considerations and discussions of the ways in which living artists can engage with estates are complemented by guest appearances by professionals in the field working for significant estates or foundations. The course culminates in a practical project in the form of a proposal for a foundation or estate, or a short research paper.
Course delivery details
Award-winning online course
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Sotheby's Institute of Art
Sotheby’s auction house was founded in 1744 when Samuel Baker, an entrepreneur, occasional publisher, and successful businessman held his first auction. Today at Sotheby’s Institute, we emphasize a keen understanding of an object’s value and history, a spirit of inquiry...