Courses
AM 510 — The International Art Market
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course provides an overview of the history of the art market from fifteenth century Italy to the present. It introduces the key actors and institutions that circulate works of art—among them, galleries, auction houses, advisors, art fairs, and museums—and charts their evolution.
AM 511 — Gallery Management and Operations
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Examines principles of art administration. Considers commercial art establishments: their facilities, design, exhibition and storage requirements, staffing, taste and price levels. Site visits to galleries and auction houses.
AM 513 — The Auction Business
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course will introduce students to the inner workings of the auction business by focusing on how property is obtained for sale, how auction houses compete for consignments, the inter-departmental coordination required to bring works of art to the auction block and, finally, the mechanics of an art auction.
AM 522 — History of Contemporary Art, 1945 to the Present
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Provides a comprehensive survey of the art and culture of postwar Europe and America. Abstract Expressionism, Pop, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, Performance Art, Earth Art, Postmodern and participatory strategies of representation are explored using major critical and theoretical models. The impact of the market on contemporary practice is also considered. Where possible, museum, gallery and studio visits are integrated into the course.
AM 523 — Art in a Global Context, Post-1989
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
The course will address theoretical and sociopolitical parameters of art production, presentation, and exchange in a global context after 1989. This investigation, steeped in specificity, is aimed at decentering the canon of art history, with its scope further expanded in student presentations, term papers, and projects.
AM 531 — Marketing for Art Organizations
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Introduces students to the basic principles of integrated marketing communications as they apply both to non-profit institutions, such as museums, and for-profit retail art establishments. Surveys sales techniques, advertising, merchandising, publicity, social media, special events, and media relations as they apply to the art world. Students organize and develop a marketing plan.
AM 533 — Core Business Practices
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course provides a foundation of core business practices as applied in the small business area. Students are introduced to all functional areas of business, including finance, legal, managerial, operations, and business strategy. Methods of business operations, types of ownership, and how they all work together to establish a sustainable venture are covered.
AM 613 — Valuation and Appraisal
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Considers appraisals, market values, authentication, forgeries, antiquities, collectibles, and import and export of artistic and cultural objects. Includes lectures by visiting specialists.
AM 623 — Public, Non-Profit and Art Services Sectors
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Explores the different elements of the art market with particular emphasis on how they are connected to the New York art world and the larger context of the global art market. Through class discussions and presentations by arts professionals including administrators, curators, dealers, critics, consultants, and collectors, students expand and deepen their understanding of the roles that each participant plays, and analyze the complex interconnectedness of the different components of the art world.
AM 633 — Art, Law, and Professional Ethics
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Considers the legal and ethical questions particular to art galleries, auction houses, museums, collectors, and artists. Topics covered include taxes, title, commissions, copyright, contracts, estates, reproductions, forgery, artists' rights, and the legal status of the art object.
AM 641 — Art Now: Communicating Current Trends in Art
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This class examines up-to-the-minute ideas, trends, and movements in art. Special attention will be paid to the work of the last twenty years in order to equip students with the theoretical concepts and the language necessary to develop meaning in new art. Oral and written assignments will help students learn to quickly assess and evaluate art, and the strategies employed in its exhibition, as well as, to eloquently express their critical understanding.
AM 654 — Practicum: Exhibition
3 credits; 1 lecture and 4 lab hours
In this course, students will organize and install a group exhibition. In addition to curating the show, they will create and produce an announcement, press release, advertising campaign, catalog, and website.
Prerequisite(s): AM 653.
AM 655 — Thesis Seminar
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course will introduce students to the MA thesis project and guide them through the research and writing process. In addition to lectures on research methodologies, academic writing style, and developing an argument, the course will comprise workshops, where students will periodically present their research and writing in order to receive feedback from their peers.
AM 691 — Internship
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Supervised field experiences in galleries, archives, auction houses, art foundations, and museum management departments. Completed individually for a minimum of 135 hours during any given semester. In the fourth semester, students will take an evaluation and assessment workshop course that includes oral and written presentations of their internship experience.
AM 692 — Independent Study in Art Market
1-3 credit; 1 lecture hour
Under the guidance of a faculty member, the student undertakes advanced work in a particular subject, pursues an individual project, or combines both of these activities. Proposals for independent study must adhere to school guidelines.
AM 701 — Thesis Preparation
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
With the approval of faculty advisors, students develop individual topics and research and write a thesis, following school guidelines.
AM 702 — Maintenance of Matriculation per Term
0 credits; 0 lecture hours
Students must maintain matriculation after completion of their coursework until the qualifying paper has been approved.