packwood haugh school ltd
Where Art Meets Business 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 and
scholarship, business acumen, and innovation that build upon these foundational
values. The Institute offers educational programs for professionals, pre-college
audiences, and graduate students seeking expertise in art business and an
understanding of the $60 billion global art economy. Our course offerings cover
everything from art history to key business skills from our campuses located in
the world’s art capitals of London and New York, as well as online. Courses at
Sotheby’s Institute are structured with the guiding principle that education is
gained in the classroom, but equally important is hands-on experience and
situational context. Institute faculty are experts and leaders in their fields,
bringing a wealth of practical knowledge from their professional experiences as
well as a solid academic grounding to all students. Why Study with Sotheby’s
Institute of Art? The Institute offers a wide course catalog throughout the
year. Short professional development courses or online classes fit into a
working professional’s schedule. The Master’s degree allows full-time students
to gain foundational knowledge for a future career. Areas of expertise span
contemporary art to curating, luxury to logistics, art law to valuation, and
much more. This makes Sotheby’s Institute of Art the premier educational choice
for individuals who wish to excel in any area of the art world. Since its
founding in 1969, Sotheby’s Institute has built an extensive global network of
diverse individuals, which grows with every class. Each year, over 2,500
students study with Sotheby’s Institute and go on to work and network, across
every sector of the art world. The Master’s degree alone has over 8,000 alumni —
the largest and most powerful alumni network of its kind. The Institute is
privately owned yet maintains close ties with Sotheby’s auction house. This
context allows for the objective rigor essential in higher education to be
paired with exclusive access to the world’s largest art business.
