NEW YORK – In September, Christie’s Education New York will welcome its first class of students to the world capital of contemporary art for a unique new master’s degree program called “Global Contemporary Art,” designed to prepare students for careers in the constantly evolving contemporary art marketplace.

This 15-month Master of Arts program emphasizes hands-on experience with art, exposure to a wide variety of professional practitioners in the global art market, and an in-depth understanding of the cultural, socio-economic and market forces that shape today’s global art scene.

Through a series of integrated courses, field visits, and an internship, the program offers students direct engagement with the artistic methods and procedures used today as well as extensive individual contact with active art world professionals. Students learn about the global art market’s impact on and its relationship to the creative process, with special consideration of the shifting relationship between the consumer and producer and the changing dynamics between the artist and the collector.

The highly tailored program provides students with the competitive edge to become professionally involved in one of the fastest growing areas of the art world, with the practical and conceptual tools to understand the complexity of the global art market from 1980 to the present. Studies are organized thematically, rather than geographically, reflecting the cross-pollination of ideas and influences shaping today’s art world, with a major focus on non-Western contemporary art from South America, Asia and Africa and how it engages with and confronts contemporary art practices in the more-established arts scene. The courses emphasize the interface between institutional networks and commercial art markets, as well as recent digital technology and social platforms and their impact on contemporary artistic production on all continents. Within the 15-month program, students gain hands-on experience through a 45-day internship in the field of their choice.

Students from diverse backgrounds who have either a B.A. in art history or
comparable professional experience in the art world are welcome to apply. Students enjoy a small student-teacher ratio, which gives them an opportunity
to work closely with knowledgeable professors and highly regarded art experts,
as well as with one another, to focus on mastering professional art world skills. Students not only gain a solid academic grounding, they also study contemporary exhibitions and art fairs, conservation and collection practices, and relevant legal and insurance issues. The program is ideal for anyone beginning or looking to advance a career in the ever-growing art market, including art fairs, galleries and auctions, and the emergence of new geographic and online markets.

Students who begin in September 2015 can graduate in December 2016.

Program Director is Robin Reisenfeld, Ph.D.

Tuition and fees total $53,439 ($1,190 per credit, plus fees; 44 credits required for graduation).

An online application is available at www.christies.edu/new-york/courses/masters-global-contemporary.