Blaise Bulletin

Last week I was asked to sit on a panel of alumni at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art’s Global Open Day, held here in Manhattan at the auction house. I was quite flattered to have been requested to participate in this jam-packed day for prospective future art business mavens, as it was orchestrated by the delightful Alissa Roeder, Assistant Director of Alumni and Enrollment Services. I have to admit, it was slightly daunting for me to attend the panel; as an entrepreneur carving my own way in the Contemporary art market, my average day is peppered with the peaks of professional recognition and success, and the valleys of sporadic bouts of irrational self-doubt. I felt somewhat prepared to field the young students’ questions, however, as I’d spent part of the day before speaking with a wonderful young lady named Min Seo – a University of Maryland student who will soon be taking over the art world. Our conversation inadvertently helped me to prepare a few responses to the questions that I received on the panel, for which I was very thankful. My fellow alumnae panelists, whom I enjoyed meeting for the first time, were Mary Battaglia, Director of Paintings, Prints and Works on Paper at Bloom Fine Art and Antiques; and Julia Knight, Programs Manager at Apexart. The three of us agreed that the most important piece of advice we could bestow upon the prospective students, was to remain keenly aware of what I call your “confidence index.” We’re all used to reviewing market reports, many of which note the art market “confidence” index based on the quantity, geo-diversity and range of sales, but I would suggest that the students keep track of their own highs and lows of confidence as they navigate their professional lives. Stay attuned to which situations, people, artworks, and atmospheres makes you feel ontop of the world, and which make you feel out of place. Of course, feeling a bit uncomfortable can be a good thing, but as a young person not sure what a “job” in the world of art would entail, this is a good way to narrow down your choices. My second piece of advice for the crowd, was to consider their enrollment at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art perhaps the last leg of their educational lives, but much more importantly, their first round in the ring as adult professionals. Earning a Masters degree in Art Business, as I did, is quite different from earning an advanced degree in Art History. I suggested the students consider their time at the Sotheby’s Institute as one long interview of sorts (sort of like The Apprentice, maybe?), rather than the self-fulfillment of a lone, scholarly pursuit. All eyes are on you on a daily basis – or at least you should act as if they are. Having attended the Sotheby’s Institute while classes were still held in the auction house itself, rather than in their sparkly new educational facilities in midtown Manhattan, I had the great advantage of watching and listening to how the specialists, assistants, and event CEO Bill Ruprecht conducted themselves while at work. Most importantly, the term “at work” holds no bounds when one is working in the art world – it is a lifestyle. This is not dissimilar from other luxury goods arenas, in which the professionals providing the services must display a sort of “aspirational resemblance” to their clients – very high-end real estate brokers, or even shop girls in a couture boutique, come to mind. It’s a fine line one must walk between being similar to the clients, without crossing the service industry boundaries. Think, We may both be wearing the same Chloé shoes, but I am here to cater to your needs as an art collector, not complete with them.