August 25, 2017
Christie's online course is educating people on the intricacies of the art world. Image credit: Christie's Auction House
Auction house Christie’s is attempting to cultivate a new generation of art history lovers and potential experts in the fine art market with a series of online courses aimed at educating people on the intricacies of the art world.
This is the third addition to Christie’s Education program, along with its “Continuing Education” and a Master’s degree program that the auction house offers. The course is part of Christie’s larger effort to nurture a love of fine art and a knowledge of the complicated art world among future generations.
Educating the future
Christie’s, founded in London in 1766, is one of the oldest and most revered auction houses in the world.
Since then, one of the main focuses the house has taken on is its Christie’s Education pillar, a subsection of the company dedicated to educating people on the world of fine art.
Christie’s already offers a Master’s degree in fine art and art history, but now the company is introducing a new addition to its education platform: online courses.
Inside the Global Art World. Image credit: Christie's Auction House
The first online course from Christie’s is called Inside the Global Art World and will focus on the intricacies of fine art from around the world and how it affects different countries.
Over five weeks, students will learn about the various players in the art world, such as artists, collectors, galleries, auction houses and more, and how they interact with each other.
The first course is debuting at the end of October, but Christie’s expects more online courses to debut throughout the rest of the year, covering topics such as art business and art history.
Christie’s online courses will be available through a dedicated Web platform and will also include video content and the ability to speak directly with hands-on tutors in digital sessions.
Global art world
Education has been a powerful tool for brands in the luxury industry to nurture the next generation of art and fashion lovers.
One of the biggest drivers of this, unsurprisingly, has been the Fashion Institute of Technology.
New York State University’s The Fashion Institute of Technology is now offering an online noncredit certificate program to inspire marketers to consider the $265 billion global beauty industry as a career path.
For the first-ever Beauty Industry Essentials program, FIT has partnered with Allure magazine and online education platform Qubed Education for a fully online and self-paced curriculum. The inaugural class begins Sept. 1, but interested students can begin the course at anytime after that day (see story).
FIT's online education course. Image credit: FIT
Similarly, French fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent is nurturing the next generation of fashion talent with educational programs in partnership with two major French fashion schools.
Partnering with the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) and the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne (ECS), Saint Laurent is offering prospective designers a program that combines an internship at the company with courses at the schools to nurture innovation and sustainability. The programs will begin in September and last six months (see story).
These initiatives towards educating future luminaries in the luxury world show that there is a concerted effort to ensure that the expertise required to design a collection or appraise a piece of fine art will not be lost.
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