Arts Management Student to Participate in Newly Established Fellowship at Sotheby’s Institute of Art

The Arts Management program in the College of Charleston School of the Arts has partnered with Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York to establish a competitive Summer Study Fellowship for one of its qualified junior or senior students. The 2012 inaugural recipient, Chelsea Michael, will take two courses (tuition free) during the Institute’s summer session. A senior in the Honors College program, Michael is pursuing a double major in arts management and studio art.

Lori Kornegay, Program Manager for Online Education and N.Y. Public Programs at the Institute, worked with Scott Shanklin-Peterson, director of the College’s Arts Management program, to formulate the summer study fellowship. Kornegay expounds, “Our summer study program provides a unique opportunity for study in the vibrant and dynamic city of New York, and we are delighted that Chelsea will join us as the first College of Charleston Summer Study Fellow. With students coming from over 30 countries around the world, summer study is a global networking experience and a place to learn about the business of art in one of the world’s great art capitals.”

The courses at the Institute will allow students to develop professional expertise and critical thinking skills and also will enhance knowledge of art and the international art market. These classes will offer interesting and compelling insights into the art world and will incorporate lectures, guest speaker interviews, and site visits led by the Institute’s faculty, international experts, and leading practitioners in the field. Some of the courses offered this summer will include “Being a Curator in the 21st Century,” “Emerging Markets in the Global Art World,” “Contemporary Art: Market Theory & Practice,” and many more from which to choose.

Hailing from Atlanta, G.A., Chelsea Michael grew up with a passion for the arts, particularly the visual arts. She elaborates, “I quickly realized that it was a natural extension of my artistic ardor to pursue a career in the art world. Not only do I love to create art, but I also love the process of bringing art to its audience and seeing how it impacts people. Although I am not certain where my career will lead me, I aspire to work within an established museum, auction house, or other visual arts organization, and I would absolutely love to own an art gallery one day.”

Concerning the Summer Study Fellowship, Michael excitedly reveals, “I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to study at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art this summer. It is such a dynamic organization with an amazing breadth of programs, and I know that I will have so many opportunities to learn while I am there. And, I am definitely looking forward to being in New York City and experiencing its bustling art world firsthand!”

Originally established by the Sotheby’s auction house, the Sotheby’s Institute of Art currently is a division of the Cambridge Information Group, with campuses in both New York and London. The Institute prepares students for careers in the international art world and continues to work closely with the Sotheby’s auction house, as well as galleries and museums in New York and London, and private collections. For more information visit http://www.sothebysinstitute.com/.

The College of Charleston School of the Arts is one of the few schools in the Southeast and the only school in South Carolina to offer undergraduate study with a major and a minor in Arts Management and Administration. The program is for those who are interested in supporting the work of performing, visual, and media artists. The curriculum includes studies in strategic planning, fund raising, grantwriting, programming, special event planning, audience development, board development, financial management and arts policy. For more information about the Arts Management program or the fellowship with the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, call 843.953.6301 or visit http://artsmgmt.cofc.edu/.