Course descriptionIn New York City, one of the world’s great art centers, the art industry earns yearly revenues approaching a billion dollars. Art of every variety is exhibited and sold here, in countless museums, galleries, and auction houses. Curators and conservators make up only a small part of an art institution’s staff; up to 85 percent of employees are the trained professionals responsible for critical functions ranging from communications and marketing to visitor services. Responding to industry needs, the Visual Art Management (VAM) program prepares students for non-curatorial positions in such areas as collections management, development, information technology, public relations, rights and reproductions, and special events.
There’s no substitute for FIT’s location, in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, just blocks from a vibrant gallery scene and a short subway or bus ride from some of the most important art institutions in the world. With a faculty of practicing professionals, you’ll get an inside perspective on the art world, networking with experts in all aspects of art management. In your senior seminar, which is coordinated with an exhibition at a local museum, you’ll study the process of putting together a museum exhibition from concept to presentation, meeting staff in such areas as press, merchandising, insurance, art handling, and more. This interdisciplinary program draws on FIT’s strengths in art history, business, technology, and design. You’ll graduate prepared for an entry-level position or advanced education in the field.
Highlights
FIT’s program in Visual Art Management is the only one of its kind in the New York metropolitan area.
New York City is home to some of the world’s most important art institutions. These museums, galleries, and auction houses become your extended campus.
The program’s balance of visual art, business, and Liberal Arts courses meets the needs of human resources directors in New York art institutions.
VAM is the only FIT major in the School of Liberal Arts .
In this program, you’ll:
get valuable hands-on experience in an internship in an art institution such as the Museum of Modern Art, Asia Society, Drawing Center, National Museum of the American Indian, and the Alice Austen Museum, among many others.
develop a network of contacts through guest lectures, field trips, and a faculty connected to artists, curators, and auction houses.