Art Appreciation

Chapter 11

Art Management
Chapter 11

Art Management

Introduction

T he arts attract many kinds of people. Some, of course, are those who create or perform the arts
themselves. But there are others who do the important task of making sure that the business side of the art
world runs smoothly. That’s where art management comes in. Those who work in this field manage the
daily operations of art galleries, museums, performing arts centers, symphonies and other art-related
enterprises. It’s a critical job. Keeping the business side of the arts running well allows the artists themselves
to keep their focus where it needs to be: on the art itself.
Specific Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

• Define the role of managers, curators, buyers, collectors, art dealers in the world

Duration

Chapter 5: Art Management = 3 hours

(2 hours discussion; 1 hour
assessment)

LESSON PROPER

Art management (also referred to as art administration) applies business administration technics
and processes to the art world. It includes running the daily business operations of art institutions either
private or public.

Art management’s purpose is to reconcile both disciplines as they potentially have opposing
objectives. The former is concerned with the practical aspects of running a business: rational management
of resources, keeping expenditure within a budget, pursuing efficiency. The latter is a mean of expression,
it carries the authors vision and emotions and is not concerned with profit.

❖ ART MANAGEMENT
Art management (also referred to as art administration) is the process of running the daily
business operation of art institutions either private or public on nature. Art institutions include
museums, art galleries, theatres, opera house, art and cultural centers, among others.

▪ Art Manager
An art manager has the following duties and responsibilities:

1. plans, directs, and coordinates all activities in the art

department;
2. executes the marketing objectives, specification and
concepts in design, advertising, media, print, and
campaign materials;
3. monitors the department projects;
4. prepares the department report that track and analyze
productivity trends and other factors that impact costs;
5. evaluates the staff and other employees of the
department;
6. selects any additional staff as the need arises;
7. selects any additional staff in the day-to-day performance of jobs;
8. ensures that project, milestones, and goals of the department are carried out and
adhering to approved budgets;
9. has full authority for personal actions in his department;
10. reports to a senior manager.

Typically, an art manager requires a bachelor’s degree. The position requires five
years’ experience in the related area as an individual contributor or artists. One to three
years supervisory experience may be required.

▪ Role of Curators in the Art World

Curators are involved in nearly all facets of a museum’s functions.
 The role of a curator includes the following:
1. Preserve and safeguard the heritage of art
2. Select new work in the museum
3. Decide which works are to be displayed
4. Deciding how works are hung in the galleries
5. Decide how the viewing public experience the exhibition
6. Researching how to show artworks in art historically coherent and in an
entertaining way

▪ Role of Dealers in the Art World

Dealer
1. To bridge the gap between artists and collector by championing their chosen artists and
bringing their work to public attention.
2. Sometimes, act as a curator by travelling extensively, creating a collection which can
be shown to the art buying public in their art galleries, art fair, or online.

▪ Role of Art Collectors

Arts collector must have good relationship with their artists. Some collectors are
duty-bound to collect pieces of art work for display in art institutions; they must get the
trust and confidence of artists. Artists like to find collectors that truly believe in their work
of art.
 Jose Eisenberg – one of the most greatest
art collectors

▪ Role of Buyer in the Art World

1. He must be well-versed in all types of art techniques and development process.
2. Keep up to date on the art theory and art criticism.
3. Knowledgeable in evaluating the quality and worth of a piece of art.