Art Practice and Business Short Course
Course description
Course overview
Every artist is taught how to make work. Very few are ever taught what happens around it. This four-day course closes that gap, giving emerging and mid-career artists a clear, practical understanding of how the art world actually works and where their own practice fits within it.
This course is not about making your work less artistic. It’s about giving your work a stronger professional life.
Across four days you'll move from understanding the market as a system, to shaping how you present yourself within it, to building real relationships with galleries, curators and collectors, and finally to putting the practical machinery of a sustainable career in place.
Through lectures, guided exercises and real-world case studies, you'll leave with the confidence to make informed decisions, the language to talk about your work and its value, and a concrete plan for the months ahead.
The course draws on real examples from across the market so that every principle is anchored in practice. These include individual artists such as Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Michael Craig-Martin, Paloma Proudfoot and Alex Israel; leading galleries such as Gagosian, David Zwirner and Hauser and Wirth; and major fairs and institutions such as Frieze, Art Basel, Sotheby’s, Tate and MoMA.
A condensed two-day version of this course is also available for those who want the essentials in a shorter format, covering the core of all four days.
Who this course is for
This course is aimed at emerging and mid-career artists, creatives and practitioners who want to establish a stronger presence in the art market. It is an equally strong fit for recent graduates and anyone moving into a professional art practice who wants clarity on branding, positioning, pricing and audience engagement.
Key information
Topics covered
- Day 1: Positioning and the art market. How the art world works as an ecosystem, how work moves through primary and secondary markets, what creates artistic value, and where your own practice sits. Grounded in the most recent Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report, with case studies including Warhol, Hirst, Art Basel and Sotheby’s, and with gallery and agency representation models compared as two routes an artist can take today.
- Day 2: Brand, narrative and pricing. Building an authentic artist identity, writing a statement and biography that do real work, communicating value, and setting pricing you can stand behind, alongside a portfolio that reads as a structure rather than a pile. Case studies include Michael Craig- Martin on long-term coherence, Paloma Proudfoot and Alex Israel on emerging identity, and Gagosian and David Zwirner on how galleries build collector confidence.
- Day 3: Galleries, curators and collectors. What galleries actually look for, how to approach them professionally, how collectors decide, and how to tell the story of your work without the cringe. Relationships and follow-up are treated as the place careers are genuinely made. Case studies include Hauser and Wirth on relationship-led representation and Frieze on what happens when the whole market gathers in one room.
- Day 4: Media, digital presence and your career toolkit. A visibility strategy that does not rely on burnout, the website and mailing list you own, the essential business documents that protect you, and a dated 90-day action plan you leave the room with. Case studies include Tate and MoMA on institutional voice, and Frieze on visibility at scale.
Learning outcomes
- Understand the structure of the contemporary art market, including key players, roles and pathways to representation
- Define your unique position as an artist and articulate a clear, authentic narrative
- Set pricing that reflects your artistic value and market position
- Develop a promotional strategy across website, social media and newsletters
- Engage professionally with collectors, galleries and curators using sound relationship practices
- Prepare essential business documents such as agreements, contracts and invoices
- Manage client and industry relationships to support long-term, repeatable success
- Digital badge and certificate of attendance
Materials
- Notebook and pen
Tutor
Arash Shahnavaz
Arash Shahnavaz is the founder of Kei London Visual Art Agency, a London based contemporary visual art agency and artist agent. He develops artist commissions, brand collaborations and exhibitions for brands, venues and cultural partners, and works with a small number of artists on positioning, representation and sales. He previously co-founded Shabdiz Art, securing commissions from international fashion brands and private collectors. He holds an MSc in Process Engineering from the University of Leeds and a master’s in Engineering and Industrial Management from Aston University, and brings that commercial background to how artists price, present and sell their work.
Book a course
Loading