Why did you choose IESA arts&culture?
For several years, I had been drawn to the art world and had the ambition of working in that field, which I knew was hard to get into. Not being particularly close to Paris, an unavoidable hub of art, I did not know which direction to take. After a lot of research on the internet and conversations with Parisian friends, I discovered IESA arts&culture, and I immediately liked how it worked.
One of the things that particularly drew me to IESA was the possibility of doing our training as work-study. Indeed, what could be better than linking the knowledge gained in lectures to the reality of the working world and its developments? The fact that we can do our internships in organizations that we choose, and that therefore suit us, allows us to grow, refine our future prospects, and follow the evolution of the art market in real time.
So I decided to take the plunge and devote myself 100% to this budding new passion.
What did this 1st year of the Bachelor in Art Appraisal and Art Trade bring you?
The courses we are taught at IESA are very enriching and very diverse. For example, we cover the entire History of Art, in chronological order; or the different techniques for making and appraising art objects, in a thematic way, which makes these courses very lively and appealing.
The fact that some classes take place outside, in art galleries or auction houses, lets us discover things we would not have the chance to discover in another Bachelor in Art Appraisal and Art Trade program.
Moreover, the various IESA instructors we deal with form a faculty of passionate people who generously share their knowledge with us and always know how to make us more curious.
Do you already have an idea of what you want to do after your program?
Not yet having a specific preferred field as such, I set myself the goal of exploring as many avenues as possible during my 1st year in order to gradually move toward a very precise specialty. However, the type of organization where I want to work professionally is very clear to me, which is why I chose to do my internships only at auction houses. My first 2 internships in this type of organization were very instructive and confirmed my choice.
Could you tell us about these internships?
After a 1st internship at the Cornette de Saint Cyr auction house, I am currently interning at Artcurial, which lets me see how a very renowned, large auction house works, with everything that implies. It is a very enriching internship that lets me increase my knowledge thanks to professionals who know how to pass on theirs, and who trust me by giving me various tasks needed to put together a sale or produce a catalog…
Everyone knows that the art world is fairly closed and that it is therefore essential to build a book of contacts, both professional and friendly. The fact that the school gives us the opportunity to do internships like this is therefore a real stroke of luck, which, besides giving us substantial knowledge, greatly enhances our résumé afterward.