The art world has historically been a wild beast shrouded in mystery, difficult to access, and based heavily on who you know, not what you know. The Newcomb Art Department’s Art Acquisitions and Collections Management class pulls back the curtain and seeks to give students insight and experience into the art world.
Started by Associate Professor Emeritus Michael Plante and sponsored by Tulane alum and New York City-based art advisor Sandy Heller (A&S ‘94), the class typically involves career-focused guest lectures, instruction, and assignments. In the past, the course culminated with the acquisition of an artwork championed by students after a semester of research.
This year, however, under the leadership of Professor Leslie Geddes, the class coincided with the IFPDA Print Fair in Manhattan, the largest and longest-running art fair. From April 9 - 12, we were given the exceptional opportunity to attend the fair and numerous exclusive lectures with leading art historians, in lieu of acquiring a piece of art. The print fair gave students a chance to interact with the art market on a personal scale and transform the esoteric into the accessible.
The trip began with an excursion to the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum to meet with Dr. Jaime Kwan, assistant curator of Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design. She pulled numerous examples of early modern printmaking in a variety of techniques, including some by Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt, two titans of printmaking. Additionally, we got a sneak peek at Kwan’s upcoming exhibition, learning about the curatorial process, particularly when working with a large inventory.
A walk on New York’s High Line led us to the Whitney Museum, where we spoke with Megan Heuer, the director of Public Programs and Academic Engagement, who gave insight into her career trajectory. Students then had the rest of the day to explore the highly anticipated Whitney Biennial, which defines the state of contemporary art today.
On the last day of the trip, we attended “Sublime Poetry,” the landmark Raphael exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibition featured works previously never seen in the United States, including light-sensitive works rarely exhibited anywhere. In conversation with accompanying faculty experts, professors Alexis Culotta and Holly Flora, we gained deep insight into Rapheal’s canon and the politics of museum curation and conservation.
The trip culminated with the IFPDA Armory Show. Students were tasked with identifying booths of interest and, through conversations with gallery owners and study, we experienced the inner workings of the sales-forward niche of the art world. We saw everything from Old Masters to contemporary alternative process printmaking, such as paper moulding and photogravure.
Throughout the trip, students were encouraged to use their free time to explore art within their own interests in order to enrich their experience with the goal of writing an exhibition review upon their return to New Orleans. We chose the Neue Galerie, specifically to view the new exhibition “Egon Schiele: Portrait of Dr. Erwin Von Graff,” which was an examination of a critical point in the Expressionist’s career.
Our time in New York extended beyond the art world. Students were able to visit other neighborhoods to enjoy the city’s broader culture, including shopping and restaurants. We visited Chelsea Market’s flea market and enjoyed dinner in Chinatown, among other things.
The classroom space is a great training ground for critical thinking skills, art literacy, and research practice, but, ultimately, hands-on experiences are the best way to gain real-world knowledge and make impactful connections. Many of us are planning to enter the art world upon graduation, and this class has prepared us to enter it confidently.
Riley Hearon is a double major in Classics and Philosophy, minoring in Art History and Religious Studies, and works as chief copy editor of the Tulane Hullabaloo. In the fall, she will be attending law school and hopes to pursue art restitution and cultural heritage law.
Sophia Duhon is a senior from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, majoring in Anthropology and Art History with a minor in Chinese. After graduation, she will work at M.S. Rau, a fine art gallery in the French Quarter.