There are a lot of ways to get Fall internships. You can apply blindly. You can try your hand at networking. You can find great internships here. You can even bid on internships in auctions. Yes, that’s right, parents are now buying their kids internships at auction. Today we will be talking about auctions and internships, but Christie’s is not auctioning off their internships. They must maintain their aura of international glamour, and to besmirch their name by selling internships to the highest bidder would not be wise. Founded in 1766, Christie’s is now the “world’s leading art business with global auction sales in 2007 that totaled $6.3 billion.”
To many the idea of a live auction is extremely intimidating. The prices seem exorbitant, the cultural norms are hard to figure out, and there’s always a chance that you will lose control of yourself and bid more than you can afford. The truth is that even Christie’s, one of the most respected names in the industry, can be quite approachable. The prices of items that they sell range from $200 to over $80 million – there’s certainly some room in there for almost anyone. Christie’s also offers an online video introduction as well as guides on How to Buy and How to Sell at their auctions. Christie’s main focuses are on fine art, jewelry, photographs, wine, furniture; however, they are likely to deal in almost anything that generates cultural interest.
Christie’s has “85 offices in 43 countries and 14 salerooms around the world including London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Dubai and Hong Kong.” Internships are offered in New York, Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam, and Hong Kong. In NYC and LA, the internships are seasonal with distinct Summer, Fall, and Spring programs, but in the international cities it seems like they don’t follow such a strict schedule. The description of the New York internship program can be found below (the description for the LA program is quite similar):
Christie’s Internship program offers a hands-on introduction to the inner workings of an auction house and to the New York art world. The Internship will start with a brief orientation, after which each participant will be assigned to a department where he/she will work for the duration of the summer program. Participants will attend weekly lectures on fine and decorative arts given by Christie’s specialists, as well as periodic museum and gallery visits. In addition, all interns are welcome to attend auctions held in our main saleroom at 20 Rockefeller Plaza (49th Street).
Applications for Spring and Fall internships at Christie’s are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, so you might as well apply as soon as you can. You should include an excellent cover letter and a resume in your application. The preferred application method varies by location, so be sure to take a look at their Internships page to be sure that you are sending your application to the right person.
We often hear that interning at auction houses entails hard work and low pay (Christie’s offers the minimum wage to it’s paid interns and also offers unpaid internships for people who commit to fewer hours), but it’s hard to pass up the glamour of working at Christie’s. We wish that we could tell you more, but you’ll have to do the rest of the research on your own. It will be good practice for becoming an expert in 19th Century Sporting Paintings, or whatever you choose to pursue.
Links to Help You Begin Your Research
Would you buy an internship at auction? Discuss in the comments below.
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Tags: arts, auction, California, China, international, Internships, Netherlands, New York, paid, united kingdom, unpaid
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