GALLERY MANAGEMENT & ART CURATION
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
5:30 PM PST / 8:30 PM EST
13 NOV 2025 - 22 JAN 2026
DURATION:
8 WEEKS
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
5:30 PM PST / 8:30 PM EST
Learn the creative craft of curation and the strategy behind running a gallery — from concept to opening night, and everything in between.
Taught by Jason Roberts, Program Manager at Machine Canvas with 20+ years in fine art sales and curation, he brings the practical strategy and a collector’s eye to help you make your mark in the industry.
THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU, IF...
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YOU’RE STARTING OUT IN THE GALLERY WORLD
Interning, assisting, managing collections — and feeling overwhelmed by how much there is to know. This gallery management course is your foundation. You'll learn how to design exhibitions, handle artwork, manage staff, and speak the language of galleries. Real assignments and a portfolio-ready final project will help you build confidence, credibility, and a clearer path forward.
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YOU WANT TO PIVOT INTO GALLERY MANAGEMENT/ART CURATION
You’ve worked in museums, events, PR — or maybe you’re a collector ready to turn passion into profession. This art gallery management course bridges the gap with a structured, inside look at how the industry works. You’ll explore roles, develop real-world skills, and make the leap with clarity.
Our students work in 1600+ companies worldwide
- Led gallery programs for National Geographic, Park West Gallery, and National Gallery of Fine Art.
- Has worked with iconic art by Dali and Picasso to Kaufman and Neiman.
- Managed multimillion-dollar estate sales and private collections.
- Guides collectors through acquisitions, valuations, and estate planning.
- Spearheads creative direction at Machine Canvas, advancing emerging artists.
- Regular guest speaker and mentor for aspiring curators and gallerists.

Meet your instructor, get a glimpse of his projects, and see what exciting things we’ll be tackling together in the weeks ahead.
- Instructor introduction
- General housekeeping
- Assignment overview
Explore gallery types, curatorial roles, responsibilities, and the ethical considerations in curation — all the essentials about the art ecosystem.
- Types of art galleries & their roles
- Curator vs gallery manager
- Defining curation: beyond collection management
- Museums, commercial galleries, independent projects, biennales
- Ethical considerations in curating
- Discussion: Galleries you know
Learn how to spot a strong exhibition idea and turn it into a curatorial concept with teeth. You’ll explore themes, research, and see how top curators bring it all together.
- Identifying themes, concepts, narratives
- Approaches to historical & contemporary art research for exhibition development
- Understanding artistic practices & engaging with artists
- Case Study: Influential exhibitions & their curatorial approaches
Assignment #1: Gallery Observation Report
Visit a local gallery and reflect on layout, visitor flow, and audience engagement.
Turn your exhibition idea into a solid, pitch-ready proposal. You’ll shape your concept, pick the right artists, write like a curator, and wrap it all up with a budget that makes sense.
- Brainstorming & refining exhibition concepts
- Artist selection & engagement strategies
- Exhibition proposal: narrative, artist statements, artwork descriptions
- Workshop: Building a mini exhibition proposal
- Budgeting basics for exhibitions
Assignment #2: Exhibition Concept Development & Proposal Outline
Create a detailed proposal for a hypothetical exhibition, including theme, artist selection, potential artworks, and initial design ideas.
Figure out how to tailor your exhibition to the space it lives in and the people it's meant for: from gallery-goers to pop-up passersby.
- Target audience analysis & visitor engagement considerations
- Understanding different gallery spaces & their limitations/opportunities
- Site-specific considerations & alternative exhibition venues
- Accessibility in exhibition design
- Discussion: Who are we curating for? Matching design to demographic
Learn how to make exhibitions not just look good, but feel right — flow, lighting, visual storytelling that pull people in and keeps them moving.
- Functionality, aesthetics, communication in exhibition spaces
- Flow, pacing, visual hierarchies
- Lighting techniques & their impact on artwork presentation
- Case Study: Major annual art exhibition layout
Assignment #3: Exhibition Design & Layout Project
Create a visual presentation of a gallery layout for an exhibition, including object placement, lighting, and visitor flow.
Figure out how to make art stay where it’s meant to be — safely, securely, with the right tools, safety checks, and install strategies.
- Mounting & hanging systems
- Display cases & pedestals
- Working with different media: painting, sculpture, video, new media
- Safety protocols during installation
- Demo: Scenario walk-through: Mixed-media exhibition install plan
Learn how to move, store, and care for art without breaking a sweat — or anything else. Condition reports to climate control, you’ll get the essentials for keeping artwork safe, sound, and future-proof.
- Safe handling techniques for various artworks
- Packing & crating for transportation
- Condition reporting & documentation
- Insurance & liability
- Art conservation principles & working with conservators
- Climate control & environmental factors: Temperature, humidity, light
Learn how to build a solid gallery team, keep things running smoothly day to day, and handle the tricky stuff, like giving feedback or managing conflict, without losing your cool.
- Staff management fundamentals: Performance management, delegating, providing feedback
- Team-specific hiring & building a solid team
- Staff supervision tactics
- Administration & recordkeeping
- Workshop: Roleplay mediating a workplace conflict
Assignment #4: Staff Schedule
Create a 7-day staff schedule for five gallery employees based on personality traits and roles.
Understand how curators, collectors, and price tags influence what ends up on gallery walls, and how the primary and secondary markets play their part.
- Primary vs. secondary market
- Role of galleries, art fairs, auction houses
- Art market trends & their impact on curatorial decisions
- Collecting & patronage
Figure out who’s got the money and how to convince them you’re worth it — with tips, tricks, and real-life success stories.
- Identifying potential funding sources
- Grant writing essentials & proposal development for funding
- Crowdfunding & alternative fundraising models
- Case Study: Successfully funded projects
Assignment #5: Fundraising & Grant Research
Find and research relevant arts grants or sponsors.
Learn how to curate digital spaces: online exhibitions to VR showcases. Explore new tech, tackle AI-driven art, and see how to make virtual galleries feel anything but flat.
- The rise of online platforms, VR & AR
- Digital archiving & documentation
- Workshop: Curating for the digital space
- AI & algorithmic art: curatorial challenges, opportunities
Think like a curator, act like a changemaker. You’ll explore how to design exhibitions that respect the planet, challenge injustice, and mean something to the communities they serve.
- Eco-conscious exhibition design & material choices
- Case Study: Addressing the carbon footprint of cultural institutions
- Curating for social change & community engagement
- Ethical sourcing & decolonization in collections
Get behind the scenes of the gallery game — from selling art to repping artists. Learn how commercial galleries work, practice pitching, and find out what it really takes to market and move art: business, sales, and representation models.
- Workshop: The business of art, artist representation, sales strategies, client relations
Understand museum and institutional curation: funding, programming, planning exhibits that get made. We’ll break down how it all works, and where you might fit in.
- Workshop: Large-scale planning, education, and programming
First presentation session. Pitch your exhibition proposal, get real-time input, and level it up.
- Dedicated time for students to work on their final exhibition proposals
- Discussion: Peer review & constructive feedback sessions
Finalize your proposal with your peers, get sharp feedback, and shape it into something that sticks.
- Exhibition proposal presentations
- Discussion: Constructive critique
Final Project: Comprehensive Exhibition Plan
Develop a professional, portfolio-ready proposal that incorporates all learned elements, including a budget outline, marketing plan, and rationale.
What our students say

"The course overview was very well organized, and the practical examples provided by Andrew offered a genuine insight into the art field. It was valuable to see his perspective from a corporate point of view. Alex also clarified key points in a very concise and insightful manner—both were a great match, as their patience and clarity played a vital role in the class."

"This is somewhat of a niche topic that really there isn’t much information on and it’s sporadic where there is. Having everything all grouped together and taught by a professional in an extremely respectable gallery is shockingly a big deal to me. Thank you. It ironically came at a perfect time for me.. it felt like the universe put this in my path - and I remember just weeks ago I unfortunately felt a lot of imposter syndrome walking into this new path in my career and this class pretty much single handedly has me hopeful, feeling prepared, and feeling like yes, I do have the experience, I do have enough knowledge, and I can figure this out and make it happen."


"It was very comprehensive - amazing month and a half !! THANK YOU so much. Also want to thank ELVTR - this was a very well put together course."

"This course has been such an eye opening experience. Covering all the aspects towards being successful in Gallery Management. Providing all the tools and complete structure of the Art world and community. Andrew and his team are incredible! A world renowned Master Class of learning."

"Andrew was incredibly generous with his time—he offered office hours and stayed after class to answer questions, showing a genuine commitment to supporting students. He never spoke from a place of superiority; instead, he consistently approached the course from the students' perspective. His sessions weren’t just dry presentations of slide decks—he created an engaging, dialogue-based environment where live questions were welcomed. During our 1-on-1 as well, he was personable and intentional about building relationships, making each student feel seen and cared for.
The best thing about this course is being able to hear directly from the instructor, who has hands-on experience at a mega-gallery and shares real insights into his day-to-day work. It’s also incredibly valuable to learn from other participants—some of whom work at galleries or are artists themselves—as they bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the discussions."