Entry Level Qualification 

12

Career Fields 

Arts & Design

For Specially Abled 

Career Entrance Exam 

AIEED, IICD UG, IICD PG

About Career 

Art Dealers are art connoisseurs who buy and sell works of art such as paintings (handmade, prints, or digital paintings), sculptures, murals, art prints, ceramic art, digital art, photographs, traditional folk art, installation art, handicrafts, etc. Art Dealers are generally the mediating persons or agencies between the sellers and buyers. 

Sellers could be artists, private art collectors, enterprises dealing in art (such as museums, art galleries, and auction houses), various individuals and companies that own works of art as well as other Art Dealers. Buyers could be art collectors, enterprises dealing in art (museums, art galleries, auction houses), various individuals and companies that want to buy works of art for various purposes as well as other Art Dealers and curators.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

As an Art Dealer, you would be engaged in one or more of the following key roles and responsibilities:

1. You would create the collection of a museum, art gallery, etc. You would also research the art market to know what’s available among various collectors, auction houses, and art dealers, what may not be yet in the market, but somebody holds it as a personal collection, or who might put together an installation work or digital artwork.

2. You would be involved in negotiating with art owners and other dealers.

3. You would be responsible for updating information about the art market and in-depth knowledge of the collections and exhibitions you manage.

4. You would network and build connections with other artists, you would discover new artists, and maintain communications with previous artists and collectors for follow-ups

5. You would be responsible for updating information about the art market and in-depth knowledge of the collections and exhibitions you manage.

6. You will research the collections, recommend acquisitions, develop relationships with collectors, engage deeply with clients and understand their preferences and demands, and provide access to art in ways that foster new scholarship, creative thought, and critical dialogue around today’s pressing cultural, political, and social questions.

7. You will be innovative in your approach to engage audiences and be responsive to what the community needs. You will produce presentations, materials, and exhibitions that are inclusive, accessible, welcoming, and relevant.

Career Entry Pathway 

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies – Bachelor’s in Fine Art/ Visual Art/ Applied Art/ Studio Art/ History of Art or similar field – Work as Art Intern/ Curator/ Assistant in art galleries, museums or auction houses for 4-5 years – Become an Art Dealer.

After completing Class 10 all subjects as per the scheme of studies and after Class 11-12 with any subject as per the scheme of studies you can go for a Bachelor's in Fine Art/ Visual Art/ Applied Art/ Studio Art/ History of Art or similar field. After completing graduation, you can start working as an Art Intern/ Curator/ Assistant in art galleries, museums, or auction houses for 4-5 years and become an Art Dealer.

After completing Class 10 all subjects as per the scheme of studies and after Class 11-12 with any subject as per the scheme of studies you can go for a Bachelor’s in Fine Art/ Visual Art/ Applied Art/ Studio Art/ History of Art/ similar discipline. Although after completing graduation you can start working directly in art galleries or auction houses if you wish to study further, then you can go for a Master’s in Fine Art/ Visual Art/ Applied Art/ Studio Art/ History of Art/ similar discipline and then start working in art museums, galleries or auction houses at a higher level.

Required Qualification & Competencies 

A bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, Visual Art, Art History, or a similar field may be enough to secure an entry-level position in an auction house, art gallery, or museum.

Please remember that the experience acquired while working in an art gallery or auction house, where you have built networks with other art collectors, curators, and artists is most important in the initial stages of starting as an Art Dealer. The more experienced you are in understanding art and its aesthetics the better it gets while dealing with the business of art.

Competencies Require

Interest

1. Investigative: You should have an interest in Investigative Occupations. Investigative occupations involve working with ideas and quite a lot of thinking, often abstract or conceptual thinking. These involve learning about facts and figures; involve the use of data analysis, assessment of situations, decision making, and problem solving.

2. Realistic: You should have an interest in Realistic Occupations. Realistic occupations involve more practical and hands-on activities than paperwork or office work. Realistic occupations often involve physical activities for getting things done using various tools and equipment. 

3. Social: You should have an interest in Social Occupations. Social occupations involve helping or assisting others; these involve working with and communicating with people to provide various services; these may involve educating and advising others.

Knowledge

1. Fine Arts: Knowledge about the theories and techniques required for producing various works of fine arts such as painting, drawing, illustration, sculpture, digital art, installation art, craft, visual art, etc.

2. History and Archaeology: Knowledge of historical events and their causes, historical evidence, interpretations of the learning from historical events, and influences of historical events on civilizations and cultures.

Skills

1. Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, understanding the points being made by others, asking questions, etc.

2. Active Learning: Focused and continuous learning from various sources of information, observation, and otherwise for application in getting work done.

3. Reading Comprehension: Skills in understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

4. Critical Thinking: Skills in the analysis of complex situations, using of logic and reasoning to understand the situations and take appropriate actions or make interpretations and inferences.

5. Communication in English: Skills in communicating effectively in writing as well as verbally with others in the English language.

6. Communication in Vernacular Languages: Skills in communicating effectively in writing as well as verbally with others in a local or indigenous language such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Bengali, Assamese, etc.

Abilities

1. Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with several ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

2. Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information from various sources, concepts, and theories to form general rules or conclusions. For example, analyzing various events or situations to come out with a set of rules or conclusions

3. Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

4. Abstract Reasoning: The ability to understand ideas that are not expressed in words or numbers; the ability to understand concepts that are not clearly expressed verbally or otherwise.

5. Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

6. Verbal Reasoning: The ability to think and reason with words; the ability to reason out ideas expressed in words.

Personality

1. You are a soft-hearted person sometimes.

2. You trust others sometimes but not always.

3. You are helpful to others sometimes.

4. You are self-satisfied sometimes but some other times you don't feel satisfied with your life and situations.

5. You are imaginative sometimes.

6. You prefer to experience new things and have new experiences sometimes.

7. You act independently sometimes but do not do so at some other times.

8. You are caring, supportive, sympathetic, and kind to others sometimes.

Career - Job Opportunities & Profiles 

After completing your studies you would have to procure some basic ground-level experience by working in art museums, and art galleries, or collaborating with independent artists to become an Art Dealer. You could find work in various:

1. Major Indian fine art auction houses such as Staffronart, Pundole’s, AstaGuru, Bonhams, Art Bull, Bid and Hammer, OSIAN’S, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, etc.

2. Major online fine art auction firms such as Indiaart, Fizdi, StoryLtd, Artzolo, emerging artists, Eikowa, etc.

3. Indian Art Galleries such as Vadehra Art Gallery, Nature Morte, Gallery Chemould, Chatterjee & Lal, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG), Espace Gallery, Experimenter, Lakeeren Art Gallery, etc.

      


Specialisation Tracks In This Career

1. Primary-Market Art Dealers

Primary Market Art Dealers are involved in representing the artwork of living artists. They identify and connect with new talent, regularly visit artists’ studios, and make deals with prospective buyers and clients. They work as mediators among artists, curators, art critics, and collectors

2. Secondary-Market Art Dealers

Secondary Market Art Dealers are involved in dealing with artworks that are brought from the market for reselling on behalf of art collectors, and institutions (such as auction houses). These art dealers are particularly specialized in periods (certain genres of art like contemporary art, modern art, romantic art, etc.) and mostly deal with the artworks of artists who are no longer alive. They mostly deal with authentic and original art pieces and are experts in their knowledge of finding and collating with authentic artworks.

3. Public and Private Art Dealers

Public Art Dealers usually work in gallery exhibitions which are open annually and provide visitors a platform to browse and learn about various art forms. They help visitors develop a taste for the artworks they represent. Private Art Dealers are employed only via appointment and are usually not involved in working with the walk-in public. They often serve clients individually or on a contract basis and provide services starting from the acquisition of work to the formation or establishment of an entire collection.

Career Growth

You may start working as an Intern in some art galleries, museums, or auction houses therefore there is no standard career progression. But after earning an ample amount of experience you may progress to Art Advisor  Senior Art Advisor or Consultant.

Salary Offered  

1. At an entry-level, i.e. with an experience of 0-1 years, you may start on a lower salary of around Rs. 10,000 – 20,000 per month.

2. At the junior level, with an experience of 2-4 years, you may expect Rs. 25,000 – 60,000 or even more.

3. At Middle-level, with an experience of 5-15 years, you may earn around Rs. 80,000 – 1,80,000 per month or even more.

4. At the Senior- level, with an experience of 20+ years, you may earn around Rs. 1,50,000 – 2,00,000 per month or even more.

Monthly Earnings In Indian Rupee

1. Entry level: 0 - 2 years of work experience

2. Junior Level: From 1 to 12 years of work experience

3. Mid Level: From 5 to 20+ years of work experience

4. Senior Level: From 10 to 25+ years of work experience (there could be exceptions in some high-end technical, financial, engineering, creative, management, sports, and other careers; also shortly, people will reach these levels much faster in many careers and some careers, these levels will have no meaning as those careers will be completely tech skill driven such as even now, there is almost no level in a Cyber Security Expert’s job)

Famous Personalities 

Not Available

Work Activities 

1. Identifying objects, actions, and events: Identifying various characteristics of objects; observing and understanding actions and events; understanding changes in actions and events.

2. Getting Information and learning: Observing, hearing, reading, using computers, or otherwise obtaining information and learning from it.

3. Analysing and interpreting data and information: Analysis of data and information to find facts, trends, reasons behind situations, etc.; interpretation of data to aid in decision-making.

4. Communicating with co-workers and others: Communicating with people in writing, verbally or otherwise inside your workplace and various other people who have professional relationships with your place of work including vendors, government officials, etc., or with people at large.

5. Communicating with customers/Clients: Communicating with potential and existing customers/clients of your organization in writing, verbally, or otherwise.

6. Creative thinking: Developing new ideas, concepts, innovative solutions to problems, newer ways of getting things done, designing products and services, creating works of art and craft, etc.

7. Assessing and evaluating quality: Assessing and evaluating quality of materials, systems, processes, products, services, etc.

8. Updating and using relevant knowledge: Keeping updated with the latest knowledge relevant to your fields of work and using the relevant knowledge in getting things done.