Working in these fields...

Though art is the central and common focus, these fields differ in one important respect – museums provide a custodial function for works of art, whereas galleries and auction houses sell works of art. Most museums are nonprofit organizations; galleries and auction houses are places where the fields of art and business intersect. Some of the more common careers in a museum include museum educator, conservator/restorer, curator, registrar, researcher, slide librarian, and librarian. In addition, museums hire professional staff in all the managerial functions one would expect to find in any organization (finance, marketing, public relations, etc.). The best preparation for museum work is to take as many art history and studio art courses as possible (many museums will require an undergraduate degree in art history), become fluent in at least one foreign language, and intern at a museum. Students with an interest in conservation or restoration will also need a solid background in chemistry, physics and computer technology.

Typical positions in galleries include gallery owner/director, salesperson, gallery assistant, and crater/packer. Taking courses in art history, history, psychology and communications will be helpful in preparing for a career in a gallery; it will also be important to develop applicable business skills.

Auction houses require a skill set similar to that of both galleries and museums; in fact, one can generally not find work in this field, except at the administrative assistant level, without prior experience in sales, research, management, and museum curatorial work.