SOTHEBY'S INSTITUTE OF ART in London and New York and LASALLE-SIA COLLEGE OF THE ARTS in Singapore are pleased to announce a new partnership which will combine the resources of the two leading arts institutions and form a unique educational establishment based in London, New York and Singapore.

Says Dr James McCalman, Managing Director of Sotheby's Institute of Art, "Since its

founding in 1969, Sotheby's Institute of Art has been educating the future leaders of the art world and this new partnership with LASALLE-SIA in Singapore will offer our students a new and unrivalled global perspective and access to the international art world networks covering Europe, Asia and the Americas."

The objective of the partnership is to establish a postgraduate teaching institute dedicated to the study of art and business as it relates to South-east Asia. In the first phase, Sotheby's Institute of Art and LASALLE-SIA will start two Master of Arts programmes in Art Business and Contemporary Art based at the new city campus of LASALLE-SIA in Singapore. To deliver practical education - the cornerstone of Sotheby's Institute of Art's educational philosophy - there will be close collaboration with the Sotheby's auction house in the region, particularly in Singapore, Hong Kong and mainland China.

These two new MA programmes will be conducted over three semesters (one year) from

August 2007 until September 2008. A Postgraduate Diploma is available after two semesters. There will also be opportunities for study trips within South-east Asia.

Professor Robert Ely, President & CEO of LASALLE-SIA comments, "The name Sotheby's is associated with excellence in the international art world. This partnership makes readily available to students in the Asian region, Sotheby's specialised programmes in art scholarship, connoisseurship and art business, and the professional network necessary for a successful career. We will host Sotheby's Institute of Art on our new city campus and provide the platform for Sotheby's to establish it as its headquarters for the Asia Pacific region.

Conversely, Sotheby's Institute of Art's campuses in London and New York may be the

platform for us to operate in the European and US markets with programmes not readily

available there. Special short or part-time programmes that we may initially offer to

corporations and individuals include Art Valuation, Art Appreciation and Asian Art History. This development is certain to contribute to our vision to be Singapore's university of the arts forming an international network of partnerships headquartered in Singapore."

"The partnership between Sotheby's Institute of Art and LASALLE-SIA is a boost to

Singapore's Global Schoolhouse initiative which aims to develop Singapore into a world-class education hub, offering a diverse and distinctive mix of quality education options. LASALLESIA's international focus and partnerships with established arts institutions across the world such as Sotheby's, will certainly contribute towards this aim and our target of attracting 150,000 international students to Singapore by 2015," said Mr Kenneth Tan, Director, Services Cluster, Singapore Economic Development Board.

Notes to the Editor:

SOTHEBY'S INSTITUTE OF ART

A unique approach to art education

Sotheby's Institute of Art is a private limited company with around 250 students a year

studying and researching into subjects in art history and preparing students for careers in the international art world (started in 1969). Formerly a part of Sotheby's auction house, the Institute always aimed to bring a true understanding of fine and decorative arts to a global audience, thereby enhancing individual appreciation and understanding of an essential part of civilisation. No less than a hundred people working at Sotheby's have taken a course at one of the Institutes, either in London or New York.

At the end of 2002, Sotheby's sold its Institute to an American-based information and

educational services firm, Cambridge Information Group, (CIG), which retains the Sotheby's name. In June 2005, the auction house also sold the New York arm of the institute to CIG. As part of the sale agreement the Sotheby's name is licensed for use by the Institute. However, strong ties are still maintained, with Sotheby's having several members on the SIA board, and SIA students having unrivalled access to internships, auctions and exhibitions at Sotheby's itself.

Over the years, the Institute has grown to increase its portfolio of courses, and as the range of core courses expanded and the popularity of the courses grew, the demand for accreditation resulted in the University of Manchester recognising the high quality of teaching and the value of the Institute's unique teaching approach. In 1995 Sotheby's Institute of Art - London was granted the status of an Affiliated Institution of the University's Department of Art History and Archaeology. It was the first education department of an auction house to be so closely associated with a university.

Main courses

Sotheby's Institute of Art's degrees are awarded by the University of Manchester (UK) and combine professional training with academic study. In London the Institute offers six full-time MA degrees, a PhD option and one undergraduate BA (Hons) degree. There are primarily six programmes available for MA students - Art Business, Fine & Decorative Art, Contemporary Art, East Asian Art, Photography: Historic & Contemporary and a new programme for 2007, Contemporary Design. There are also a number of one-semester programmes available to those who wish to enter MA or postgraduate diploma programmes but who do not have an art history background. Five one-month summer study programmes also take place each year in London and feature intensive teaching of Western and Asian art.

In New York, the Institute offers three full-time MA programmes in Art Business,

Contemporary Art and American Fine and Decorative Art. The Singapore campus offers two MA Degree programmes in Art Business and Contemporary Art.

Unique approach

The essence of the Institute's teaching approach is to work directly with the art object so that students can develop a discerning and critical eye. This is a key differentiator in the Institute's educational approach. This "hands-on" philosophy means that students learn through actual first-hand examination of works of art, design and craftsmanship in the galleries and museums of each city and in private collections. The close examination at first hand of works of art is the cornerstone of Sotheby's Institute of Art's approach to teaching - whether at postgraduate or undergraduate level.

Married to this academic study is the learning of business and professional skills specifically for the art world. Most courses have an art business component, and since the introduction of the MA in Art Business, Sotheby's Institute of Art's reputation has grown significantly in this area. The ability to draw up a marketing strategy, construct a budget, install an exhibition, or identify copyright infringements, as well as publish an article, give a public lecture or produce a professional catalogue entry, are also highly important. These are all the kinds of challenges the Institute can help students meet whatever course they follow.

The MA in Art Business makes it clear that working in the art market is very different from working in a conventional business world. Legal and ethical issues have become increasingly important, so an Art Law unit examines such problems as copyright and contracts between artists and dealers. Business planning, finance, investment and insurance are investigated in the second semester. In total, some 153 students have completed the MA in Art Business to date.

LASALLE-SIA COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

Established in Singapore in 1984, LASALLE-SIA is Asia Pacific's leading arts institution,

producing award-winning artists in design, fine arts, media arts and performing arts each

year.

LASALLE-SIA has a unique philosophy that emphasises creativity. Students are taught by experienced educators who are also practising professionals, and benefit from working with invited international artists, designers and performers and participating in a dynamic programme of high-level exhibitions and performances. As the region's only integrated arts campus, students have the exceptional benefit of interdisciplinary interaction and a holistic approach to learning.

Offering comprehensive high-quality tertiary education in Singapore with a complete

academic-creative path, LASALLE-SIA currently serves over 2,000 students with the widest range of programmes in the region from Foundation to Master's Degree in practice-based arts. High-level research is also an important academic and creative activity at the Institution, making LASALLE-SIA the pioneer in many research initiatives with outcomes that include exhibitions, performances and publications. PhD programmes are planned to commence in the near future.

LASALLE-SIA received its Accredited Institution status granted by The Open University, the UK's largest university, in March 2004. The institutional accreditation and degree validation by The Open University Validation Services (OUVS) is an independent stamp of approval of academic quality from an internationally-recognised accrediting body operating under a UK Royal Charter. Students completing degree programmes written and developed by LASALLESIA and validated by OUVS will receive a parchment jointly bearing the name and seal of LASALLE-SIA and The Open University, clearly identifying LASALLE-SIA as the provider and The Open University bringing validation equivalent to UK MA, BA (Hons) or DipHE (Diploma in Higher Education).

With a move to its new state-of-the-art city campus in 2007. The new city campus will house Singapore's largest contemporary art gallery, three world-class performance spaces equipped with the latest in theatre entertainment technology; three lecture theatres; 35,000sqm of teaching space; as well as a student accommodation complex. The Institution will also have the largest theatre workshop in Asia.

LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts is a non-profit, private educational institution. The Institution operates autonomously with financial support from the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE). As with other publicly funded educational institutions in Singapore, LASALLE-SIA is exempted from the CaseTrust for Education scheme.

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