Lauren Lichtenberg ’10 Interns at Christie’s

This summer I had the pleasure of spending six weeks in the Special Events and Strategic Partnerships department at Christie’s New York.

I had just spent the spring semester of my Junior year at Vanderbilt on an international adventure, studying abroad in Copenhagen. At my home base in Denmark, I took a course about art and film in Weimar Germany and another one that examined the identity of the female artist. I traveled throughout Europe to visit museum masterpieces and made it my mission to seek out as many exhibitions as I could fit into my tightly scheduled trips. I returned to familiar locales, like the Louvre, and wandered throughout the massive corridors at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. I even discovered newer venues for contemporary art, like Paris’ Palais-de-Tokyo and Deichtorhallen in Hamburg. As my semester came to a close, I lamented my return home, wishing for another chance to enter into Yayoi Kusama’s “Gleaming Lights of the Souls” installation in Copenhagen’s own Louisiana Museum.

Just days after my homecoming, however, I was whisked into the fast-paced environment that is Christie’s auction house, and this high-energy setting ameliorated my adjustment back to American culture. I arrived at 20 Rockefeller Plaza on my first day and stood in the lobby in awe, gazing at the colorful Sol LeWitt murals that lined the walls. Seventy eager interns were ushered through the facilities, stopping into just a few of the many galleries that display featured artworks from upcoming sales in the Christie’s office building.

As an intern in the Special Events and Strategic Partnerships department, I became acquainted with the glamorous affairs attended by the “who’s who” of the art world. From the viewing reception for this past spring’s Postwar and Contemporary auction to the cocktail party in honor of the sale of Elizabeth Taylor’s dazzling jewelry collection, an impressive amount of coordination occurs behind the scenes. The Special Events and Strategic Partnerships team works seamlessly with the appropriate departments to highlight the main attraction: the works of art on display.

The demands of the auction business to adapt to changing sale dates, locations, and times trumps the regular routine of day-to-day tasks. While I performed several duties consistently, like updating guest lists and client information, my days at Christie’s were marked by an exciting commitment to the preparation of upcoming events. Whether it was stocking Viewing Room 5 with catalogs for the Latin American Paintings Evening Sale or facilitating the delivery of a painting to Boardroom 1 for a client meeting, my schedule was tailored to the task at hand. I had the opportunity to engage hands-on in the planning of everything from Opening Receptions to the Staff Summer Art Show, and I put my research skills to the test to find sponsors with values that fit in with the culture of Christie’s and the rest of the art world.

Bi-weekly lectures were a highlight of my experience at Christie’s. The intern coordinator carefully curates a schedule of Christie’s employees each term to take time out of their busy schedules and share information about their respective career paths. The roster includes members of the legal team, various Heads of Departments, the Deputy Chairman, and Director of Christie’s Education. These lunchtime meetings were informal, and fostered an open environment in which all interns were welcome to participate, and even encouraged to ask questions. The staff cultivated an atmosphere of familiarity, which made me feel integrated into the company’s culture. The women I worked with directly were equally approachable, and extended invitations to some of the events that I assisted in planning. I ended my summer at panel discussions oriented toward new collectors and was fortunate to hear advice from young, prominent figures in New York’s art scene, like Artsy CEO Carter Cleveland. This was a meaningful conclusion to my summer internship, as I walked away inspired to learn more and pursue a career in the arts after graduation.

- Lauren Lichtenberg ‘10

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