LECTURES AND COURSES
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Lectures and Courses


Vara Global Fine Arts and Vara Global Fine Arts are active in the field of defining new scholarly approaches to educating both academics and the public about the importance of art in our contemporary culture. Classes taught by Renée are affiliated with organizations such as New York University and the Guggenheim Museum. In addition, lectures are and have been hosted throughout the country at major non-profit conferences, and with public and private institutions.

Upcoming Courses and Lectures Series

  • Guggenheim Museum, New York; Lecturer: Renée Vara
    -Contemporary Art in a Global Context I
    (Wednesdays 6:00-7:30pm, October 18- November 1)
    Highlighting the social mobility, technology advancement, and development of sophisticated communication systems, this series traces the historical development of international styles since 1960, from pop art to performance, as they gained a platform towards global dialogue.
    -Contemporary Art in a Global Context II
    (Tuesdays 4:30- 6:00pm, November 7- November 21)
    Examining the political and economic forces which have shaped international styles from the 1980s to the present, this series contextualizes the role of professional art schools, biennales, art fairs, and critics that have created an international exchange wherein styles, ideas, and movements move rapidly between borders to promote shared discourses and marketplace.

For more information or to sign up, please contact Elizabeth Lincoln at the Guggenheim Museum at (212) 423-3587 or go here

  • New York University; Instructor: Renée Vara, Adjunct Professor
    -Appraising Emerging Artists
    (Mondays 6:20- 8:20pm, October 30- November 27)
    What is an emerging artist? How can the value of a work of art produced by an emerging artist be determined? In this groundbreaking course, we explore what it meant to be an emerging artist in the contemporary art world. We visit an artist's studio to meet young talent and attend openings at some of the most progressive galleries. You learn the inner workings of the avant-garde art world; how to identify and use the resources that track soon-to-be-known artists, important clubs and collecting groups; galleries to watch; and how to research artists to determine the monetary value of works that have no primary or secondary markets.

For more information or to sign up, please contact The School of Continuing and Professional Studies at NYU at (212) 991-7171 or go here

Past Courses Taught

New York University; Instructor: Renée Vara, Adjunct Professor

  • Pop Art and Beyond
  • Getting Started: Introduction to the Collecting of Fine Art
  • Risk Management for Private Collections
  • Introduction to Appraising Luxury Interiors
  • Appraising Emerging Artists
  • Appraising Post-War Art
  • Appraising Luxury Interiors Part II: Contemporary Interiors
  • Perspectives on Six Icons: Understanding Modern Art
  • Getting your Foot in the Door: Business and Marketing Techniques for the Appraiser
  • Collection Management for Collectors, Appraisers, and Collections Managers
  • Today’s Curator: An Independent Force in the Art World
  • Introduction to Contemporary Art: Emerging Artists
Past Lectures Given
  • Lecturer, "Connossieur’s Crash Course," Marketing to the High Net Worth workshop, Family Wealth Management and Aston Pearl, hosted by HUB Insurance (July 2006)
  • Lecturer, "Investing Insights: Collecting Fine Arts", UBS Financial Services Seminar (March 13, 2006)
  • Lecturer, "Introduction to Contemporary Art," Guggenheim Museum, New York (Wednesdays, April 13- May 18, 2005)
  • Panel Speaker, "Challenges of Establishing Value of Contemporary Art Installation," Appraisers Association of America 2005 National Conference (November 2005)
  • Panel Speaker, "Watermark Conference," The Johnson Foundation (July 2005)
  • Panel Speaker, "The Curator Today: Questions of Criticality," NutureArt (January 2004)
  • Panel Speaker, "Collecting the Hard Stuff in the Contemporary Market," ScopeLA (October 2004)
  • Panel Speaker, "Art Fairs: What Directors of These New Forums Say," Art Talks (October 2004)
  • Panel Speaker, "Dialogue with Pop Video Art," The Tank for Emerging Artists (May 2004)
  • Panel Speaker, "The Relationship of Art, Sex & Religion in Contemporary Art," ScopeNY (March 2004)
  • Lecturer, "Outside the White Cube: Performance Art," Scope Art Fair/ Miami (December 2003)
  • Curator, "Leemour Pelli’s Fairytales," Paul Rodger’s Gallery (December 2003)
  • Lecturer, "Caring for Your Collection," Boston Fine Arts Fair (November 2003)
  • Lecturer, "The Anatomy of an Appraisal," American Association of Museums (May 2003)
  • Panel Speaker, "The Curator Today: Questions of Criticality" January 2004
  • Panel Speaker, "Collecting the Hard Stuff in the Contemporary Market," October 2004
  • Panel Speaker, "Art Fairs: What Directors of These New Forums Say," October 2004
  • Panel Speaker, "Dialogue with Pop Video Art," The Tank for Emerging Artists May 2004
  • Panel Speaker, "The Relationship of Art, Sex & Religion in Contemporary Art," Scope, NY March 2004
  • Lecturer, "Outside the White Cube: Performance Art," Scope Art Fair/Miami December 2003
  • Curator, "Leemour Pelli's Fairytales," Paul Rodger's Gallery December 2003
  • Lecturer, "Caring for Your Collection," Boston Fine Arts Fair
    November 2003
  • Lecturer, American Association of Museums, "The Anatomy of an Appraisal"
    May 2003
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