The two-hour childhood drive from Connecticut to New York City meant one thing for Michelle Carpanzano.
Museums.
“I loved everything about history– you just couldn’t get me out of a museum. I went on a lot of field trips to New York City to many different museums,” she said.
“That early exposure really solidified it for me.”
Carpanzano (BA ’08, Art History) entered her 10th year at Christie’s in New York City this year, a world-leading art and luxury business with a specialty in live and online auctions on a global scale.
A meaningful connection to art
Carpanzano’s artistic interest began from a young age, she said. Through People-to-People Student Ambassador Program, she racked up an expansive travel list with places like Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, and Spain.
“It was really one of those programs where they’re bringing you to historical sites, museums, kind of immersing you in art and culture,” she said. “That really was just the catalyst for being very interested in this – it’s so fascinating.”
Today, her appreciation for art history plays a major role in her work. At Christie’s, Carpanzano puts her experience and education in art history at work as a ‘product owner.’ That position requires an understanding of art history, while blending technological skills and digital interactions with clients.
“I’m supporting all of our bidding platforms as well as all of the digital platforms that our clients use to find all the information they need about art and objects that we’re selling,” she said.
“It’s really cool to be still connected to the art world in a meaningful way.”
Finding her niche in the classroom
Carpanzano’s journey on working at the world’s number one auction house began with an undecided first-year student at the U of A and the School of Art.
Tucson won her and her parents over quickly and not just for the famously sunny weather.
“I somehow convinced my parents to take me to visit, and we quickly understood what made it special,” she said. “It was the only school I applied to outside of the East coast. Once my parents saw the campus, they knew it was an amazing opportunity … to go somewhere completely new for an exceptional college experience.”
As she began her studies, campus resources piqued her interest in art-related careers.
“I loved the idea of being able to go to the Center for Creative Photography, view photos and pull things out of archives.”
Quickly, art history fell into the picture and she began pursuing her degree.
“The professors were amazing and everyone was so brilliant and present in the field – I knew that that was it.”
A global connection
After completing her art history degree, she set off into her career through entry-level jobs at arts centers and historical societies. She received her Master’s in Contemporary Arts at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, which led to her first role at Christie’s in 2016.
“I started in an entry-level position, taking a job in client service – answering phones, helping clients set up their accounts, making sure they knew how to move through the auctions cycle.
After two years, she took a supervisor role and was promoted to manager. Next, Christie’s promoted her to lead the bids department.
Following the pandemic, Christie’s expanded into digital auction sales in a major way. That expansion became Carpanzano’s focal point, as a product owner and digital strategist, she assists clients all over the world in their digital auction endeavors. These expansive international connections merged her extensive art history background with newfound technical and networking skills.
Visualizing Art
“You should be able to recreate the moment of someone walking into the gallery and seeing a work of art, when it’s in New York, and they’re in Hong Kong,” she said. “It’s that way of connecting all of these objects with clients all across the world.”
This important work, she said, allows her to stay connected to art in an unexpected way.
“I get to walk down through the galleries and see some of the top works coming through. These are museum quality works, and it’s just a regular Tuesday for me.”
She never expected to approach art from a technological angle. As a result, she now mentors young professionals new to the game.
“You can be connected to these things and have an important role in the art world,” she said. “Just in a slightly different way than you perhaps envisioned originally.”
Now Carpanzano is starting 10 years of meaningful international connections, digital experiences, and a deep commitment to the arts with Christie’s, one of the world’s most famous brands.