Art Schools & Careers

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Art careers – What advice can we give?

Art careers - what can you say?Art careers cover a wide range of topics.  As a visual artist — mostly a painter and collage artist — I tend to think about and talk about art related to my own niches.

However, the term “art careers” covers far more than that.

The following, linked article by Joe Patti provides some weighty insights, whether you’re speaking about art careers or you’re in the audience, learning about opportunities in the arts… all of the arts.

Advocation For Arts Careers To High Schoolers | Butts In the Seats

www.insidethearts.com11/16/11

I was speaking about arts careers at a high school career day today. The high school had been really good about sending out information packets with suggested topics to cover …

Some of the most interesting points from that article to consider:

  • What to say to parents who want their kids to aim for  “practical” careers, like law or medicine, instead of art careers.
  • How to prepare an art portfolio that represents your work as an artist, even if you haven’t worked professionally as an artist yet.
  • Branding yourself as an artist, online and offline, when you’re pursuing a career in art.

Like Joe Patti, whose article that is, I believe we need to emphasize making your own opportunities in art, regardless of the individual art field you’re working in.  There may not be an “art job” waiting for you as soon as you receive that diploma.

Creating your own opportunities must be a multi-faceted pursuit.

For example, in today’s confusing world with economic concerns and political unrest, I think it’s easy for people to lose sight of the importance of creativity in any (and every) community.

Maintaining a creative presence — and reaffirming its importance — is a vital part of every artist’s career.  It’s also something easily overlooked as we’re struggling to earn a living, find work in the arts, keep our individual brands visible, and so on.

Reading Mr. Patti’s article, I’m reminded of the students who are frantic about the behemoth of school loans as they graduate from universities and art colleges, deeply in debt.  I read about their plights at sites such as the Occupy Student Debt Campaign.

Five- and six-figure debts are massive burdens on any student.  They’re even scarier for students aspiring to art careers, which can be a boom-or-bust choice, especially during the first few years in the art field.

(I’m reminded of the movie, The Graduate, and the admonition to pursue plastics.  Today, there’s still a lot of pressure on graduates to focus on high-profit and high-income fields.  With the backend pressure of huge student loans, I’m amazed that anyone seriously considers art careers…  )

I was impressed by Mr. Patti’s list of topics.  I’m not sure what I’d say to a high school or college student about today’s art careers, and how to prepare to work in a creative field.

I’m also not sure that I’d recommend art school to a graduating high school student.  My mother went to Mass Art and, as I finished high school, she insisted that I get a degree in a “practical” field, instead.

That’s what I did, and I’m not sure it was a good choice.  That’s not just about the degree, though I’d still like a degree in art.

It’s more about the networking opportunities among staff and students at many art colleges.  Since I missed that by going to a regular college instead of getting a degree in art… I’m not sure how much difference it might have made.  It’s sort of that road not taken.

As I look at unemployment statistics across all fields, my general advice to students might be, “You have a 50/50 chance of finding a job anyway. Why not pursue what you love, and see what happens?”

Well, that and the importance of making creativity important in your community, keeping a current and vibrant portfolio visible (online and offline), and reading Gary Vaynerchuck’s book, Crush It!

All in all, whether you’re considering a career in art, already working in a creative field, or advising others about art careers… there’s a lot to think about.

Even those of us who’ve succeeded with art careers… I don’t think we have many answers for today’s art students.  I certainly don’t have a crystal ball to predict the best choices for aspiring artists, either.

It’s an interesting dilemma.

Art – Residential Learning Communities

art careers can start at college

College doesn't have to be boring. The University of Wisconsin offers artists something better.

One of the surest signs of a growing career field is when colleges and universities start making more room — and create better spaces — for students in that field.

In this case, it’s art careers.  I’m not kidding.  The University of Wisconsin at Madison is creating a residential learning community. It’s for students preparing for art careers.

Those art-related careers include: art, dance, design, engineering, fashion, film, music, theatre and computer science. (Okay, I blinked a few times at the “computer science” part, too.  Except for some animation and digital art, I struggle to use the words computer science and art careers in the same sentence.)

Focus on art careers = The whole is greater than its individual parts?

It’s the residential learning part that intrigues me.  That keeps creative people together every day.  That’s very different from spending one or two hours a week in the same lecture hall.

Their combined energy and shared creative visions could result in products far greater than the individual works.  It could be like a four-year artists’ colony.  Highly innovative concepts could emerge, taking art in new directions.

Pretty cool.  I like seeing things like that for the next generation of artists.

Also, this program views art careers as a collaborative movement among several disciplines, which takes it beyond artists’ colonies where — for example — everyone is a painter.

I hope this is the beginning of a trend. It can re-energize colleges and attract more high-quality students.  That should make everyone happy.

See if a college or university near you is thinking about something similar.  If so, that could be a community to participate in, even if you’re not a student.  (For example, you could become an ad hoc advisor.)

Here’s the UW press release.  Yes, it’s pretty dry reading. Read between the lines. You’ll see a dynamic concept that may be very exciting once it begins thriving: An art and design community.

These are people who are already committed to (or considering) art careers. They could be an extraordinary group.  It’s not just about future networking. It’s about the experience of the four years you’re together.

UNIVERSITY HOUSING TO LAUNCH CREATIVE ARTS AND DESIGN COMMUNITY – Media Newswire (press release)

news.google.com

UNIVERSITY HOUSING TO LAUNCH CREATIVE ARTS AND DESIGN COMMUNITY

… campus’s Sellery Hall, will welcome students from a broad array of creative disciplines, recognizing that the arts, innovation and creativity are vital …

It’s the collaborative concept that intrigues me the most.  I recently wrote about community causes and events (Use Social Causes to Grow Your Art Career).  In that article, I explained that some of our best ideas can come from related fields and the world around us.

For examples, look at some of today’s most innovative artists.

How mixing creative disciplines helps art careers

Recently, I was deeply moved and inspired by the art of Nathalie Miebach, whose art is based on weather measurements.  Her art crosses several disciplines; her sculptures are also musical scores.

That’s an example of what happens when people exchange ideas, triggering “ah-HA!” moments that lead to even greater innovations.

Throwing a group of creative people together may be a risky, volatile move. This could become one of those legends.  You know, like the Cape Cod School of Art in the very early 20th century… art communities spoken of in hushed tones, and with awe.

This takes art education beyond the usual routine. You know:  Classes, homework, projects… and then partying with people who don’t really get how you think.

Throwing creative people together — people focused on art careers — the experience could be very different.  If I were looking at colleges, I think the University of Wisconsin (or any other college with a similar program) would be near the top of my list.