Yes, I know what you are thinking…being displayed in a gallery is the artist’s ultimate goal. Well, for some artists yes. However, earning a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) or even an MFA (Master of Fine Arts—the most prestigious of degrees) does not guarantee that you will make it big in the gallery or museum scene. As many professors stress, there are numerous jobs out there for artists with a degree—you just have to know how to search for them. For instance, in my Non-Loom Fiber 3-D Structure class, an artist, who graduated with a degree in Crafts, now works as a fabric designer for a clothing company and she loves it! In the Fiber world today, there is an extreme increase in the amount of technology being utilized by companies. Artists, people with good aesthetic judgment, need to be hired to design, create, and operate this art based technology. If you are considering entering the art field for school but really don’t know if you can make it as an “artist”, don’t be discouraged! Talk to your professors, they have been out in the world (meaning Grad school and BEYOND) they can set up talks with various artists who have not pursued the life of a “gallery artist” and have been successful in other areas of art. Plus, your professors can probably set up internships for you that will get you headed in the right direction to obtaining a job that you enjoy. These websites may help in your search to finding that perfect job and avoiding a life in a cardboard box: http://www.artinstitutes.edu/CareerServices/Default.aspx (The Art Institute--also check out their Alumni Success Stories); http://www.artsopportunities.org/?gclid=COn6iueKlJACFQMsFQodeUX2-Q (Arts Opportunities); and http://www.skidmore.edu/administration/career/arts.htm (Skidmore College’s Art Job Listings)…Happy Hunting!
3 comments:
I think it's good you mention referencing your profs for career advice. Many times I have visited my profs to just chat on little things, and through that dialogue, not only has it helped me be successful in their class but also it motivated enough to stick with the major I'm perusing (Art Education).
I agree with open indigo, I like chatting with my professors, just to talk. I think that, although sometimes we would love to have our work hung in galleries and be admired by everyone, it is not necessarily a bad thing if we do not. Granted, we do not get famous, but lets say if you are an art education major for example, what is better than having first hand feedback of the students lives that you have made a difference on? I think that outweighs the lack of notice from the "art world."
This is excellent information for aspiring artists. This blog is both interesting as well as encouraging. Art students need to know that they will not be living in the cardboard boxes that most fear will become their abode.
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