lifeis

please be realistic

if you go to top art schools how many job opportunities will you have?

im not asking for the exact numbers but roughtly like..."you would be worring about job opportunities if you go to top schools" or "you really really really have to try to get one!" or "depends on your luck" etc.

and I am talking about illustrators, designers(including interior and architectural design), and whatever others which are consired to have chances.

bears and dogs

I went to the show at SVA gallery that cerebrates 40 years of some guy’s teaching career showing how many successful artists they produced during those decades.
There were this graph showing how much certain graphic arts awards each school won and SVA was at tippy top, art center second with about half bar height, then rest is mediocre to none, especially RISD.
Now, this is one award that could be under pretty biased criteria – I don’t know nor remember what it called- but they proudly show off the data amongst many very recognizable posters, editorials, TV commercials, book covers, pillboxes, bottles, and (sic) subway posters. You’d think, wow this guy, this guy, too, this one I liked, yeah, I remember that one. Then, my friend who is not commercial kind said,
“ these are like, now and here. Nothing will remain after ten years.”
Maybe and maybe not. Last SVA show was about the guy did “I (how do you get heart symbol with keyboard?) NY” which lasted looong years. Though I suspect it was his high school done the trick for him and he haven’t even gone to SVA but taught. SVA likes to claim he is theirs anyway.

There was a receptionist and I asked if she is a student there. Yes, from Korea, senior graphic design major, yes, she is sure she will be employed upon graduation. No, she won’t go back, staying here in NYC she already lives in her own apartment.
Meanwhile I was just counting dollars in my head her parents have been shelling out and will keep doing so.

What is it you really need? Just any job or you want to be able to be independent and support yourself during/ right out of college?

I happened to know the artist that represented in the show (and that’s the only reason for bother going down to the end of 26th street by the river in the pouring rain) who is successful yet having constant financial strain, I would imagine otherwise. It seems just don’t pay enough, of course, I bet the NY heart guy would have no financial woes by now.

worried_mom

lifeis, no one can predict with any certainty what your job opportunities will be. Art and design careers are similar to acting, dancing, and other creative fields. Success depends on so much more than just your education/training: your talent, personal traits (work ethic, ability to market yourself, etc.) and to some extent, pure luck in finding opportunities and making the most of them. For every person who becomes a big "name" and makes a lot of money (Picasso, Tom Cruise), there will be hundreds of painters and actors who have to wait tables to make enough money to pay the rent. Between these two extremes, however, there are many people who do make a decent living in art-elated fields. In general, there are more employment opportunities in design fields (architecture, graphic design, industrial design, etc.) than in the fine arts (painting, ceramics, etc.).

To be honest, though, majoring in any of the visual and performing arts will always be "riskier" and present fewer job opportunities than majoring in something like business or engineering. Most of the people who become painters, dancers, etc. do it because art or music is their passion, not because they expect to become rich (although they certainly wouldn't object to that!). So if you want an easier career path, I would recommend you consider something other than an arts major.