A parent in need of some direction

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
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A (not so) semi quick breakdown of my D wanting a career in the art field.

I had no idea my daughter had any interest in art. I didn’t even know she could draw or paint. I never saw anything done at home or saw any of her work. NONE! A complete surprise when she came to me at the end of Sophomore year of HS and said that she had 8 pieces in the school art show. She wanted her father and I to attend. My husband and I were floored! I don’t mean this like her work was just incredible and unbelievably and she was gifted. I mean it more like “oh, she talented. She has something.” Her self portrait just knocked me over. I stood there shocked. She captured her expression, hair and lighting so incredibly for her first self portrait. I wondered why she never showed us anything? I am her Mother, an artist with an art degree. Maybe that’s the reason? LOL.

This when I realized that maybe I should really listen and guide her. I am a bit apprehensive like many other parents concerned about his/her child being able to support herself in this type of career. I’m not spending $200,000-$250,000 for an art degree or any other degree. It’s not necessary!

I wanted to major in interior design. The college I attended did not have that major. I graduated from a state university.
I had a great career coming out of college many, many moons ago. I left that first job after 9 years with an income of $60,000 to raise our children. In that job, not one person hired in the art department was from an art school. All of us were from colleges and universities within the general 2 hr area. I live 30 minutes outside of Philly. There are lots of art schools with students looking for jobs from there.

My parents refused to pay for art school only because they really hoped I would change my mind about an art career. I didn’t. I knew what I wanted. They knew I had talent and that I had always been creative. It showed. I showed no interest in anything else, but they didn’t listen. I don’t want to do the same thing to my child that my parents did to me. Now as a parent, I have the same concerns, but I’m more understanding. I know that she can have a well paying job by picking the right career path but she has got to be the one to make it happen. The place she attend undergrad will become meaningless once she is several yrs into her career.
I eventually managed my way back into having an interior design/decorating and soft furnishing career. Once again, not many or none hired from art schools. Most of us were hired on our ability and skills, not the degree or name of the school.

I just feel today’s market is very saturated with artists. The starting income has dropped for say graphic artist where it had been higher when I started. My sister is a graphic artist and she at the age 46 has found herself out a job. She earned an okay income but now has a very difficult time getting another job due to her skills being out dated. It happens when you work in one area too long doing one type of work. Life gets in the way and sometimes staying updated doesn’t happen due to other priorities. She worked for a company with great flexible hours with 6 weeks paid vacation.

At first, I only agreed to a 4 year college with an art program like my parents had done, but I’m coming around to saying it’s okay to apply to some art schools as long as these fall into the same costs. The cost of these art schools is insane. I know about Temple/Tyler, but I have concerns about the area. My neighbor’s/close friend’s daughter attends Tyler. So my concerns are valid. It once wasn’t an option, but it is now.

D wants to major in painting. What does this mean? Okay, I have no idea what she can do with this? I know several excellent painters but it’s a hard living. Many have other jobs to supplement their incomes. I must be missing something so please enlighten me to other areas this talent can be used. She is still exploring many other options. All that I have asked of her is that if she chooses this career that she chooses something where there is a big job market for it with a fairly good income to make a living. No freelance work type of careers unless it’s on the side.

So, now D is a Junior and I feel so behind helping her. Her school seems useless. Too far behind for me. Over this past summer I wanted to send her a pre-college boot camp, but cost was a big factor. We already have a son at PSU. We are full paying. We will most likely not receive any financial help when D goes off to college. I can only rely on some merit aid.
I did send D to a CC to take a drawing class just to keep her drawing over the summer. She did very well. The prof told her that even if she didn’t go into art that she should do something on the side doing art.

We missed all the NPD near us. I don’t think she has enough work to show up at one. There seems to be some in Jan. but it looks like it would cost us a plane ticket to do that as well.

Is she too late as a Junior? By the starting of senior year, I was hoping she would be done with her portfolio/applications. Do seniors go to NPD?

I’d like her to attend MICA over this coming summer (2016), but the cost is killing me!!! Does this require a portfolio to be accepted into the pre-college bootcamp?
Tyler summer program would be next since it’s closer and more affordable. She is 16 and I cant just send her on her own to take a class. I don’t know what to do for 6-7 hrs per day if I take her. I may not have any option other than to deal with it.

I am feverishly reading as much as I can, but my mind is exploding from info overload. I need to know what are our next steps? I have other colleges that we are considering, too.

Thanks for any help.

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PerplexD, I share your opinion on not paying huge amounts of $ for art school. People with determination find a way to make in in the area they want to work in.

I will give you different information than other posters, because my daughter is a successful full-time professional painter who did not attend college. She studied at an atelier and paid far less than these expensive private colleges.

My daughter does very well, and does not have anything else on the side, unless you include teaching art. She has never worked at Starbucks. She was financially independent at age 18 and paid for her atelier with her art sales. The only work she has ever done is art. Many of her colleagues are the same; they work freelance, take portrait commissions, do their own work, show in some galleries, market themselves, demonstrate their skills at conventions, and do some teaching.

When she was in high school, she and a friend split all the regional Scholastic awards. the friend went to MICA. She is now a commercial artist for a company. My daughter went to an atelier in Florence Italy.

I agree with you about people not caring where you studied. For example, my daughter studied drawing, painting and sculpture during her training at the ateliers, and nothing else. To help her with her art, she takes lots of photographs. Well, now people want to hire her for photography too, and she has absolutely no formal training in that. A rock star paid her for her photos this year and her photos appear on his album, because he liked her painting.

Rather than fork over all that money for a summer program, I recommend you give your daughter drawing and painting courses at your local art league or art center. Most big cities have one, where adults take courses. My daughter was taking 3 or 4 classes outside of school every week during high school. She also traveled every Sunday to Manhattan to study sculpture at their art league. The instructor thought she was talented and did not charge her. She took a bus there and back every Sunday, leaving at 3am, and learned about the city too.

This is the website for the Florence Academy of Art. There are now many ateliers in the United States, one is free of charge.
http://www.florenceacademyofart.com/

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Another option is to look into a two week summer intensive program at SAIC in Chicago - they are very generous with scholarship money. Some good friends of ours sent their son there a couple years ago for painting and he received some scholarship money (applied last minute so would have received even more had he applied earlier). Your daughter would need to produce a portfolio (photo images) to be considered for a scholarship but not for the precollege in general. SAIC is very strong in the fine arts such as painting, photography, etc. BTW, this young man got employed the summer before he started college as a graphic designer - and his training was in painting. Your selection of a major or even your major interest doesn’t have to pigeonhole you to doing one type of thing for the ret of your career. Plus, many start these programs thinking one major then totally change their minds after taking a certain studio.

U-Arts is another one to consider. I thought I recalled that the price wasn’t too bad. Tyler should have a precollege program as well. Most of the national programs do. MICA is wonderful but it’s not the only option for her.

You are a great mom for wanting to support your daughter in this endeavor. Good luck to her and to you!

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I am the parent of three college/post-college aged sons. By my moniker you can tell I have one in musical theater - a current BFA sophomore. I have a current junior who is a Painting major at a small local private Art school and a 25-year-old with a BA in Creative Writing from the local state university. My H is a “born” musician transitioning out of a corporate management job that is eating him alive to make a living at what he loves. I have a BFA in Painting, an MS in Medical Illustration and currently tutor dyslexic kids in reading, writing and spelling. And my point?

None of us can predict where we - or our children - will “end up”. Is there really only ONE place? It may seem contradictory, but I use many of my “visual/spacial” skills in the way I tutor kids. I did Medical Illustration for a few years post-graduation, but with the addition of children to my life, I transitioned through many “careers” trying to find the “right” one. It’s still evolving. For decades, my H has “buried” the the one thing that set him on fire as a middle schooler and is finally figuring out how to do the “risky” thing he can’t live without.

No “Arts” education is ever wasted. The world actually needs more creatives who are risk takers. Yes, learning “a skill” and planing to do that ONE thing as a career for the rest of your life is risky. Learning to problem solve, think outside the box and “engineer” your own career is another ballgame. So many creative people are “told” or “shown” that choosing the Arts as a vocation is “wrong”, that even if they make it into an Arts college program, they often choose the “safe” route - education, Arts management, arts therapy, or whatever. There is nothing “wrong” with those paths, if that’s what you love, or are figuring out a way to have a “meaningful” side job to help fund your passion until you “engineer” your own success. There is NO college degree that is guaranteed to give a rewarding, successful, lifelong, never-changing career path. Creative problem solvers and lifelong learners in ANY field can ensure their own longevity and continued relevance. That’s what any good Arts education should be about.

I agree with above posters about private art lessons, classes and summer intensives. Our Painting major S spent two summers at SAIC - on scholarship - and did local classes outside of HS. His HS did have some OK Art classes, but S had his own issues that got in the way of being “successful” in those classes. He did much better in classes at local Arts organizations. He applied to 7 very prestigious Arts colleges/programs and was accepted to all - most with very generous merit scholarships. Because of his “issues” and our family financial situation, we chose for him to attend the local Art academy and live at home. He is still not “clear” about being a Painting major and what he wants to do with it, but that’s OK. He is using his skills to design CD covers, band/theater posters and t-shirts - yep, mostly “on spec”. Obviously, that does not make a “living”. But then, neither would “meandering” his way through business college, engineering or pre-med (all of which he DOES have the smarts for). He is a very creative guy and has yet to discover how to “harness” that in a “useful” way. What better place to “discover” previously-unthought-of options than in a place “designed” to support and nurture students like him? He IS learning how to WORK at his “bestowed”, “serendipitous” talent. How to “show up”. Meet deadlines. Persevere through the obstacles. Problem solve. Distill his thoughts on his work and communicate them clearly to others. Explore “scary” avenues. How to be an entrepreneur. Isn’t that what we wish all college students could learn?

Going to Art school can be a “messy”, “nonlinear” pathway. It may only be a “stepping stone” to something more “linear” - like med-school, teaching, engineering, or international business. But that, too, is a wonderful thing. Why not find out at 20 that you are not “cut out” to be an “Artist” and use what your learn to evolve into the next thing? Rather than spending the next 40 years wondering, “what if”?

I spend a lot of time not the Musical Theater forum and know how caught up people can get on the “top name” schools. The same is true for Visual Art schools. The best school for your D is the one that is the best fit for her personal needs AND your family’s financial picture. An expensive “top” school can be a very nice thing, but it does not ensure YOUR child will be happy and “successful”. That will come from any program that “fits”. As far as getting your D ready for senior year, DO find someone who can help her develop her portfolio over the next 6-8 months - someone who can see your D’s strengths and encourage her to make them stronger, but also help her develop pieces that can show her willingness to explore outside her comfort zone. You can visit websites now to get a feel for what each program requires for consideration. DEFINITELY have D go to PD as a senior - earlier in the fall is better. Hopefully by that time she will have a well developed portfolio, but even as a senior she will get advice on improvements to make in time for applying and final submission of the portfolio. That “advice” can be very helpful. If your D follows through, it can be an indicator of how your D listens and handles direction. Some of the school reps may encourage an ongoing dialogue via the internet/smartphone regarding the progression of a piece. Those PD conversations can also be crucial in getting scholarships. It can also be one more piece of interaction for your D to get a feeling about whether or not a particular school would be a good fit for HER. There is also nothing wrong with making individual appointments now for your D to visit some programs that are close by or on family travel routes. Even if it is school she is not interested in, or has never heard of, there is something to be gleaned from every visit - even if it’s, “I hated this visit and can NEVER imagine myself going here”. Finding out what you don’t like about a program can help crystalize what you DO want - or perhaps totally change your mind about going to Art school in the first place. Perhaps the local state school with a small Art program offers some interesting surprises. I believe the parents of a young person with a passion for the Arts should encourage their kids to explore options and “maybes”. They will get plenty of, “how do you expect to make a living at that?” from everybody else. We do not need to impose our adult “fears” on teenagers. Let THEM figure out for themselves what risks they are willing to overcome. We made our own mistakes and discover our own "Ah, ha"s. Beyond providing physical/mental safety, we should let them discover theirs.

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Thank You all for responding.

Over the years I’ve met with a few art majors in various art colleges or university based program. The parents and the kids always come to me because I’m the artist and they want to show me their work and get my opinion. One thing I’ve noticed is that no matter where each student attends he/she still had the same fundamental classes - the same ones as I had 30+ yrs ago. It brings a smile onto my face when I see the drawings, paintings and hear the discussions about the classes. It takes me back to when I was in college. The classes still haven’t changed. I realize there many new additions to the art field, but still not much has changed. So, this my major reason I don’t feel art school degree is necessary from a well known school when all programs follow the same base curriculum which is at least 2 plus years of those 4.

Oh, I do realize that the major doesn’t mean for the rest of your life. Yep, happened to me. I think is very normal and it just doesn’t happen in art but in almost every intended career.

@woodwinds - I saw on another post where you mentioned ateliers. I did some research on it right away. I saw a few closer in the states. I thought this would be a good opportunity for my D. Then, I guess I wondered if she was too young and not skilled enough with her drawing ability or painting skills to be thrown into one, yet. I need to go back and look at this again.

I think your D is a great example of a go getter. She knew what she wanted and she is successful because of this. I think I may have looked at her portfolio (I believe you posted a link) ??? If so, she is very talented.

@Mamelot - I will check out SAIC. Tyler is an option on our list. UArts is one I have yet to look into. Incidentally, her HS art teacher has his Masters from UArts and his Bachelors from where I graduated.

@mom4bwayboy - What a very artistic family you have! I don’t think art is a waste, even if D changes her mind. I feel the same way. If she going to change her mind I’d rather have her doing it an early age then years and years because she was afraid to change her mind due to the money we spent for an art school. She is aware that she may change her mind and we will work around this when the time comes. I’ve also mentioned that while I want your to pick something where there are job opportunities, but I don’t want you picking say “art therapy” because it’s a safe place. You aren’t going to be happy this way. That will have been a waste of your time and I would feel you did it for us.

My D wants to paint, but she is also is very interested in Medical Illustration. Maybe industrial design?

Currently she just feels stressed. So much to do. She has so much homework in her AP classes that she feels she spends most hours doing homework. Then add in SAT/ACT studying to this and then trying to work on an portfolio is freaking her out. It’s why I’ve jumped in to alleviate some of the burden. I will look into weekend/summer/local classes for her to develop her skills and hopefully be able to use work from those towards a portfolio. I’ll research and schedule the school visits. Search for portfolios that she can review to get an idea of what seniors are sending in with college apps. And just keep reading.

You’ve all have been very helpful. I appreciate all of you sharing your thoughts and guiding us for the next several months into her senior year.

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Helping a kid prepare for college applications is stressful. Preparing a kid for Arts applications is at least doubly so.

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Amen @mom4bwayboy!

@PERplexD: the junior year is the freak-out year and you are on the very steep side of the learning curve about art schools and how exactly to assist her. Once your D is on her way to summer precollege you’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief, and a year from now you will sit back with a hot apple cider (or a glass of wine) and wonder what to do with all your new-found free time LOL.

That’s how it was for us, at any rate.

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PERplexD, a couple of things to add. Some students start out at the ateliers right out of high school. If they’ve taken many drawing classes they are more likely to get accepted sooner. Mine was just 17 when she went to Italy; she was so interested she graduated a year early. We first told her just one year and we’d see. She deferred one college where she’d been accepted. After the first year she was already a professional, could pay her own way so she continued. A friend of hers also started at the atelier right out of high school; she currently teaching art in Barcelona and is a freelance painter.

Medical illustration–atelier students can study sculpture of the body at some of the ateliers and a few art colleges. My daughter studied this every Saturday for about two years. They taught her to sculpt every muscle and joint in the body. She is certainly qualified to illustrate a medical anatomy book or to teach anatomy. It is called écorché.

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For anyone interested in pursuing Medical Illustration, here’s a link to the Association of Medical Illustrators and recommendations regarding education: http://ami.org/medical-illustration/enter-the-profession/education

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Since I’m looking within about a three- to four-hour-drive range for an affordable arts program for one of my kids, I’ll tell you some ideas I’ve figured out. It’s actually similar to the idea about the art ateliers combined with the comment that the basic art courses, foundation courses, are similar from school to school: NYC has a few venues that are low cost compared with tuition at most art schools. The first is the Art Students League. I think of this as a place for my child to build a portfolio, as HS didn’t really have a great art program. At the ASL you pay month to month for the courses you want. No other tuition. Start and end when you like. No applications. Just show up. It’s been around since like 1875 and is pretty famous. I figure that it’s a really good way for my child to see if art is the right field before fully committing. Also FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) offers excellent courses for crazy-low tuition, many of them in things other than fashion. I’m not sure if this is a SUNY school (more rigorous residency requirements) or a CUNY (just have to live in NYC), but worth checking out. The two excellent community colleges (Laguardia CC and a new program at BMCC) are also cheap (tuition less than $6K per year) and they offer interesting associates degrees (maybe even a BA/ BFA?). Laguardia also offers an industrial design AA degree. I’m also checking out the CUNY-system schools. It’s worth bearing in mind that once your daughter’s a NYState resident, there’s also SUNY Purchase, with in-state tuition that she may want to transfer into. It’s the SUNY known for its arts programs and it’s just a quick train ride (about 30 min) outside of the City in Westchester County (home of some of the poshest suburbs of NYC like Chappaqua (sp?)). Cost of Living in NYC is high, of course, but people since forever have figured out shared apts and have made it work. Compared to the cost of tuition and room and board at a private art school, these are cheap alternatives–and she maybe can work on the side between her classes. Also: the City offers connections in the professional art world like few other places in the country.

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Dustyfeathers, the Art Student League in NYC is one of the places my daughter studied during high school, every Sunday for a year and a half. Great for the reasons you mention; famous established art school, very low cost, and a great way for a young student to determine if this is the right path to pursue. It was a four-hour trip each way for my daughter on a bus.

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Does anyone have any idea if there is an art student league in the Los Angeles area similar to the New York one?

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Los Angeles Academy of Fine Art. Not exactly the same, more of a cross between amateur and an atelier.

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Thank you @woodwinds.

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My daughter is a senior. We are waiting to hear from several universities and art schools. She’s known since sophomore year that this was what she wanted to do. We attended NPD junior year and senior year (it was in October before deadlines in our area). They were both helpful. She attended pre-college at VCU.

We have visited RISD, VCU, and Syracuse. What impressed me about these schools is the length they go to to make sure that they have viable careers. There are internships available, and I think the heavy workload helps get them ready to meet deadlines.

Seeing the research she’s done, and the hard work on AP art classes in high school and how her career goals have been unwavering have convinced me to stand behind her, and what I ultimately decided was that IF she wants a career in the arts, she needs the best instruction and contacts that she can get. It’s different from getting a job in accounting, where the reputation can help, but ultimately you learn the same material. The schools that have a professional level BFA push them in a different way.

We are waiting to hear from Michigan (next week hopefully!), VCU, Pratt, and Syracuse.

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Good luck to your daughter, @jenndon! Did she apply ED to Michigan?

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Good luck @jenndon!

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Thanks!!!

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Yes @Mamelot , so we should hear soon. We are both so excited about it, and hoping for a yes, so we can visit and confirm. It just seems like a great fit for her.

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Try applying to SAIC early college summer program, and apply for merit scholarship. My daughter applied and got a nice merit scholarship. I think those 2 weeks will help her with her portfolio, as well as getting a good feel about SAIC as a school she might apply to.