Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.

Anais Nin

Art Careers:What do you want to do?

How do you start?

fine artist art directorlayout artistart copy writerarchitect drafterarchitectural rendererlandscape architectart appraiserart buyerart conservator painting restorerart critic art historianart librarian art educator artist in residence (WSAC programs)arts administrationart therapist cinematographerconcept artist – video games, film designer - fashion designerfabric designergraphic designer film animatorstory board illustratorfilm maker

gallery operatorgallery installer, staff/ artist liason free lance illustratorchildren’s book illustratorfashion illustratorscientific illustrator. landscape architect . museum curator museum director museum preparator museum registrarmuseum educational staff museum exhibition designerjeweler . photographer urban planner municipal graphic designermural designerproduct designerpackage designerrecord cover designerstore artistaudio visual designer (presentations)website designertoy designertatoo artist

display designer

Resource Books for Choosing your Career:

Careers in Art, an illustrated guide, Gerald Brommer and Joseph Gatto

Great Jobs for Art Majors, Blythe Camenson

Opportunities in Arts and Crafts Careers, Elizabeth Gardner

Opportunities in Commercial Art and Graphic Design Careers, Barbara Gordon

Don’t worry about your originality. You couldn’t get rid of it even if you wanted to. It will stick with you and show up for better or worse in spite of all you or anyone else can do.

Robert Henri

“But can I make a living?”

“Yes, but can I make a living?”  Wage Estimates

Occupation Code

Occupation Title (click on the occupation title to view an occupational profile)

Employment (1)

Median Hourly

Mean Hour

ly

Mean Annual (2)

Mean RSE (3)

27-0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

1,761,270 $19.28 $23.27 $48,410 0.6 %

27-1011 Art Directors 32,290 $34.77 $40.01 $83,230 1.1 %

27-1012 Craft Artists 5,390 $12.59 $14.48 $30,110 3.0 %

27-1013 Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators

10,500 $20.23 $23.13 $48,110 3.3 %

27-1014 Multi-Media Artists and Animators 29,440 $26.23 $29.33 $61,010 2.4 %

27-1019 Artists and Related Workers, All Other 7,910 $21.53 $24.29 $50,520 4.0 %

27-1021 Commercial and Industrial Designers 34,800 $27.19 $29.11 $60,540 1.4 %

27-1022 Fashion Designers 16,460 $30.20 $34.22 $71,170 3.1 %

27-1023 Floral Designers 59,530 $10.84 $11.51 $23,950 0.7 %

27-1024 Graphic Designers 201,080 $19.85 $21.80 $45,340 0.5 %

27-1025 Interior Designers 52,620 $21.14 $24.13 $50,190 1.4 %

27-1026 Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers 68,660 $11.94 $13.16 $27,370 0.7 %

27-1027 Set and Exhibit Designers 8,620 $20.78 $22.89 $47,620 2.0 %

27-1029 Designers, All Other 11,890 $21.01 $24.24 $50,420 2.2 %

27-2011 Actors 44,860 $14.28 $23.91 (4) 6.1 %

27-3099 Media and Communication Workers, All Other 24,420 $20.07 $21.98 $45,720 1.5 %

27-4011 Audio and Video Equipment Technicians 40,360 $17.33 $18.88 $39,260 1.3 %

27-4012 Broadcast Technicians 34,250 $15.50 $18.00 $37,440 1.1 %

27-4013 Radio Operators 1,110 $19.33 $19.54 $40,650 3.7 %

27-4014 Sound Engineering Technicians 15,490 $22.38 $26.07 $54,220 2.2 %

27-4021 Photographers 62,370 $13.32 $16.35 $34,010 1.8 %

27-4031 Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Motion Picture 19,990 $20.12 $22.39 $46,570 2.1 %

27-4032 Film and Video Editors 17,410 $23.02 $29.42 $61,180 3.0 %

27-4099 Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other 18,580 $24.93 $26.00 $54,090 1.3 %

 

“Again, can I make a living?”

Median Annual earnings (2004)

Salaried artists: Art directors – $63,800 Art directors in advertising and related services $66,900 Salaried craft artists - $23,500 Salaried fine artists – $38,000 Medical Illustrators - $59,000 Salaried Multi-media artists and animators overall - $50,300 (in motion picture and video industries - $67,400) (in advertising and related services - $46,800) Self-Employed artists: earnings vary widely. Some charge only a

nominal fee while building a reputation for their work. Others, more established, can earn more than salaried artists. Many find it hard to rely solely on income from art. Also, freelance artists must provide their own benefits.

A Teaching Artist?

Employment data from college teachers

Median wages (2005) $51,240 annualEmployment (2006) 1.7 million higher ed teachers 88,000 - art, music, dramaProjected growth for college teachers overall (2006-2016) “much faster than

average (23%)”Projected need – (2006-2016) 382,000 additional employees

Needed: MFA degree and exhibition record

Employment data for K-12 teachersProjected growth – as fast as average (i.e. good to excellent)Median wages - $41,000K-12 art teachers – no MFA needed; need teaching certification or MIT

Plan an Internship!

Any cityOn the job trainingResume building

Artist’s assistant/apprenticeGraphic Design internComics publishingArt galleries/museumWashington State Arts Commission programsK-12 Art teacher assistantCommunity art programs assistant

If I didn’t start painting, I would have raised chickens.

Grandma Moses

Guidebooks for building a career:

Taking the Leap, Cay Lang

How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: How to Sell Your Work without Selling your Soul, Carol Michels

The Business of Being an Aritst, Daniel Grant

The Artist’s Marketing and Action Workplan, Jonathan Talbot and Geoffrey Howard

Search Amazon.com for specialized books in specific art fields such as video game design, illustration, graphic arts, etc.

First Steps for building a fine artist career:

1. Document all your work

2. Make a resume (lots of how-to info on line; just Google “artist resumes”)

3. Get connected to arts resources news letters for info and show opportunities:

Artist Trust

Washington State Art Commission

Olympia Arts Commission

Document your work

• 35mm slides or jpgs? Both. It’s easiest to photograph digitally, correct in

photoshop, then have slides made (Photo Services can do it.).

• Qualities of a good slide: fill the screen keep the image square photograph on black fabric or mask the slide correct exposure leave out your dog

Eg. Artist Trust

Page from Artists’ Assets: A Guide to Artist

Resources available from

Artist Trust

Get Connected

Get Info

Example of free information for artists: An email announcement received this week from

Olympia Arts Commission:

TCTV is now running the "Copyright,for Artists" talk that happened at their studios in March, given by Rebekah O'Hara from Washington Lawyers for the Arts .  If you missed the talk, you can catch it on the following dates and times:

Wednesday 5/14/2008, 7:00 AM, Channel 3Friday 5/23/2008, 3:00 AM, Channel 3Saturday 5/24/2008, 6:00 PM, Channel 3

Building a resumeas a fine artist

Watch for “calls for work”

Put your work out there.

Remember: A baby learning to walk falls approximately 300 times before mastering it. Don’t be afraid to fall.

Every authentic work of art is a gift offered to the future.

Albert Camus