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Posts tagged Education
Assess Your Art Career /Interview with Ginny Ruder
Mar 6th
By Carolyn Edlund
Ginny Ruder is a career counselor in the New York metro area, who works with clients on balancing art, work and social life with a focus on being successful and happy. We spoke recently about some ideas she has for artists who are making career decisions.
AS: You suggest that taking assessment tests can be helpful. What do they reveal?
GR: One assessment type uses the RIASEC code developed by John Holland. Holland’s theory of congruence asks the test taker to look at their interests and strengths and understand how they fit into a work setting. It can help the artist find a “day job” that may be more rewarding than data entry. He gives a three letter code to thousands of job titles. This allows you to explore job options that may be more fulfilling and discover a job where you will be most successful.
I like to use Holland’s Self Directed Search with artists. It can be taken on the Internet, but I recommend you review it with a professional. Many artists have the A- Artistic/Creative trait. They often have the S- Social trait as well. These indicate creativity, the ability to come up with new ideas, and the trait to want to help others; making the world a better place to live. BUT the third letter of the code that Holland gives to artists is E-Enterprising. The E types are those who make connections in business, they make things happen! In giving this assessment to artists, that E component is often at the bottom of the chart. To understand that you can be creative, but you need to get out and sell your work is often a stumbling block for many artistic people. I encourage these people to find an agent or business partner who will help them get into the public eye.
The other letters of the code are R- Realistic, those people who like to work with their hands, and not be stuck in a desk job. I- Investigative, those who are into details, making things fit together, researching information. C- Conventional, those who make order out of chaos, they are organizers. Professional artists can be any combination, though the A is typically the first letter of their code. The Social component is important if you are working with clients directly, i.e. fashion, interior design, teaching. And the other letters may be more important depending on the medium you use, i.e. new media and graphic design may have that I trait.
For artists still in a college setting, the Self Directed Search, or Strong Interest Inventory may be available to you through your Career Counseling Center on campus.
AS: How can artists re-evaluate their professional life?
GR: Many artists find themselves working to make the bill payments, or working to create their art and then find that they are trapped. They also need to consider their social life; do they have one and how much time does it take up? When these three areas are balanced, they may be more productive and happier. If one area is taking more time than the others, life may not be as satisfying or productive. I suggest that every few months the artist sit down and look at where they are spending time. Set new goals of more time in the studio, or more time networking at art venues. Family time may need to be re-calibrated. Many times we put the aspect of life or business on a back burner, but it may need to be cranked up a notch.
Are you too busy at your “day job” and you are not making time to draw? Are you too busy in the sculpture studio and you don’t know if you’ll have enough money to pay the bills? Are you afraid that your work will be rejected from a show? Are you avoiding your partner, because they feel you are never home? If you find you are really stuck with these concerns, you may need to meet with a professional counselor to help you get un-stuck. There are free services in many communities.
AS: Once they come to a realization of their strengths, how do you suggest they go forward and find rewarding work?
GR: Focus on your strengths and have an idea of which areas you want to use. Talk to people and explore what jobs are out there. Idealist and NYFA are two great sites to visit. Networking is really important – make connections and stay in touch with those people who interest you most.
Attend events where you will meet other artists and patrons. Let people in your circle know you are looking for a specific type of work. Volunteer or work part time where you can develop skills that are marketable. For example if you want to teach art, help at an after-school program or craft store. Working as an artist in a not-for-profit setting may be rewarding. Working in an art-based environment may allow you time to hang a show, travel or take a class, if it doesn’t interfere with the business getting done.
Keep in mind that every company and organization needs new ideas! Come up with new ways of doing something outside the box, and don’t be afraid to pass them on to someone else. If your creativity is not being tapped at work, re-think the job you are in, and find an environment that will allow you to be creative.
In the NY metro area, artists seeking career advice, can visit Ginny’s website. The National Career Development Association lists professional career counselors around the US. Or contact local colleges, who typically have a Career Development/Counseling Center and one of the counselors may have a private practice.
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TumblrArt and Heart Transform a School
Feb 15th
By Carolyn Edlund
In her own words, Jacqueline Edelberg describes herself as “a professional artist who led eight moms in a Chicago diner . . . neighborhood painters and artists transformed our school, top to bottom, and in so doing, transformed our entire community.” She spoke about this amazing project and it’s national effect.
AS: What was the situation at your neighborhood school before the transformation, and how did you decide to act?
JE: When my daughter Maya was two, I consciously chose to ignore all the desperate park chatter about schools. Parents angled to get their kids into prestigious private schools, but in listening to the conversations, it became clear that most of these anxious parents were not social climbers seeking the perfect school. Rather, they were rational city-dwellers who, quite simply, found themselves with few academic options.
In Chicago, choice public schools admit students by lottery or testing, and the competition is fierce. The city’s entire five-year-old population is in frenzied competition for a few hundred spots. It’s statistically harder to get your kindergartener into a top public magnet school than it is to get your high school senior into Harvard.
Given the cost of private school, the uncertainty of admissions, the problems associated with public school, including budget cuts, high class sizes, low test scores, busing, concerns of violence, etc. it is no wonder that so many Chicago families decide to call it quits, and move to the suburbs.
My girlfriend and I ventured inside Nettelhorst, our neighborhood’s struggling public elementary school to see get how terrible the place was. The new principal, Susan Kurland asked “what it would take for us to enroll our children”. Stunned by her candor, we returned the next day armed with an extensive wish list. Susan read our list and said “Well, let’s get started, girls! It’s going to be a busy year…”
AS: There were many parts to the revitalization, and painting the school was one of them. What else did you tackle?
JE: What would it take to make a neighborhood return to its public school? We imagined what the ideal elementary school might look like, how it would feel, and what it might offer. We cobbled together an elaborate wish list: low teacher/student ratios, accelerated academic programming, foreign language instruction, conceptual math, unfettered parental access, beautiful classrooms and public spaces, stellar enrichment programs, and so on. If the school was going to be a real choice, it needed to deliver on all these fronts. Even the most risk-tolerant parents wouldn’t be willing to risk their children’s education, so we rolled up our sleeves.
Renovating the school was a huge piece of our mission. When we arrived on the scene, the school looked like a penitentiary, but the 120 year-old building had great bones. Parents, teachers, students, and business owners rolled up their sleeves and got to work, all with a budget of zero. Today, there isn’t an inch of the school that hasn’t been licked by a neighborhood artist. It’s pure magic.
AS: You’ve had great results, not only in boosting enrollment, but energizing a community. What happened?
JE: Library Journal said we did it because we had “right mix of parent-teacher patience, willpower, community involvement, pluck, creativity, collaboration, and ability to overcome adversity.” I think it came down to the fact that we asked. We asked people to become involved. We asked people to invest with the energy and their children. We asked people to help. And they did.
AS: This has led you to write your book, “How to Walk to School”. Tell us about the national implications of project and where you want to take this idea.
JE: When I wrote How to Walk to School: Blueprint for a Neighborhood Renaissance
So many stars are in alignment right now. When I was in DC in September, I met with staff of all the democratic Senators on the Education Committee, and change is in the air: PBS just aired a documentary that follows two Chicago principals through the academic year. This Spring, “The Lottery,” a feature-length documentary airs that explores the struggles and dreams of four families from Harlem and the Bronx in the months leading up to the lottery for Harlem Success Academy, one of the most successful schools in New York. The call for universal preschool is getting louder as Jumpstart’s Read for the Record adds some real star power. Innovative empowerment zones, like the Harlem Children Zone, point to new willingness for policy makers to think outside the box. And, with backing from the Department of Education, Community Schools (of which Nettelhorst was Chicago’s first) are poised to become the national model. At long last, it seems as though our country is on the cusp of real school reform.
AS: All the hard work at your school involved a lot of volunteerism. Can you speak about how other artists can get involved in acting for the benefit of their own communities?
JE: There’s a ton of stuff we can do. One of the joys of needing everything is that anything you get is just perfect. Most public schools are unbelievably ugly. As an artist, our ugly duckling presented the most delicious canvas imaginable.
If you’re a creative type, gather up some artist pals, walk into a school, and ask the principal if there’s anything you can do to help. Don’t wait for an invitation. If you’re a painter, paint. If you’re a graphic designer, design a post card. A welder? Make a whimsical fence. Whatever you do, there is a public school nearby that desperately needs some love and affection.
If eight park moms could pull our little neighborhood school out of its twenty-five year nosedive, surely other driven parents could do the same thing. If we could spark a national grassroots school reform movement that would pull us all out of the giant mess we’re in, now wouldn’t that be something?
Art School, Internships and Careers/Interview with Chrissy Garrett of SCAD
Jan 28th
By Carolyn Edlund
Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) is a leading art school located in Savannah, Georgia with campuses in Atlanta, Hong Kong and southern France. With over 9,000 students enrolled, they offer majors in many fields of art and design along with innovative learning experiences. Chrissy Garrett is a Career Development Specialist there, whose background includes coaching women athletes in track and field. Chrissy agreed to speak to Artsy Shark about the opportunities at SCAD and how students in general can use their art education experiences to their best advantage.
AS: Do SCAD students take business classes? Are they required?
CG: SCAD offers a minor program called Business Management and Entrepreneurship. It is not required and is open to all majors. The majority of students who select this major are highly interested in owning their own businesses or simply acquiring the basic business skills that will be beneficial in their chosen career in some capacity.
In addition, we will be hosting the SCAD Entrepreneurial Exchange Conference during February of this year. Some example sessions include “What is an Entrepreneur and How Can You Become One?”, “Legal Issues, Intellectual Property Rights in Art and Design”, and “Tap into Funds for Your Entrepreneurial Idea or Business”.
AS: Tell us about student internships – how do you find them and in what area of study are most available? Are they paid or unpaid? How do you feel about unpaid internships?
CG: With a total of 46 majors at SCAD, we receive internship opportunities in a majority of those areas. Employers of all sizes from around the world offer internship opportunities to our students. For some majors, freelance opportunities are available more than internships. Although some internships are paid, we are seeing an increase in the number of “unpaid, academic credit only” internships. The majority of students here at SCAD seek internships regardless of whether they are paid or unpaid.
Knowing the value of professional development and “hands-on” or “on-the-job experience” can afford students, I highly recommend they participate in an internship whether it is paid or unpaid. Certainly, obtaining money and work experience are a great match (and every student intern’s dream), but I personally do not value one over the other. Experience sells; and whether a student was paid or not paid is irrelevant in most cases.
AS: SCAD hosts all different kinds of events to help students launch careers. Can you describe them?
- Employer Information Sessions
- On-campus interviewing
- Off-campus employer visits (a variety of different majors visit studios, galleries, company headquarters both nationally and internationally)
- Job and Internship Fair
- Networking Receptions
- Panel Discussions
- Round Table Discussions (usually less formal)
- Seminars/Lectures/Workshops (campus wide or in class)
- Conferences (specialized events offered for some majors more often than others)
AS: In your opinion, what are the biggest mistakes students make in preparing for their art careers?
CG: Some of the biggest mistakes students make are:
- waiting until the last minute or not preparing at all
- not creating their marketing materials early and maintaining them
- minimal to no networking
- not taking full advantage of the resources and opportunities available throughout college both on and off campus
- not staying current with their prospective industry
AS: Could you give a “Top Three” list of the most important things an art student should do to start their career successfully?
CG: Yes, my list follows.
1. Know Yourself. Complete a realistic self-assessment to identify your strengths, weaknesses, and everything in between in regards to technical skills, transferrable skills, and personal characteristics as well. Have your 30 second elevator pitch prepared!
2. Develop and maintain your marketing materials. These materials include but not limited to your resume, cover letter, portfolio (digital and hard copy), website (requested a lot more by employers), teasers, and business cards.
3. Obtain as much experience as possible. Experience can come from volunteering, interning, freelancing, and/or working part-time or full-time. Take advantage of academic projects as well.
Essentials for Emerging Artists/Interview with John Luther
Jan 8th
By Carolyn Edlund
John Luther, who is the Career Development Coordinator at University of Michigan’s School of Art & Design (A&D), has a diverse background ranging from being a dancer/choreographer/director to psychotherapist. He agreed to speak about their program, and how young artists are prepared to begin careers.
John’s top four recommendations for emerging artists planning to run their own businesses:
- Network like crazy.
- Meet and speak with artists who are doing what they hope to do
- Learn about marketing and how to create and run a small business
- Create and maintain a personal web site
AS: Does your school teach business classes to students? If not, where are they getting this type of experience?
JL: No, A&D does not offer courses specifically in business. However, the University of Michigan does have the Center for Entrepreneurship and I encourage students to take advantage of the courses, events, speakers, etc. that are offered through this program. In addition, there are many opportunities for students to become involved with understanding business in courses like Integrated Product Development which is cooperatively offered through the U of M Ross School of Business, the College of Engineering and A&D. I also encourage students to look for inexpensive PRACTICAL courses through Community Colleges and continuing education classes since these are easy to find and realistically address starting and running a business.
AS: What networking opportunities does your school offer, and how do students make the most of them?
JL: I see each incoming student individually to establish the importance of career planning right from the beginning. I send daily email updates on opportunities, including networking. In addition, I maintain a database of A&D alums who are willing to be contacted by current students. I encourage students to attend all of the Fairs and Events through A&D, the U of M Career Center , to use resources like LinkedIn and the Arts Alliance.
Some students take advantage of networking early and often, but most do not really understand the importance of this until later no matter how much we as professionals emphasize this. For this reason, I also offer my services to them even after they have graduated and still help connect them to alums and others who may be helpful.
AS: What are the biggest mistakes you see students make while creating their web sites?
JL: I think the biggest mistake students make is that their sites are sometimes not set up for easily viewing their work. For example, a site may make you constantly return to a “home page” to view the next piece rather than set up in a slide show format. Students also sometimes confuse the personal with the professional and will include information and/or images that simply do not belong on a professional artist’s web site. I also find that sometimes students really need help editing and understanding that less really is more.
AS: John, you have an unusual program at the University of Michigan. Can you explain a little about the concept and what makes your Art & Design major so unique?
JL: A&D’s undergraduate BFA in Art & Design is predicated on the belief that all artists are designers and that all designers are artists. With this in mind, a curriculum was created that includes 24 core studio credits, 36 elective studio credits and 12 Integrative Project studio credits. In addition, 56 non studio credits encompass the Humanities, Social Science, Natural Science, Environmental Studies, Race and Ethnicity, Writing, and Analytical Reasoning.
This very comprehensive approach to Art & Design education ensures that students are exposed to a variety of tools, materials, processes and ways of thinking. We also heavily emphasize the importance of concept in creative work, thus ensuring that it is ideas that fuel creativity. In the 21st century we know that it is those who can learn and adapt who will be the most successful and therefore encourage students to think beyond the realm of the merely possible.
Since our students elect more than half of their course work (within certain bounds), each student’s BFA is unique to that student and to his or her goals. In addition to the BFA, the School of Art & Design also offers a BA and a wholly unique degree to the University of Michigan called “Interarts Performance”. Beginning in Fall 2010, A&D will also be the first U of M school to require an international experience.
Featured Artist Julia Hacker
