By Amber Gragert

Chances are that if you’re even considering art as your major, you already know there are more than just creative bones in your body. If you have a creative personality and have a yearning to create expression and cultural awareness and pass on something visually great to future generations, this might just be the major for you.  Majoring in art can lead to a sea of exciting career fields as new job opportunities continue to emerge for art majors. With new technologies developing at record speed, you could find yourself in a world of design, animation, business, technology, education, technique & theory. . . all with an art major.

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."  -Pablo Picasso

Getting your B.A. or B.F.A. means learning to flex creative muscles beyond those used to hold a paint brush. Choosing this major will lead you to learn visual literacy, creative thinking and learn how to express all of that through human relations. There are many facets within an art major - some examples of focuses are: graphic art, paint, design, ceramics, print making and photography. Keep in mind that not all of your classes will be filled with creating masterpieces. There is always at least one art history course you will take with either a B.A. or B.F.A.. Your final ‘exam’ will typically be a public presentation of your work- where you will not only create your work, but also budget for the show, publicize and advertise, curate etc. Like art, it is a hands-on method of learning the business of art and the organizational skills needed as you produce your final show. This is also where you take a deep breath and get a taste for the critiques and criticism that come with public work.

Some common characteristics of art majors are: creators, creative thinkers, originality, risk takers, tenacity, self-motivated, task oriented, attention to detail.

The phrase, “Starving Artist” is used for a reason, but the shackles of that phrase have essentially been broken, thanks to today’s fast paced visual art driven world. Average salaries vary greatly and are a little hard to nail down since there are so many areas of focus with an art major.

Sample Careers:

•  Advertising Artist

•  Animator

•  Architect

•  Cinematographer

•  Graphic Designer

•  Interior Designer

•  Teacher

•  Textile Designer

•  Studio or Private Artist