Career prospect misconceptions for art majors are all too common. Many believe that a fine arts degree doesn’t offer much value or opportunity beyond college. However, there are many different career paths fine arts majors can take where they use their artistic abilities to succeed post-graduation. If you dream of using your skills as an artist in the working world, consider some of these job opportunities.
Art Director
Art directors generally work in the marketing and advertising industries, where they coordinate the style, images, graphics, and other visual elements for ads, social media, and product packaging. Once a core concept is decided on, art directors rely on their skills to oversee their creative teams to ensure that final outcomes meet client expectations. Most work for agencies, firms, or as freelancers.
Art Teacher
Art teachers help educate students of all ages and skill levels about artistic expression. They introduce students to various mediums, help nurture their creativity, and encourage them to express themselves through art. They may also include a curriculum on art history to provide some context to art mediums and lessons.
Art Therapist
Art therapists require a crossover between artistic skills and therapy training to work with patients. Often holding a master’s degree in therapy along with an art degree, they use artistic mediums to help individuals explore their emotions, express themselves, and navigate conflict. Because of the nature of this job, art therapists can work in all kinds of settings, including schools, hospitals, and clinical offices.
Concept Artist
Concept artists use their fine arts background to create characters, landscapes, backgrounds, vehicles, and other key features for videos, movies, TV, and commercials. They are essential for storyboarding these media projects, adapting their style to suit each individual concept. The work concept artists create is then used by modelers, animators, and visual effects teams to transform into the final product.
Curator
Curators use their fine arts skills to care for, manage, and interpret collections for museums, galleries, libraries, and other similar institutions. Through an appreciation of art and history, they plan exhibitions, source items for those exhibits, preserve items, and ensure that each piece comes together to tell a narrative to onlookers. Cataloging, conducting research, and documenting play a large part in their jobs. Curators may also take an active role in educating guests beyond their displays, as they may work with the public to offer insight.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers use artistic abilities to create visual elements for advertisements, logos, brochures, social media, websites, and other kinds of print or digital media. Most graphic designers rely on technology like computers and programs like InDesign and Procreate to help them create elements for client projects. Whether working as freelancers or within agencies or firms, all of their designs serve a specific purpose or function.
Illustrator
Illustrators are visual storytellers. They bridge the gap between art and communication by drawing or designing images that enhance the written content in magazines, books, cards, posters, or advertisements. Illustrating revolves around creating two-dimensional narratives that complement the accompanying words to create a singular meaning with ease.
Photographer
Photographers create images by capturing moments to help tell unique or compelling stories. Through light, composition, perspective, and sometimes color or lack thereof, photographers create a visual narrative. Whether self-employed or working for a newspaper, magazine, or firm, they leave an artistic imprint on the people, places, and things they shoot.
Professional Artist
While all of the other jobs listed are technically professionals who are also artists, many think of professional artists as the creators who make most or all of their money through making and selling their own art. They may own a studio or workspace to allow them to develop their work. These artists are often commissioned to create a specific work of art or they may create whatever kind of art they please and sell them online, at festivals, or in local shops. Therefore, most professional artists are self-employed.
Find Your Path at Villa
Villa Maria College prepares its fine arts students to succeed, no matter what career path they follow after graduation. If you are ready to improve your artistic skills, reach out today to learn about our two-year and four-year fine arts programs. We also encourage you to schedule a visit to our on-campus art gallery to see some of the work that our students have created through our program.
