What Careers are Available with an Art Degree?

For those interested in the pursuit of the art-filled life, there are many great careers available with an art degree from an accredited school. As there are many variations in the types of art degrees available, so too are there many, diverse career opportunities in art. Let’s take a look at a few.

Art Teacher

Many of the careers available with an art degree involve teaching or professing matters of art to others. The role of the art teacher is at the top of this career niche. Those that have majored in art are the prime candidates for these kinds of positions. Whether it’s at elementary level, high school, college, or some specialty venue, an art degree will pave the way to being a teacher or professor of art anywhere.

Curator

There are seemingly countless museums, galleries, exhibitions, and other settings in which art is displayed and shared. Each one of these requires a manager or curator to oversee the entirety of the event. A curator is often an art degree-holder that has gone on to attain this pivotal position. Examples of job duties here include theme devising, display planning, setting attendance parameters, and much more.

Fine Art Dealer

In working as a fine art dealer, one can really take their love for art to a new level. That is because this vocation is all about buying, trading, selling, and handling quantities of fine art on a daily basis. The arts dealt can range from portraits to sculptures, from models to musical exhibits. The clients dealt with also range greatly, from private individuals to museums and celebrities. An art degree is a perfect way into this career.

Art Historian

Sometimes, careers available with an art degree can intertwine with other, surprising majors. The art historian career is just such a case, combining art and history into one, great profession. The art degree-holder is often a top pick for such a position, having studied extensively in art and the history of it. The art historian can be found lecturing at exhibits, studying art in controlled environs, speaking at schools, or researching at the library. In the name of art and its history preserved, the art historian is the sacred keeper.

Media Designer

A media designer is someone who designs media. This media can touch on any number of the five human senses. It may take the shape of a billboard sign advertisement or the graphics used in a TV documentary. Radio jingles and calendar designs are also prime examples of the media these designers create. An art degree is virtually unbeatable when it comes to ultimately securing a career as a media designer.

Additional, Helpful Career Prep

These five career options for graduates with art degrees are certainly enticing. While it may be true that an art degree all but guarantees such an esteemed career, there are other steps that are highly advisable for the sake of rising above your competition as well as self-expansion purposes. In its publication, “What Can I Do With My Visual Arts Degree?”, Southeastern Louisiana University cites seven, valuable ways to better prepare yourself for that ultimate, art-based job placement of your choice:

  1. Make a strong portfolio.
  2. Sharpen your tech skills.
  3. Intern or begin part-time work in a relevant vocation.
  4. Work with student publications.
  5. Get involved with juried shows.
  6. Serve as an assistant at an art gallery.
  7. Join an art club.

Doing a bit of prep work in areas such as these can really help prove your top place among other job applicants in the field.

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In conclusion, work in the art fields is abundant and can be quite rewarding as well. Remember too – obtaining that perfect job therein is often made even closer to a reality when that sole art degree is combined with a few, relevant prep activities. All said and done, these are some of the careers available with an art degree as well as a few helpful extras to help get you there.

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