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The Creative Student's Guide to Dallas Art Education and Careers

...for students of art, design, fashion design, photography, film/video, advertising, interior design and other creative fields.

Visit our Complete Directory of
Dallas Art Schools and Art Colleges!

by C.J. Gustafson
ArtSchools.com Contributing Writer

Dallas In 1841, John Neely Bryan brought his business and visions to a small community called "Bird's Fort." The town gradually attracted more settlers, and by the mid 1840's had become known as Dallas. The city's growth forged steadily onward, rising to 1,188,570 people according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Holding true to the maxim that "everything is big in Texas," the city is spread out over 378.4 sq. miles. The range of temperature is quite large as well, fluctuating between -12F in winter to 105F in summer. But as a southern state, the weather runs on the warmer side much of the time. Dallas provides a host of activities to enjoy, both indoors and out, including a large number that relate to visual arts students. There are more than 160 museums, galleries, and artistic venues in Dallas.

Many of these attractions can be found in the Arts District, touted as the largest urban arts district in America. This 17-block, 61.7-acre neighborhood is in the northeast area of downtown Dallas. It includes numerous art museums, dance theaters, sculpture and water gardens. The Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Visual Arts Center, and the Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, the only Asian art museum in the Southwest, are of particular interest to art students and enthusiasts.

The African American Museum in Dallas has one of the largest collections of African-American folk art in the nation and is one of the top five African-American art museums in the world. For those pursuing architecture careers, Fair Park contains a large collection of art deco exhibition buildings. The Outdoor Sculpture Tour showcases 30 of the most interesting sculptures to be found, displayed on sidewalks along the way, and provides a great means to explore Dallas while getting some exercise. Of particular note, the world's largest bronze monument, standing at the Dallas Convention Center, has more than 40 larger-than-life longhorn steers, horses and cowboys in a Texas cattle drive.

Artists Resources

Dallas art school student In addition to arts attractions, Dallas is also home to a large number of artist organizations. The Visual Arts Coalition of Dallas and the Texas Sculpture Association are examples of two groups in the city that encourage artists, offer learning opportunities and organize exhibits. The Dallas Arts Revue is a print and online publication providing a wide variety of information for and about artists.

Arts Education

In keeping with its propensity for doing things large, Dallas has a long list of schools and universities. Many of them include opportunities for students seeking arts degrees. The Art Institute of Dallas, Westwood College - Dallas, the University of Dallas Art Department and the University of Texas - Dallas School of Arts and Humanities are some of the options for visual arts students.

Those looking for a faith-based education can choose from several colleges including the Dallas Baptist University College of Fine Arts, the Paul Quinn College Art Department, and Southern Methodist University's Meadows School of the Arts.

A sampling of the programs these schools offer includes Advertising degrees, Graphic Design degrees, and several design degrees including those for students interested in interior design careers and fashion careers. Fine Arts degrees are available with areas of emphasis for students pursuing directions such as painting, drawing, and photography careers.

Local arts centers also offer educational opportunities ranging from adult workshops to certificate programs in sculpture, glassblowing, printmaking, and a variety of other art mediums. The Craft Guild of Dallas, Creative Arts Center of Dallas, J's Art Studio, Lasswell Studios, and Worthington Art Studio are examples of these facilities.

design schools in Dallas Living Large in Dallas

Artists looking for employment in Dallas have many options. More than 110,000 businesses and nearly 6,000 corporate headquarters are located in Dallas, many of which hire artists and those interested in advertising careers. It is the second-leading fashion and apparel center, making it an ideal place for those pursuing fashion careers.

When it comes to living in Dallas, there are many benefits besides those described above. According to a poll conducted for SMUGuide.com -- a website about Dallas written and maintained by students at Southern Methodist University -- the five best things about living in Dallas are (in this order): always something to do, great restaurants, excellent shopping, good nightlife, and the city's professional sports teams. This lineup was closely followed by "amazing culture and entertainment" coming in at number six.

With kudos like that, many visual arts students are likely to find Dallas to be an interesting and rewarding place to pursue a career in the arts.