Navigating the Art School Maze...
an introduction to art schools & art education

About the Author

Frederick H. Carlson is one of the most well-known artist/illustrators in the mid-Atlantic region. No venue is too large or too small for his incisively drawn and lucidly painted pieces. He has executed room-sized murals and had his work appear on over 350 CD, cassette, and LP covers. He did over 150 portraits for National Review between 1990-1999. Carlson, a 1977 Carnegie-Mellon University alumnus, recently celebrated his 23rd year as a freelancer. He has exhibited his art at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, the New York Society of Illustrators Cegep-St. Foy (Quebec), Dubendorf (Switzerland), the Manchester Craftsmens Guild, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and at Daystar/One World Gallery.

His recent art clientele has included Yankee Magazine, Sony Music, Universal Music, AMERICA Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Elsevier Publishing, United Steel Workers of America (USWA), Dartmouth College, Ladbrokes, Koppers Inc., the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and many other private and corporate commissions. He has lectured and given workshops on his own approach to painting, drawing, and illustration to groups ranging from high school aged advanced art students to professional trade associations. He has screened portfolios for the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts as well as representing Carnegie Mellon University at many art portfolio fairs around the country during his time on their art faculty teaching Advanced Illustration between 1981-1994.

Fred was the National President of the Graphic Artists Guild from 1991-1993, the first non-NYC based artist to be so elected. He served on the Guild's Executive Committee for 8 years. He has written extensively and has been published in national publications such as The Artist's Magazine, Communication Arts, GAG News, Artists Market, and his work was featured in ART DIRECTION. He was one of the speakers addressing the Illustration Conference (ICON3) in Philadelphia in June 2003, and he is served as a juror the same month at the 44th annual Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh, PA.

Fred has served the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators (PSI) as President since early 2001, after previously serving as Treasurer. He lives in Monroeville, PA with his wife of 20 years, 2 teen-aged children with art talent, one chameleon, 3 cats, and many stringed instruments).

What is Art? Who is an Artist?

In the introduction to H.W. Janson's classic "History of Art", after much analysis, the author comes to the conclusion that a work of art is simply a creation made by human hands, not by nature. It is part of man's inner nature to create, to communicate, to use symbols, and to seek approval for these activities while first satisfying the inner need to "make" something out of inanimate materials. Understanding two categories of what man "makes" helps us discern art's motives in pure form, and will prove to be of assistance to those young people and their parents and guiding influences who will be using this site to help with planning for the future.

In the first category, man makes things that are reflective of the desire of the creator rather then the demands of the audience. Artistic creation in this first category is experienced by the viewer or audience for its own sake entirely. The artist has made a work that both serves his or her own need to express an idea through the use of particular materials, and uses a visual language requiring the audience to engage the message, motives, and skills of the artist.

In the second category, created objects, products and inventions that serve man's desire to improve conditions and are meant to be utilized for a purpose, come from the same creative exploration, but have different end uses. In this second instance, the creator needs to engage the audiences' or users' needs to obtain a measurable efficiency of design and communication. In practice, there exist elements of crossover between these two categories, and people in the creative profession draw from both categories. It is useful for the young artist/creator to think about and gauge their comfort level within each relationship with an 'audience' or 'market' now, when planning for an educational experience in the art field, and in the future along their professional pathways.

Who is an artist? Almost everyone begins life as one, as we have to conclude that the desire to create comes before the decision of what to create. Any observer of children past age 2 can see the universal activity of drawing leading into understanding of form and the world around the child, and later into the understanding and use of symbols and abstract elements which are the basis of art, language, writing, and other social activity. Unfortunately, the almost universal desire of the adolescent child to represent the world around them more and more "realistically" takes hold, and when the raw talent level does not respond to this misguided quest, the young artist often gives up the development of their own personal pictorial language entirely.

It would be naïve to believe that everyone has the energy, desire, confidence or focus to express themselves artistically. It is impractical to guide every student to consider a career in the visual arts. Hard work and the desire to master one's basic gift have to be grafted seamlessly into the pursuit of both educational and professional objectives. Personal vision in art, most importantly, should not be neglected. The users of this site should know there are many avenues in our educational and professional markets for the expression of creativity in art as part of any student's individual growth and future career decisions.

Pursuing a career in art is certainly a challenge for all students, but in a world society that depends on imagination and communication in almost any field, no one should be discouraged from pursuing their personal visions. Businesses, entertainment markets, telecommunications entities, government and educational institutions, and companies involved in basic industry all share the need to present and communicate their own products and services more attractively and efficiently using people who have engaged the pursuit of excellence in imagination and technique. The growth of the role of the artist in society has only the vision of the practitioner to limit their future. As you continue reading about more specifics involving advanced education in the art fields listed below, always remember that art is the substitution of "nothing" with "something", and that "something" could be you and your vision as an artist.

Professional Overview in the Arts

The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) states in the year 2000 over 147,000 jobs were listed as "artists". Statistics show that over 50% are self-employed. Business segments employing artists include the entertainment industry (including cinema, television and the theatre), the publishing industry (books, magazines, e-zines, websites, and other merchandised media) and public relations firms. Any business or institution can have functions that depend on artists' ability to educate, persuade, and enliven. Large companies may have in-house art staff and supervisors, and small ones use free-lance staff. Annual earnings for artists in 2000, the last year we have statistics for, vary greatly, depending on career responsibility and experience, location of market, and other factors. The extremes are easily defined: some artists make almost nothing from their work, while a few with a more recognizable style and well-marketed talent may earn hundreds of thousands on a single work. The median annual earnings for experienced salaried art directors-those that supervise other artists, designers and freelancers, according to the BLS, is $52,500. Artists in multimedia showed a median of $41,100. Fine artists who were salaried were listed at $31,200. According to the BLS, jobs for artists are expected to grow at a rate close to the average expected rate of job increases in all industries-or 10-20% across the first decade of the new millennium. The expansion and utilization of the world-wide web, a new interface of artist and audience, of buyer and seller, and of teller and hearer, will continue to have a vast influence on where artists work and how they function in our lives.

Working as an Artist

Visual artists use a vast number of materials, processes, and delivery systems to turn their personal visions and ideas into tangible, copyrightable, and yes, marketable creations that others can view, share, and buy. In the two-dimensional arena, the artist uses painting, drawing, collage, photography, etched and carved print process, screen printing, paper making, digital printing and reproduction technologies and computer manipulation. Leaping into the third dimension, artists' methods can include metal welding and riveting, ceramics creation and pottery making, carving of a vast array of materials including stone and wood (which of course involve burnishing, polishing, nailing, and gluing such materials), sewing and weaving a variety of fabrics and natural objects, and using hot glass for blowing or sculpting. Non-traditional experiential and installation artists use video, film, computers, robots, lighting, sound, and every possible material and design innovation to create interactive environments for the viewer, including the very natural processes of growing or decaying. In our wealthy, eclectic marketplace of visual ideas, all materials are fair game, and ideas and messages in the new, emerging, and non-traditional art forms currently outpace the time necessary to master the materials as traditional art forms used to measure skill. Artists and actors now participate in the "performance piece", blurring the lines of art, dance, music, and theater.

Mirroring the variety of art methods these days, working environments vary greatly as well. Some artists may work in a personal studio, a group workshop relying on certain equipment, or out of their home, while others may work in front of a computer in a typical office environment. Common to all successful artists is the desire to create, to make that creation mold thought and technique into a unique message, and to find some way to engage and grow an audience.

The Challenges for the Artist

All artists, whether they be self-fulfilled in the act of art-making itself and seek no monetary reward, or they be working in the professional arena full-time, will experience certain realities. Competition is a reality in all art fields as the many "creative" meet the demands of the marketplace. The work ethic becomes the dividing line both for those who seek to please themselves and for those who wish to make a living with their abilities. There is always a surplus of talented artists who are seeking a few jobs. Artists are expected to "be creative" on demand and it is important for them to keep their enthusiasm up by experimenting, changing, and being able to eliminate distractions. Meeting deadlines is an important element in many artistic endeavors and commissions. Most visual artists will need to support themselves by teaching or making money in a related field and do not experience financial independence derived solely from their creative work.

When making one-of-a-kind pieces, there is always the pressure of time where the artist has to be in place in the studio situation completing their work. Multiple commissions coming in at once can be frustrating, where the worry about a lack of sales or clients is replaced by the frustration of having to do things too quickly to produce finished quality work on time. In response to this different challenge, some artists create studio situations where apprentices and employees help create the work, and the challenge of delegating and planning creeps into the process influencing all decisions regarding craft, authorship, marketing, costs, and numbers of works produced.

Even in the arena of the fine arts, selling and marketing by the artists themselves or in partnership with sales professionals is crucial, if one wishes to make a living. Artists show and sell work in gallery situations where retail and corporate clients buy originals or commission new pieces. Artists presently are experimenting with the pros and cons of mass-production and printing technology in new ways, often with computer assistance, to lower prices and make more work accessible to the average buyer. Again, in this climate, definitions and boundaries are blurred but the uniqueness of the "personal vision" is paramount and imagination is key. Many artists work within merchandising relationships where their style or "look" on a production-line good is what they are selling!

What is a Portfolio?

Simply put, the portfolio is your artistic presentation. In many cases, it speaks for you when you are not present to speak for yourself.

For the student, the portfolio should show what you could become: a demonstration of your raw ability and range of experiences. This is beneficial tool for the educators and screeners reviewing your potential success within their varied art programs. The student portfolio should be arranged to show finished pieces as well as sketches, studies and preliminary ideas, including a fair number of works (25 maximum) without creating a huge unwieldy mess. Be aware that in many cases, portfolio content may be specified by the particular institution you are applying to so pay attention to those demands. Portfolios are certainly measured against many other applicants and in conjunction with overall previous academic performance requirements. Depending on the specificity of the program you are applying for, the portfolio will play all (in highly specific programs) or only a little weight (in general programs) regarding your acceptance.

For the professional artist, the portfolio shows one's best work in a specifically tailored way for the client's or employer's benefit. A strong portfolio convinces and persuades in the same way a single piece of art entices a viewer. A professional portfolio is highly edited, showing only the artist's best work: the work that he or she wants to produce and wants to excel in the task of creating. Free-lancers and creative business owners alike sell themselves almost exclusively through the use of the portfolio, which now can be placed on and viewed on the web, on a CD, in a traditional print folio, or on a video tape. A portfolio can be the single most influential consideration an employer takes into account when filling a job opening, but don't discount people skills, an efficient communicative personality, and eye for detail to succeed in the multi-tasking typical in creative environments. As career paths move up and job and market situations change, all portfolios are re-edited and updated, they are never static. Depending on the needs of any one literal-minded client, totally different subjects can be featured in different pitches to customers, even though the skill and artistic expression are the same artist's basic presentation.

The Long View is Necessary

Like any other field, the beginning professional artist is expected to serve the needs and desires of the company, business mission, sales demands, and the other more experienced managers and practitioners. It's called "paying your dues", and one must time their advancement and future creative business ownership responsibilities and rewards with patience and discipline. Your personal vision and imagination will require work and maintenance away from your paying job, often waiting through unfulfilling periods of time. As you cash a paycheck you might call it your "personal survival fund", breathe deeply, and look ahead to new possibilities in your desired field. It's not easy but it is very rewarding when your work gets better and one gets recognized. You may choose to freelance completely when the timing is right or to freelance part-time while working in completely unrelated jobs. Letting the pleasure of the art-making be your goal, you may intend to pursue your art simply for self-satisfaction.

Art Education

Art education is valuable to not only master your own skills and hone your vision in a community environment but to polish the intellectual and personal attributes relating to a future in the visual arts. Very few artists have gone straight from high school into art careers. Those that did in the past often did so due to restrictive or ordinary curriculums that chafed at their own enthusiasms, but nowadays there are programs tailored to meet the needs of almost everyone. Formal educational institutions of all types provide environments and structure where young talent can be educated and encouraged. Typical degrees offered from colleges and universities are the Bachelor in Fine Arts (BFA), Bachelor of Arts (BA), and Master in Fine Arts (MFA) and the Master of Arts (MA) degrees. Junior and community colleges may offer an Associate of Arts (AA) degree; while independent art schools and academies may offer any of the above. Currently, trends emphasizing course work in history, art history and the humanities has become once again valued in the art education of either the specifically trained or generally educated young artist.

Directions and Choices for the Student Artist

Finding the right art education is a very individual process and decision. Curriculum priorities within each art department, the look and feel of a particular art school, and one's own extracurricular plans are all crucial in making your own individually correct decision. Your seriousness of commitment is probably the most important variable, and your research and discussion with particular art faculty are sometimes the final piece of the college puzzle. You have to decide if you want to emphasize managing and directing others eventually, or doing your own art forever. Remember, keeping the long view on artists' careers means being adaptable to change, creating trusting and long-lived relationships with people who can support your vision and work, and being honest with yourself about whether the art or money is more important. Usually, artistic AND monetary considerations play into life decisions in almost anyone at anytime, so be ready for those opportunities and challenges as you consider your future as a working artist.

Demanding training with excellent faculty is almost always required if you wish to have a specific career in the art world. World-class programs and highly recognized faculty can be found in art schools, universities, and maybe in your own back yard at an art academy. But once you are out in the field, credentials are highly secondary and the work has to speak for itself. If you are interested in just expanding your basic learning and general education in the arts, a looser structure with a more basic university curriculum should be considered.

Some of the basic considerations in choosing a school are listed below and should be thought through and discussed with not only your parents, counselors, and other confidants, but hopefully someone working in the field!

What Kind of Art School Do You Want to Attend?

WHAT KIND OF ART SCHOOL DO YOU WANT TO ATTEND?

Four-Year Colleges and Universities

If you desire an art education that encourages interaction with a variety of people and subjects in addition to art, and a range of degrees from the Bachelor's level to the Doctorate (Ph.D.) level, the university program is right for you. Coursework in the liberal arts outside of one's major field are emphasized, typically in areas such as English, History, Humanities, and Science. The four-year program gives you the most freedom to focus later in your educational experience. You may get bored with art and switch majors! On the other hand, I had a successful illustration student finish with a BFA in Art after 3 years of engineering school, so adaptability and many options are the benefits in this environment.

Four-Year Art-focused Schools

These art schools offer intensive, studio-centered art instruction and theory with segments of liberal arts courses, granting degrees at the Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate level. All degrees offered are art-related and career specific, and the required coursework outside of the studio arts is more art-centered and current trend driven then university offerings stressing time-tested universal truths. These schools feature a career-oriented art focus with additional non-art coursework to broaden your perspectives. It is almost impossible to change your major to something outside of the arts if this gets too overwhelming. You'll have to transfer out of such an institution if your needs are not being met.

Community Colleges

Community colleges most often offer two-year degrees in the form of associate's degrees or certification. They offer a shorter program then colleges, universities, and 4-year art schools, often with an employability focus in specific trades, often in the commercial, computer, and graphic arts. These credits and degrees can either serve the student for life depending on their drive and desire or serve as transfer credits to a four-year school. These schools are designed to meet the needs of those just beginning their post-high school education, those who want to supplement a prior degree, and those who have already entered the work force and are looking for a part-time art education around a full-time job. A major trend among all institutions of higher education is the part-time or adult education programs; but community colleges most often fill this need.

Vocational/Technical Colleges

A vocational/technical education is planned to teach you exactly what you need to know to get a job in a particular field, including many programs in the applied arts, printing industries, and computer training. These colleges offer associate's degrees, certificates, or diplomas. Coursework stresses practicality and hands-on experience at the expense of general educational goals, and supportive networks are organized around getting these graduates into employment situations upon completion of this course work. These institutions are the most job-targeted approach to an education; you'll need to go to the library for your study of the philosophy of the Dadaists. Art talent, personal ability and drive, and self-teaching skills can lead people successfully through these particular educational experiences and into satisfying art career pathways.

Art Workshops, Trade Conventions & Special Programs

You can prosper from brief, intensive training in a desired art subject or skill set by attending artists' workshops often publicized in trade publications or by mail that are offered in your preferred discipline. Art schools, colleges, and other local institutions such as artist trade associations (who often use universities and colleges as hosts) feature special programs bringing adults together to educate and congregate in art workshop settings that renew and update horizons in particular art trade segments. Workshops often focus training into a day or a series of days instead of taking the semester-length approach. Art students are often welcome at reduced cost. You may need to travel if there's nothing like this offered in your area, but this sort of art training can be well worth your while. You can also sign up for special courses on a part-time and/or evening basis without enrolling in a degree program at many of the institutions mentioned above.

When is the Art Major Important?

Most often, BA's and BFA's are the reward for your 4-year program at colleges, universities, and art-focused institutions. These bachelors' degrees at accredited institutions demonstrate your ability to complete an art curriculum, work with others, learn differing degrees of technical and studio expertise, and to be ready and engaged to start a search for satisfaction in the art workplace or post-graduate education. The work you produce and the professional consistency of the art graduates of your school will get you started if art is your career, then it's all about your own imagination, hustle, and marketing to stay in the field. Teaching art and learning more advanced management skills will most often influence the desire for an MA, MBA (yes, business degrees matter in communications, marketing, and product line management) or MFAs.

Art School Costs and Financial Aid

College costs vs. expected financial rewards in the arts are tricky to gauge. Monetary risk is again, a personal choice that should be considered among every other factor when deciding on a school and career. Financial aid is a reality for almost everyone going to college today, but one should be very careful about high loan amounts after college graduation without a specific employment track. A high debt load after college seriously impedes your financial and business options, credit rating, and future enthusiasm for the art field.

Financial aid comes in the form of scholarships, grants, work-study employment (on-campus student jobs), and/or internships. Additionally, national, state and personally guaranteed loans can figure into the equation, and when you leave school you have varying time periods to start paying the loan back. If there is a clear path from your degree to an adequate loan-paying income, college costs become less of a distraction to your plan. If you're concerned about tuition, fees, and not taking on more debt than you can handle, speak frankly with the financial aid counselors at the schools you are considering. If they can help you, you're probably considering the right schools.

Enrollment

The number of students at an art school or university campus has a big effect on the environment, but it many factors will influence your decision. A school with tens of thousands of students may have a greater variety of extracurricular activities available to accommodate a broader range of interests. A school with a smaller student body may be less socially distracting. On the other hand, small schools may have social circles that are more closely knit, or a particular club or residence at a larger school may provide this sort of connection.

In terms of your studies, the faculty-to-student ratio is an important factor in school size. Often these ratios are better at smaller schools. However, in a university setting the ratio tends to get better as your studies become more focused. In other words, while you are completing your general liberal arts coursework (history, sciences, etc.), which are required of all students in the university setting, you may be in classes where one professor is lecturing to more than 400 students. But your art focus is shared by a much smaller percentage of the student body, so there may be only 15 students in your painting studio class. These variables will all shift from school to school, but having a general idea of the school size that appeals to you will help you narrow your search a bit, at which point you can inquire further from the schools that make it onto your "short list."

Location

Climate, closeness to home, opportunity off-campus, and rural settings vs. urban settings are common variables for any student, not just those ready to move to an education in the arts. Since the professional arts are so intimately involved with print markets, galleries, mass communication, business, continuous education, and technical skill enhancement, institutions stressing the professional arts are most often in urban areas. Large universities can have self-sustaining cultural and business opportunities for young students and professionals looking to get started. The academic arts often have major cultural opportunities in university towns that can be in the rural areas of the country. Your particular goal is paramount in this key area of consideration.

Other Considerations

Admission Qualifications/Criteria

Certain schools can place great value on college admissions tests such as the ACT and SAT, while other art-focused schools lean more toward the content of a prospective student's portfolio, or consider the portfolio almost exclusively. Certainly basic excellent overall academic and extracurricular performance in high school is a plus, especially in admission to highly competitive arts programs. Schools should be able to give you an idea of minimum requirements when asked or more importantly, have such information on the web or in catalogues.

Art Facilities

This is a key variable, especially in the area of emerging technologies. Touring both individual art studio spaces and communal computer labs is a must for the discerning student. Good student art spaces show care for the student's progress once they are enrolled. You cannot create in a sardine-sized space. Especially in the traditional arts, specific equipment and facilities (presses, kilns, ovens, looms, chemical baths, good ventilation, well-lit drawing rooms) are a must, so be very inquisitive about art equipment that is required for what you want to study! I pity the fiber major I heard about who came to a university the year AFTER the entire set of looms was given away or trashed. Hold the "truth in advertising" standard high for colleges you are considering. Sometimes a program with a reputation has invested more heavily in art faculty rather than art technology, or has sacrificed basic principles for the latest (often easily outdated) equipment. The right balance is not only an issue for the schools, but for the decisions of the incoming students.

Reputation

Art programs and departments always have detailed resumes and vitae of their full and part-time faculty. This should be easily available on request of students interested in their program. Course descriptions, especially of all the studio art courses, and curriculum tracks for various art majors should also be easily available and understandable. Researching both the art instructors' reputations in their field and the overall impression of the school within a particular art discipline that most interests you is well worth the trouble. One should speak to a professional in the field with no bias for another degree of assuredness. Some schools' programs and reputations are so strong that employers practically wait by the door for students to graduate. Of course, this reputation can mean higher tuition, reflecting a purposeful investment in faculty and facilities alike, but most likely it's the right investment for the career-driven art student.

Accreditation

An accrediting institution is a governing organization made up of the participating programs that periodically examines the instructional program at an art school or art program within a university to determine its merit within specific disciplines. If the visiting accrediting committee sees that set standards are met, the accrediting institution approves the school's right to grant degrees in that subject area. A school's painting program might be accredited by one accrediting committee, and the natural history program by another accreditation group altogether. If you're considering a particular school, find out who accredits the programs that interest you and research this accrediting institution and any public reporting it may have on your school. Some accrediting bodies are nationally respected and are known for only approving the best programs, while some are regional in nature and approve the less competitive programs.

Conclusion

This overview has been written to assist young people and their mentors in beginning the hard work of making decisions regarding specific interest in higher education in the visual arts. Choosing a commitment to the arts as a career is not easy, but you can either dive in at a 4-year focused art curriculum or walk in slowly at a liberal arts college with the variety of options that are available. My desire has not been to scare away the hard working young art talent out there, nor to overly encourage the gifted young artist who may be unfocused or lazy. All will find their place in due time at the level that is right for them. My desire rather, has been to encourage vision, big thinking, the long perspective, and a zeal for understanding the multiplicity of roles for the artist in a world that is full of artistic images, artistically influenced products, and respect for quality artwork. Hopefully, the questions from the young artist can be molded in a more focused way after reviewing this site. I encourage those with ability to eliminate distractions and apply themselves to their craft when they are young and to take their art as far as it can go. It has been my experience to see young people at many levels realize that their work effort can improve when called upon, encouraged, and challenged by college and university art faculty. This energy proves to be ultimately rewarding for the art student, and they can run for years on this fuel, with only a lack of imagination holding them down.