The Artlink newsletter turned me on to this article from the Washington Post titled, "Art Students' Predicament: Special Skills but Limited Prospects."
The point of focus is Lindsay Perkins, a print and screenmaking college senior from the Corcoran College of Art and Design. She paid $27,000 a year in tuition.
"'Are these prints going to be hard to sell?' Perkins said she asked herself one day inside the studio. 'I'd like to think they wouldn't be, but it's such a basic topic, and they don't really teach you these things. That's what makes me mad. If I wanted to sell it, what are the steps you go about to sell it? Who are the people you go to, and what are the things you say to them?'"
Yeah, I had that same problem when I went to NYU Tisch. So did many other students. In the earlier part of this decade, Tisch finally developed a Career Counseling Office that helped students deal with the reality of being an arts professional. They taught seminars to seniors and grads on promotion and other necessities. Up until that time, we were told (playwrights and screenwriters) that if we wanted to make a living, we'd have to write a fabulous screenplay and kiss lots of asses. (That second part was implicated. The first part was literal.)
In the article, the chairman of the Corcoran fine arts department acknowledges the problem. Wonder why they didn't take care of it until now?
Another part of the article implies that organizations and companies are trying to exploit the poor economy by turning paid internships into unpaid ones.
Overall, the tone of the article is hopeful. It's true that financial, arts journalism grads are facing the same environment. I believe that the arts students will have an easier time adjusting to this new environment. We're an adaptable lot.
Comments