Arts vs. "solid education"

I think its horrible how students are discouraged by parents, teachers, and community from being involved in any of the arts. this is just another way to brain wash america into a country of mindless robots. of course, robots cant paint, sing, or act for an audience. what do you guys think of this?

One has to be practicle as well. While cultural expression is the halmark of any civilization, you also need to eat, put a roof over your head etc.

it is really that impracticle to pursue art as an occupation. there are so many aspects.......teaching, painting, singing, acting, etc........

whos to say what is practicle now really?
was it practicle to claim there were weapons of mass destruction, etc...

i just think that the job market is only going to profitable in areas that the govt sees fit. in other words, if it will benefit the govt there will be plenty of job oppurtunities

Its simple economics. What exactly are you going to do with a BA in Art appreciation? Work at Starbucks?

teach, direct, act, paint, etc........there are other jobs than starbucks. do you think people with business degrees are given some great jobs. most that i know are managers at walmart or olive garden.

Originally posted by Gipper21
teach, direct, act, paint, etc........there are other jobs than starbucks. do you think people with business degrees are given some great jobs. most that i know are managers at walmart or olive garden.

Not saying that any degree is going to be the ticket to $$$ (Perhaps Nursing) But how many people actually make it in acting? How many artists could support themselves that way. more to the point how many teaching jobs are out there? Not that many, even for Phd level candidates.

i dont know where youre living but the country is deperately needing teachers. everywhere....middle schools, high schools, college.

you really think teaching isnt an in demand occupation right now?

Originally posted by Gipper21
iyou really think teaching isnt an in demand occupation right now?

Not at what they are paying. However, there are a finite number of teaching jobs. Esp at the University level. Reminds me of a recent Simpsons episode. Bart and Lisa go into a book store (supposed to be a Barns and Noble) Bart says "Im going to taunt the PhD's" by mentioning a teaching job. How many art professorships do you think are out there?

lol, yes i agree with you that the pay isnt what it should be but the jobs ARE there. i just believe that you should do what you love and i hate all the thngs that go with money. i understand its something we need but i dont think its the most important thing. i think someone can work doing what they love and keep a roof over there head and be happy.

I've been reading this thread and thought I might share....

My ‘better-half’ earned a “Commercial Art” degree and could not find work other than inconsistent intermittent contract work so she decided to go for a Masters in Art History with an eye to the future ‘work now in the field and teach later’. Well… (looking over my shoulder)… the ‘work now in the field’ part has yet to happen and so many years have gone by I don’t even dare bring-up the teaching part anymore.

From my limited, yet experienced, personal perspective…the rather extensive and expensive post graduate ‘art education’ gained has resulted in nothing more than an unused over equipped studio, a handful of fine hand crafted trinkets on Christmas and exhaustive expert opinions on remolding and refurnishing the house far, far too often which has now completely evolved devoid of any and all evidence of masculinity…all with the unwavering assistance of her gaggle of semi-employed/un-employed ‘art degreed’ exotic coffee drinking groupie friends. And of the semi-employed ‘friends’ I mean they earn a living in anything but art in general such as sell insurance, answer phones, counter help at the teacher’s supply and unfortunately interior design (contract only naturally).

As an employer, an undergraduate degree in art (and postgraduate for that matter) really serves little function in and of itself without a general understanding of something else….like basic business and a personal drive. If one is looking into obtaining an ‘art’ degree one should consider a double major in something unrelated to art. I get to poke fun fairly often on this particular subject a home; but I can say honestly if one chooses ‘art’ as a degree very few persons actually work or continue to work and succeed specifically in that field. But it is a degree none the less and many people never work professionally in the field of which their respective degree is tailored; albeit initially out of school the arts alone create employability limitations outside of the respective field.

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cjf,

That was well put. I am persuing a masters in history purely for my own satisfaction. I already have a BSN so this degree is more for ego and knowledge than anything else.

Awsome conversation going on in this thread!

I am an artist and VERY poor because of it..........bummer

I am harassed to get a REAL job, but my art is where my heart is so I follow my heart.
Tis a TRUE SHAME all the budget cuts in art and music in the schools!!!!!!

Learning to paint and sculpt has alot of mathmatical factors in it....learning to THINK in sound and color opens you to new avenues of thought.

Keep up the GOOD work on a very needed discusion!

Some people are not even AWARE that such classes are no longer in the mainstream educational system anymore...considered frivolous.
Very sad..........

Originally posted by FredT
I am persuing a masters in history purely for my own satisfaction. I already have a BSN so this degree is more for ego and knowledge than anything else.

That’s great, keep it up. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to go back to school from time to time and take what I want and not specifically what I need, compounded by the fact I work in a field I enjoy and the courses I enjoy augment my relative postgraduate degree and career. (although I have been eye-balling some undergraduate forensic anthropology and archeology courses which seem very intriguing, maybe next spring)

Good luck.


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i am double majoring in theatre and english....but isnt english an art?
i still believe there are plenty or teaching jobs out there. Achievements in any art field is based on solely on determination whereas most all other fields are based on if you have a piece of paper that says you can do it.

Im just coming to the ned of my first year at college 3 a-levels in art and design- there are so many jobs out there- i could make a living easily, it depends what area of art your into.

For your information, from an ex-design professional, a majority of the graphic design positions have been off shored to Asia. Here in New Jersey, in 2002, I was cold calling everyone in the yellow pages (trying to get out of my system admin job), 80% of the businesses for printing and design in the yellow pages in this dense urban area were out of service.

In 2000 I had clients bragging to me that they were paying $2.50 an hour in China and Korea for the work they were paying me $15 or $20 an hour for.

Thats why I would discourage an art job, and why on my return to college I can not see getting a degree in Art education, only 1 percent of all the kids I'd ever teach would have a shot in hell
of making a living wage with art, and in the process it would be advertising which eats your soul like so many stale corn flakes.

the ultimate art, of geometry and physics. with an advanced understaning we could traverse the universe and tote grand machinery to compel a astrological mish mesh of space gas and dust. to study and beyond mathamatical machines can contort and reform geological structures to shape and craft industrial wares. the true art of the universe is science and math!

-stu

I am almost two years out of school with a BFA in graphic design and I have yet to get a job in the field. Graphic design seems to me to be largely governed by networking and
word of mouth, at least in my area. Unfortunately, I am out of the loop, so I feel as though my degree was roughly equivalent to a poetry major. It also seems to me that most people are indifferent to the "arts". Why else do they usually require begging and grants just to survive?

Lordy! Some of you people sound just like my mother did 30 years ago!

All I ever wanted to do was draw and paint......did it all the way through school. Painted the school logo ( tiger) on everything from the gym floor to the home coming parade floats....did every one's posters for student council elections, etc, etc. But noooo, my grades were good, I could do anything.....I didn't have to waste my life trying to be an artist! So I relented, majored in Home Ec. ( managed to sneak in a minor in art ).....planned to teach.

Welllll......when I graduated there was a glut of home ec. teachers....they were everywhere, teaching first grade, second grade, and so on. The state did not even give the test for extension agents ( Home ec. majors, again) every year, because there was a glut there as well. So I went to work for the telephone co.!

Years later, after being laid off from Ma Bell, I carried a few photos of my paintings to the employment agency with me....just in case. They sent me to a company that did outdoor billboards. ( By no means a 'fine' art job, but you'd be surprised at the landscapes and portraits that job calls for!)

I worked there ten years, didn't get rich, but made more than you might think. When that company downsized, I was hired by a local business to do their catalog layouts and decorative painting of items they sold. Again, not a 'fine' art job, but an 'artist's' job none the less.

I was also in the process of going back to school and getting a teaching cert. to be a high school art teacher, until my mother became ill and I had to curtail my plans to see after her and my father. ( Say what you will about teacher's pay.....it's still more money than lots of folks make, my sister in law drives a jaguar!)

While those jobs were not terribly glamorous, they were commercial artist jobs.....so some do exist!

i have to agree with you these people do sound like worried mothers and such. not that there is anything wrong with caring. why do we have to give up our passions to work in an office etc?