9781422274842

CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL

THE ARTS A CREATIVE FUTURE

CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL

THE ARTS A CREATIVE FUTURE

CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL

CAR MECHANIC CHEF COSMETOLOGIST DOG GROOMER MASSAGE THERAPIST FARMER THE ARTS _________ PRESENTING YOURSELF

CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL

THE ARTS A CREATIVE FUTURE

Connor Syrewicz and Andrew Morkes

MASON CREST PHILADELPHIA MIAMI

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Copyright © 2020 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4320-6

ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4319-0 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7484-2 Cataloging in Publication Data on file with the publisher.

Developed and Produced by National Highlights, Inc. Editor: Andrew Gance Interior and cover design: Jana Rade, impact studios Interior layout: Tara Raymo, CreativelyTara

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: The Life of an Artist 7 CHAPTER 2: What Do Artists Do? 17 CHAPTER 3: Terms of the Trade 32 CHAPTER 4: Preparing for the Field and Making a Living 37 CHAPTER 5: Key Skills and Methods of Exploration 49 CHAPTER 6: Looking to the Future 65 Series Glossary of Key Terms 72 Further Reading & Internet Resources 75 Educational Video Links 76 Index 77 Author Biographies and Photo Credits 80

KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills.

SIDEBARS: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. RESEARCH PROJECTS: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. SERIES GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

aesthetic: having to do with beauty cultural: relating to the ideas and customs of a group of people improvisation: doing something without planning it out first prestigious: highly esteemed and respected professional: someone who gets paid to do a specific activity such as nursing, sports, or dance

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CHAPTER 1

THE LIFE OF AN ARTIST

THE MYTH OF THE STARVING ARTIST The starving artist is a well-known character in world culture. They’re the person who sacrifices material needs such as food or shelter in order to live a life dedicated to art. This isn’t just a myth. Dylan Thomas, for example, a Welsh poet who became very famous during his lifetime and published many successful books, intentionally chose a life of poverty (being extremely poor). This might seem like a strange choice, but author Virginia Nicholson writes that “such people were not only choosing art, they were choosing the life of the artist. Art offered them a different way of living, one that they believed more than compensated [made up for something unpleasant] for the loss of comfort and respectability.” Choosing a life of poverty can be a very powerful artistic statement. However, the starving artist is not always “starving” by choice. Some artists have had to

The Life of an Artist 7

Vincent van Gogh is one of the most beloved artists in history, yet he only sold one painting in his lifetime. Today, his best work sells for more than $80 million per painting.

sacrifice material needs (good food, a nice home, etc.) in order to continue to live a life dedicated to their art. Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, for example, whose work became very famous and successful after his death, sold only one painting during his lifetime and spent most of his life almost completely unknown and unappreciated. Today, the starving artist is a character usually brought up when someone is explaining why pursuing an artistic career is a bad choice. Many people see art as a difficult field that offers little chance of material or financial success. Only a tiny number of artists will become as famous and respected as either Dylan Thomas or Vincent van Gogh. These artists are considered visionaries— people of great insight and skill—whose work outlived them, influencing many

8 CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL: CHEF T ARTS

poets and painters after them. Most people do not have the kind of talent and luck that it takes to be remembered this way. On the other hand, most people do not make this unlikely goal part of their definition of success! Success can be defined simply as “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose”—and when it comes to careers, one common way of defining success is by the amount of money that the person is paid each year. Today, in many cases, the starving artist is little more than a myth or a stereotype (an oversimplified idea about a particular group of people). Some art careers have a better employment outlook than occupations that are not part of the arts. For example, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDL) reports that employment for animators , who create images and animations for video games, television shows, movies, and other forms of media, will grow by 8 percent from 2016 to 2026. On the other hand, job opportunities for nuclear engineers are expected to increase by only 4 percent during this same time span. Job openings for air traffic controllers are expected to grow by 3 percent. Additionally, some arts professionals earn higher salaries than those in non-arts careers. The USDL lists more than fifty careers that are either directly or indirectly related to the arts—and most of these careers offer the possibility of making a good living. The median annual wage for arts and design professionals is $45,250, which is higher than the median annual wage ($37,690) for all careers. THE ARTS “The arts” consist of a large group of cultural practices and products appreciated for their creative and aesthetic value rather than what they can be used for. Someone buys a painting, for example, because they think it is either unique,

The Life of an Artist 9

well crafted, or beautiful—while someone purchases a hammer because they want to use it to pound nails or for other purposes. Many different kinds of artistic practices are referred to as the arts—painting, literature, sculpture, collage, music, dance, theater, film, architecture, industrial design, graphic design, fashion design, interior design, and photography—but while all these practices are considered artistic, some people would take issue with calling all of them art. Fine art is a term that has historically meant only five art forms—painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and poetry. But today, people are more likely to talk about the visual arts —any art that is viewed with the eyes, such as painting, sculpture, creative photography, illustration,

Musicians perform in a variety of locations, including at street festivals.

10 CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL: THE ARTS

digital and graphic design, and animation—and the performing arts —any art that is performed, such as dance, drama, or music. Many people pursue various forms of art as hobbies, but people can also turn their artistic

ART IN UNUSUAL MEDIUMS

Some artists have attempted to push the boundaries of what art is by working in unusual mediums. Art has been made using just about every material that you can think of, from tires to old computer parts to coat hangers to food and bread to bubblegum!

talents into careers. Pursuing these occupations takes passion (having intense feelings for something or someone), talent, and skill. Artistic skills, like all skills, must be learned and diligently (consistently) practiced—but one thing that most of these careers do not require is a college degree. LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM “Deciding whether or not to go to college was…tough,” says Kendra Pugh, a ballet dancer who has been performing for twenty years and has been a choreographer and dance instructor for the last ten. Choreography is the art of creating original dance routines or developing new interpretations of existing dances. Kendra, likemany professional ballet dancers, became interested in dancing at a very early age. Her mother, a part-time dance instructor, made a point of introducing her to many different dance styles. “My mom,” Kendra says, “is trained mostly in jazz and modern styles of dance.” Jazz and modern dancing styles are known for relying heavily on

The Life of an Artist 11

originality (the ability to think creatively) and improvisation . They combine different styles of dance and prize creative self-expression. Kendra, on the other hand, was more interested in ballet. “My mom is loud and outspoken,” Kendra says. “She needs to be dramatic when she dances. And she has to have a certain amount of freedom over everything that she does. Ballet isn’t anything like that. Most ballets tell stories, so it’s not so much about expressing yourself. It’s expressing someone else’s story. It’s about coming up with a dance that does justice to the emotion of the story.” According to Kendra, ballet has a lot of rules. It is a more rigid art form because a dancer is not prized for how well they improvise but rather for how perfect their form is. By the time she reached high school, Kendra was already sure that she wanted to pursue a career in dancing, but she was unsure whether or not she wanted to go to college. “My mom wanted me to go to college,” Kendra says, “but not for dancing. She would say, ‘You already know how to dance; learn

Young artists discuss why they love their careers and how they broke into the field.

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something else.’ She was afraid that if I ever hurt myself dancing, I wouldn’t be able to find a job.” Kendra’s mother’s concerns are not unusual. Many people see college as the best, if not the only, way to find a stable, well-paying career. This is part of the reason that in 2016, nearly seven out of every ten students in the United States who graduated from high school went on to attend college, according to the USDL. Unfortunately, a college education isn’t necessarily a safe bet when it comes to finding a successful career. The Wall Street Journal reports that students who graduated from college with debt (money owed to a person, company, or organization) had average debt of $37,712. This much debt takes more than a decade to pay off! And some people who graduate from college cannot even get a job that is a good match for their educational credentials. Though she didn’t have a major in mind, Kendra eventually decided to enroll in a local college—but then she dropped out only a short time later. “A few months after going to school,” Kendra says, “I auditioned for the leading role in Beauty and the Beast , organized by one of the most prestigious ballet companies in San Francisco. [A person who has auditioned has tried out for a role, often in a play, movie, or other performance.] I didn’t get the part, but I did get the role of first alternate.” An alternate is someone who acts as a substitute for someone else in case they are unable to perform. The role of a substitute may not sound like much of an honor, but Kendra had auditioned against many women who had much more experience. While she didn’t get the leading role, first alternate means that she was considered good enough to be trusted with taking the leading dancer’s role if she were unable to dance for whatever reason.

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Unfortunately, the show was scheduled to tour the country for the next forty weeks, which meant that Kendra had to make some quick decisions. “I talked it over with my mom,” Kendra says, “and together we decided I should grab this opportunity. ‘I can always go back to college,’ I told myself.” Being involved in the show turned out to be fantastic for Kendra’s career. She got a lot of experience doing what she loves, danced in a number of other shows for the company, and even got some experience choreographing—all of which led her to her current career. Not everyone will have the chance to develop their skills this way of course. “I am lucky,” Kendra says. “My mom supported me. She got me involved early, and she paid for all the lessons I needed.” Kendra’s story makes an important point. It takes a lot of sacrifice and a big commitment to have a successful career in the arts. Kendra spent a lot of time after school practicing her dancing and working on shows. Even when she

was very young, she spent most of her freemoments exploring her interests and learning. Kendra took the time needed to become passionate about something—and eventually she turned this passion into a fulfilling and well-paying career.

Theatrical actors at work.

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