Is an Art School education respected?

[seriousquestions]

What do you all think about people who have degrees and masters degrees from Art Schools, do you think it is a respected educational path in general? Would you be happy for your children to go down that path?

Meant to add that should DS want to follow an artistic path I'd have some very cutting remarks to make to anyone who sneered at him.

Your friend in recruitment who says arts graduates are difficult to employ would probably think the same of a history graduate if they worked for a creative recruitment agency and someone turned up with a history degree. Creative jobs and careers are specialist in the same way that history or science careers are niche.

I have never met anyone who has sneered at the univeristy course I did or looked down on me because of it, and if anything I find that people who studied more sciences degree say 'i wish I was creative, your job sounds really fun and interesting.'

Anyone who does look down on your DC ambitions and career course isnt going to be the type of person who would be employing them in the future so I wouldn't worry to much about their opinion, as all they are doing so show how little they know about that specific industry and the diversity of the sector.

I definitely think it is respected. I went to Art College in the 80's and although I didn't go into a directly related career, the skills of creative thinking, the experience of having your work critiqued, and being able to talk about abstract concepts, really valuable. I absolutely loved the creative freedom and being in the same building with so many like-minded people, I consider it a privilege. It also taught me about Art History, architecture, painting techniques, how to look and really see... I wish I could go back and do it all again.

I went to Glasgow School of Art and no one has ever sneered or laughed at either my university or subject choice. It's an internationally renowned university and course and has tens of applicants per place. Graduates are in high demand and of my university friends there are numerous business owners, successful artists, architects mechanical engineers and product designers etc.

There will be graduates of every imaginable subject who end up working in jobs that are unrelated to their degree subjects. I don't think knowing people who graduated from art school but who now work in Asda is reason enough to discredit all art school graduates.

The arts and sciences are two very different spheres - it's no surprise that people working in one will have little or no understanding of the other. I wouldn't presume to criticise the sciences because I have no experience of them and I would disassociate myself from anyone who was as arrogant as to sneer and laugh at a subject sphere they know nothing about.

In summary I'd be delighted, and would support, any subject choice my DC made.

Thank you all for replying, it mostly seems positive but again I think I would ecourage them if they go down that road to think about what they would do after art school and to get them to realise they will need to be fairly self directed which hopefully they would learn at art school itself. Not sure how good Art School are on helping students after the leave.

Steve Jobs went to Art School and he did alright for himself

I meant

I don't think you actually know of the type of jobs out their until you go to arts school and have lectures and learn from experts in their field and learn more about the industry and what type of jobs people actually do. I would be wary of expecting them want to do after arts school, as that puts unnessary pressure on and you just don't know what kind of job or industry you are going to be working in. I now work in as part of an in house creative team within a the charity, there is no way I would have thought about that before I did my course, or even when I was 2 years into the course. It was only from doing an internship that led me to look broader and to the non profit sector.

When it comes to helping students find jobs I think it very much depends on the course and the tutors, if you do a BA your final year is as much about your portfolio as your dissertation. If you study an FdA they are much more industry led, and I found that that taught you interview skills, portfolio skills, how to get yourself noticed etc, so I think that it can vary greatly from course to course. All of my friends ended up with industry specific jobs or internships within 6 months of leaving uni, we even had people being offered jobs at our degree show.

Tinyfeet, I don't think my dc is really thinking of a design feild but more fine art so while of course I don't want to put pressure on them I'd want them to at least understand how they can go about actually making a career out of that. It is very difficult to pin down and seems to be as much about having the right connections and being in the right place at the right time for example many of the YBA's not that I dislike all their work but much of them were lucky to be in the same social scene as Damien Hurt. Many talented fine, conceptual type artists never make a career out of it.

Fair point, I just remember that my view of what I could do with art felt quite limited until I did my pre degree art foundation course, as the 10 weeks that you do trying out all different types of 'art' before you specialised for the rest of year was very eye opening, as it exposes you to things that might have never tried before. A lot of people ended up choosing a specialism that was different to what they originally thought they would do. All I'm basically saying is I would encourage anyone wanting to do art to be open to other ways they could use their creatively, as there might be something out there they haven't even tried yet.

Agree with Tiny; my DD was dead set on fine Art until her Foundation course. She is shortly off to do a Graphics degree.

I think that going to art school is a great thing in itself. However, I do think that making a living as an artist or in a high end design job is extremely competitive, and that many people going to art school have false hopes.

I find it hilarious that people think that art students and dancers are just people who are too thick to do anything else. I would say those types of comments come from people with no aesthetic abilities trying to make out that that is something to be proud of. My dd is a dancer and it requires an awful lot of concentration and intelligence.

As for studying art, it has the advantage that students can sell stuff to help finance their career. And surely if they don't find a way of living from their art afterwards, there is always the extremely fulfilling career of teaching art.

I would advise my dc to carefully consider the career opportunities available.

Of the people I know who went to very highly regarded art schools: one works as a sales assistant, one sells younique and one is unemployed.

I remember reading that art graduates earn less in their lifetime than non-graduates.

I hope so as my DS is in college doing the second year of a 2 year diploma and he's hoping to go to uni next year.
He's doing fine art with a little design as well.
I'd love to be talented enough to do a degree in art, sadly I have no eye for it.

"Art school is great and respected but you need to have a realistic view on career paths available."

This ^^
My niece has a degree in art and is working as a carer at the moment.

I wouldn't sneer at an art degree. I have nothing but admiration for people who are artistically talented.

A huge number of people go to art galleries as a leisure occupation, so I think, generally, artists are admired and respected. Art schools train artists, both in technique, but also in how to look, think and question.
I have a Fine Arts degree and have always taught. Done properly, visual education develops a different set of abilities from other subjects. Think of how many of our everyday judgements are visual.

I think you have to be realistic about the different areas - for example it's easier to find regular work as a graphic designer than as an illustrator in my experience (I've done both). Someone specialising in say jewellery making or sculpture might be limiting their future opportunities although there's a good chance they'll do well if they're talented and prepared to put the work in.

Creative jobs in general aren't always particularly well paid compared with other industries and it's very likely you'll end up freelance which has its pros and cons - I found the flexibility a massive plus when my DD was small but I work in-house now she's older. I miss the freedom but love the regular money and not having to wrestle with tax returns!

I certainly don't think it's something to be sneered at. On the contrary I've always been really proud of my art school past - I think it's still seen as being quite 'cool' (how many rock stars are ex art students?!) and I would go back and do it all again without hesitation. My DD is showing signs of wanting to do something creative and I'll be delighted if she does although I intend to point out all of the above so she can make an informed choice when the time comes.

We have a large studio at work and employ a lot of graphic designers. The work is monotonous and a bit "production line" as we publish catalogues and sale brochures. They all complain about the work.

Meant to say, just out of my circle of ex-art college friends (who all did a graphics degree) there are now several designers (of anything from stationery to packaging to gifts), a photographer, a lecturer, someone who organises painting holidays, a cake designer, several illustrators and someone who runs kids' art classes. Even a fairly specific degree doesn't have to limit you.

A close relative of mine works in employability at a famous art school: they pay a lot of attention these days to what their graduates do, while emphasising they need to be flexible and creative in thinking about options. They get heaps of industry exposure now.
I'm not an art school grad but lots of friends are and they include 2 painters (who make a living) one who owns her own graphics business, a couple of teachers, an art dealer and a jewelry designer. I've also got friends who went to drama school and they too make a living- mix of acting, training, and corporate work. So you have to think creatively (should be no problem!) and you might not earn a fortune, but that's not everyone's motivation.

The Arts is a massive industry worth a lot to the UK economy. We're considered world leaders.

I studied fine art at art school and I've found it mostly respected - when I meet people from a more scientific/technical background they admire my creativity and often say they couldn't do it, and most of my friends are from art/performance backgrounds so they have respect for the arts.

I am earning a good six figure salary now, so it's done no harm to my job prospects (although my current work is based on my first degree and a postgrad which were in science/tech subjects - no reason why an arts/creative person can't also have skills in these areas ). Based on my own situation, it's been most useful to have qualifications in both art and science areas - I think I often draw insights and communicate ideas which many of my pure tech colleagues miss, and that is due to the way art education encourages you to think differently.

My old friends from art school work in a range of fields - most are freelance and earn a reasonable living, though many are on lower incomes and have struggled with changes with tax credits etc, and often find paid work unsatisfying as a lot of so-called creative work is heavily directed.

The other thing here is that I think it is very important to study what you are passionate about and to encourage our children to do the same. At the age of sixteen my dd was very half-hearted about school and had found herself a boyfriend with a flash car (a nice lad but unfortunately she was more interested in the prestige). Then she was accepted in a dance school and her values fell into place again. I really think she might have taken to drink and drugs if she had not found her metier.