Artistic Option

Before junior Zach Patton registered for his first year at IU, he had never taken any type of art class. In fact, as a freshman, Patton intended to major in biochemistry and cognitive science. Then, during the summer after his freshman year, Patton took a photography course at IU. Not only did this decision inspire him to become a photography major, but it also changed his life and the way he sees the world, he said.\nPatton said immediately after finishing the course, he fell in love with photography, and he recently decided to pursue a career in it. \n"Even though I recognize photography as something I really like, the idea that I could do it for a living is sort of mind-blowing," Patton said. "I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else at this point."\nOnce he registered as a photography student seeking a Bachelor of Arts degree, Patton quickly learned that the life of an IU studio art student is especially demanding. Yet, this did not hold him back. Patton took his passion one step further by becoming a Bachelor of Fine Arts student in photography, which means he must complete 62 credit hours of studio classes instead of the 33 required for BA students. \nAlong with this, he's also majoring in comparative literature and cognitive science. \nPatton acknowledged that after college it will likely be difficult for him and other studio art majors to break into the rigid job market. He explained when the economy is bad, art programs are the first to be cut and artists have a dependency on businesses. Although he admitted it may not be the best time to start a career as an artist, he believes anything can be accomplished if the desire is there, adding that one must be reasonable and willing to "stick it out" to wait for a chance.\n"Don't expect to get out of college and expect some gallery will want to show your work," Patton said. "You have to fight for yourself."\nEven if he has to take on a second job unrelated to art, Patton is determined to devote his future career to photography. A second job is not an uncommon necessity for an artist, as the well-known label "starving artist" implies. Patton said he is worried about financial problems -- film and paper alone can be quite costly -- but intends to stick to his interest.\n"Photography has changed the way I look at the world around me, whether I have my camera or not," Patton said. "I see things more for what they are … that's definitely something that as an artist you have to accept you're not doing for money or fame. I value it more than just for monetary awards."\nThis might imply there isn't always a grim outlook for art students in the job market. \nFine Arts advisor Nell Weatherwax is optimistic about the market and said there is a huge variation for students in how much they want to use to the studio part of their degree to make a living. Also, since the studio art major is in the College of Arts and Sciences, Weatherwax said she believes students who graduate with this degree will benefit from graduating with "one of the best Liberal Arts degrees in the nation."\n"These (Fine Arts) students also have a strong background in visual arts or art history that they can choose to draw upon to bring themselves joy throughout their lives," Weatherwax said. "They can build upon this to enhance and create their careers."\nSenior Kristi Scarvelis is a studio art student majoring in graphic design and digital media. In a high-tech age, Scarvelis considers her career options more hopeful than a new painter searching for a job or gallery to display his or her paintings.\n"There are a lot of possibilities for this major because it's more for the advertising world," Scarvelis said. "For graphic design, you can design anything from a shampoo bottle, posters, CDs, books, Web sites … it's endless. I like the fact that you can find a job somewhere more easily … hopefully."\nScarvelis said she is interested in a job where she can create the designs that go on clothing. As a senior, she is constantly trying to network and send her resumé and cover letter to prospective employers. So far, Scarvelis estimates she has sent her information to 30 or 40 companies but said she probably needs to send out even more.\nBy interning, networking and creating an effective resumé and cover letter, Scarvelis has completed several of the necessary steps to find a job. Yet, because she seeks a job in graphic design, Scarvelis knew she had to somehow incorporate her artistic flair in order to appear marketable to employers. She decided to take advantage of the HTML skills she acquired in her classes and created an online Web site of her work to function as a portfolio. Scarvelis hopes the extra time and effort will eventually pay off and an employer will take interest.\n"I find that with the art major in general you have to seek the employers more than they will seek you," Scarvelis added. "Definitely mail out (rather than e-mail) your resumés and be persistent because you have to sell yourself and let them know you'd be the best candidate for the job."\nIn spite of the assumption that there is an insufficient number of careers for art majors, Patton and Scarvelis remain optimistic. Patton credits his positive outlook to a seminar he is currently taking in the School of Fine Arts. Patton said the seminar, taught by Professor Jeffrey Wolin, has made it seem possible to have a career in photography.\n"Before this semester, I knew photography was something I was going to do regardless of what I ended up doing as my official career," Patton said. "I just wasn't sure how feasible it was to actually be a photographer."\nPatton strongly recommends this seminar to fine arts students because of the knowledge he has gained about the professional art world. Because of the seminar, Patton is now aware of the wide range of professions for photographers, such as a curator in a museum, a photojournalist, a commercial artist and even a photographer in a forensics department. \nIn addition, Patton recognizes a changing mentality in culture that is more interested in consuming images, which offers him further hope of sustaining a photography career. \n"I think the average person is more conscious of images because everybody has a digital camera now, so I think photography is something that's not going away any time soon," Patton said.\nLike Patton, senior Dana Teel is also working toward a BFA, but in the metalsmithing program. Because of the degree's high demands, Teel must stay an additional year at IU, but she believes this will ultimately make her more marketable in the job market. Also, Teel is considering graduate school and said a BFA will help to prepare her.\n"I'm doing it because allows me to get more in-depth, and if I decide I want to go to graduate school, it makes it more likely that I'll get in," Teel said.\nPatton said he would like to go to graduate school because he would eventually like to be a professor. \n"I had always planned on going to graduate school and eventually getting a Ph.D. to teach photography, or maybe literature," Patton said. "Teaching at a college level is a great way to support yourself as an artist."\nSo what does Patton think he will eventually choose for a career?\n"Difficult choice," Patton said. "It's sort of overwhelming -- the number of possibilities that I wasn't even aware of before. That in itself is pretty comforting. But as long as I have some sort of job dealing with photography, I know I'll be pretty happy." \n-- Contact staff writer Jen Gossman at jgossman@indiana.edu.