Artists on "The Apprentice"
As Donald Trump fired his last candidate of the season and hired the woman in the top two to take her seat around the roundtable I wonder if an artist could ever be an "Apprentice". Obviously it takes drive to succeed. Obviously it takes clarity about your personal mission. Obviously it means that you can prioritize to maximize your outcomes. Obviously it means learning to lead.
Is it really that obvious? I've attended a few regional BFA thesis shows of a local universities and am astounded by some of the answers I got to questions I asked about their futures. When asked about future plans many didn't know what was next. When asked what they wanted to do with their art I would get a weak voiced "Well I'd like to paint".
Are graduating art majors in a different category than most other academic majors when it comes to plans following graduation. Is there something to the thought that older and returning students who study art have better success because they've given themselves the time to formulate and answer the hard questions about living life as a working artist?
I keep thinking about the parents who are spending $40,000-$60,000+ for a BFA and their kids have no clue about where their destiny resides. It's frightening to think that after spending four years devoted to something they love and are passionate about that many will go to the corporate world and leave their art in the garage waiting for the day when they awake and realize their true destiny.
Hoping for clarity...
Greg
Hi ,
I read this entry with interest, I found it very insightful. I would like to add that when I went to undergraduate school(BFA in painting from CSU) what one would do after graduation was never discussed, and it was almost frowned upon to talk about it, as if one was not being pure and true to one's art. The teachers all acted as if you really loved your work and where very committed to it, the trivialities of supporting oneself didn't matter. (Of course in the real world it is a different story.) Also the business aspects of art, how to approach a gallery, resumes, etc where never once addressed. Even when I went to graduate school (ASU) these things where only touched upon. I could go on with my opinions of grade inflation and art students as job security for the art school industry but I don't have time (must get in the studio)
I have really enjoyed your blog and have found it helpful.
Kay Tuttle
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I've been giving this idea of an artists exposure to entrepreneurship even deeper thought. Having been trained as a psychotherapist I'm reflecting on my training and realized I was never given any information on running a private practice. I've got lots of theory and all that punctuated with law and ethics, but no one every explained the mechanics of running a business. I think this idea of what we would consider to be "non-business" related businesses actually share a lot in common. Society doesn't think it's important enough to be included in the business discussion and artists, therapists, etc. only come to this realization after lots of angst and frustration.
Hopefully you're finding a way to explore your personal level of business intelligence.
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