Currently the employment options for art graduates are better than any other time in the history of mankind. This is the first time in human history that artists have had career opportunities that consist of actual 9 to 5 jobs. Before our time an artist had to be among the elite few who were on retainer by governments or churches, or they eked out a meager living as a craftsman or just plain starved or gave up to pursue a different career. Today however, new technologies and new media have presented artists with an abundance of employment opportunities.
In 2006 the video game industry, one of the largest employers of artists and designers, surpassed the film industry in both growth and earnings. By this year the video games industry is expected to become a $13 billion industry in the United States alone. (Anderson) There are many jobs in that industry that are demanding artists that are well trained in the disciplines of painting, drawing, design and animation. Such jobs include character, environment and interface design for games. Production design, art direction and storyboarding for live action film, and effects and character animation for animated feature films. Other jobs may include graphic design in publishing as well as new media jobs such as web design and motion graphics for broadcasting. All of these professional fields are demanding of skilled and well trained artists with academic credentials, the kind of credentials that DSC currently lacks.
On top of those careers we have an abundance of Baby-boomer teachers retiring over the next 15 years. The NCTAF stated in a symposium report that about 700,000 teachers would be retiring over the next decade and that made up only 28% of the hiring needs during that period (Unraveling the “Teacher Shortage” Problem). Certainly some of those jobs are going to be art instructor jobs that need to be filled with qualified artists who have chosen to be educators, this is why it is important that DSC has a program that can develop art students qualified to fill these demanding jobs. It is also clear that there are indeed job opportunities out there for individuals post-graduation, if they have the credentials and quality training.
If the argument is to have programs that can make our students competitive in the jobs market then funding and developing a solid art program at DSC could accomplish just that, and it would attract a greater number of tuition paying students. Professor Parson stated that his brother who instructs at BYU-Idaho told him “they have 1,400 art majors. That’s more than 10% of their student body.” When asked if having a bachelors of arts program at DSC would attract more students Prof. Parson simply stated; “Absolutely. If we have a quality offering.” Professor Glen Blakely added that Utah Valley State College had 2,200 art students (Blakely). Prof. Parson disclosed that when students would inquire of him where they should seek an art education he would “tell them to go somewhere else. I’ve probably told hundreds of perspective students over the years that they should go somewhere else.” (Parson)
Alumni Mike Malm, currently one of the most collected artists in the southwestern art community, was such a student. After attaining his Associates Degree he transferred to another college so that he could get his bachelor’s degree. And while he has enjoyed great success, he continues to credit his training with Prof. Del Parson as one of his biggest influences. There are too many stories of students that have gone on to further their education elsewhere, not because they didn’t think there were opportunities for success out there, but because Dixie State College couldn’t offer them the credentials they needed to pursue them.
0 comments:
Post a Comment