what does it take to make it into a good art school and make a good paying career out of it ?

Hi Lindsey:

Good question! You're being very rational about what could be an irrational choice of career. First off, you have to really love art, love the art you do and will do, and be willing to pursue a challenging career choice. Chances are, you won't make a lot of money, especially at first, but the longer you stick with an art career, the financial aspects will improve, but never (or rarely never) to the level of pay that other professionals earn, such as doctors, lawyers, MBA's and so on. That is the reality that many people in the arts face.

There are art careers that give more financial stability. Architects make good money, but it is a long road to becoming one; after graduate school in architecture you have to work under another architect for several years. Graphic designers, illustrators, commercial photographers, interior designers, industrial designers, fabric and textile designers, all can earn pretty good salaries and even get some benefits, depending on the company or business they work for. There is a lot of competition for these jobs, and many young artists get their foot in the door by doing internships or starting out as "assistants" for little pay. Designers and illustrators may work for companies on a freelance basis.

Being an art teacher, the route that I choose, was a great choice for me; I loved teaching art, working with kids, and having the summers off to pursue my own work. I made a decent living, with benefits, and I am now retired.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are the fine art painters, sculptors, printmakers, and so on. These artists sell their work, and are essentially self-employed. Depending on the quality of their work, how much it is "in demand", and if they are represented by a gallery or have other venues to sell their work, they can earn a lot of money, but the reality is that most fine artists need to have a "day job" to support themselves, especially at the beginning.

Remember, there are also art related careers, such as working in museums, galleries, and community art centers. Working in museums or galleries does not pay much, but you will get a steady pay check. Again, these jobs are competitive, so volunteering in a museum or having an internship will help. If there is a career center at your school, or local library, you can research careers in these fields.

To get into an art school, I would talk to your art teacher, and tell him or her you want to pursue a career in visual art. As a teacher, I was always happy to learn about a student who was very serious about art as a future career. You might start thinking about what kind of an art career you want to follow, and talk to your teacher about that too. Talk to him or her about your art portfolio for applying to art schools and colleges and ask what has worked for students in the past. I know they will have some suggestions for you to follow; be an excellent student in their classes and listen to their advice and guidance. Most art schools have portfolio requirements, so you could take a look at those as a guide. Generally, for your portfolio, choose artworks that show the strengths of your art talent and of your ideas; don't worry about being "perfect".

I hope this helps.

Ellen, what a thorough and thoughtful answer.

I don't think there's much to expand upon there. Having a career in the arts, especially fine arts, takes risk and passion to be successful. College is a great time to experiment and figure out what is most important to you, what drives you.

My advice is to keep an open mind, try a lot of things, and work to build your creative thinking, writing and communication skills. I find a lot of the successful members in the arts community are those that can express themselves well, are resourceful, and bring other assets to the table in addition to their studio work.