My child graduated from VCUArts in 2021 and got a decent-paying job right away. Their degree was in cinema.

That said, since the pandemic, many, many, many, many, MANY of the VCU's classes are still virtual. Even the studio art classes. I wouldn't pay tuition for that now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any insight into whether National Portfolio Day is worthwhile?

Yes. It's a great way to get feedback on your work and see a range of departments/schools all at once.

For the portfolio, are people bringing actual work or images on an iPad? A couple of DC’s best pieces are quite large…

It varies. For large work/3-D work definitely digital documentation. Some kids bring a physical portfolio, but digital is increasingly the norm.

Heard great things about VCU
And SCAD - Savannah College of Art and Design

Anonymous wrote:DH and I both have BFAs from a top art school and out HHI is $320k. We are both working in fields related to our art degrees.

directly related or indirectly related? you are both photographers / sculptors or are you in animation - or advertising? Huge scope of possibilities and unless you're specific here, your comment is kind of worthless.

DH and I both have BFAs from a top art school and out HHI is $320k. We are both working in fields related to our art degrees.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any insight into whether National Portfolio Day is worthwhile?

Yes. It's a great way to get feedback on your work and see a range of departments/schools all at once.

For the portfolio, are people bringing actual work or images on an iPad? A couple of DC’s best pieces are quite large…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, my dd loves drawing, painting, ceramics, photography. She also loves museums and galleries. I want her to find a school where she can foster her love for these areas and be around other arty kids and adults, while also getting a broad based liberal arts degree. And not break the bank (I’m looking at you art schools in NYC).
She seems to like a bigger school, but I’ll have her check out anything that might fit the bill.

Thanks for the replies

Not to be a Cassandra, but unless you are wealthy and able to substantially support your kid after their art degree is over, this is mostly likely not a route your kid wants to go down.

Our kid with an art degree (BFA in Design and Production from UNC School of the Arts) had multiple job offers before graduation and chose a position with health care, retirement, vacation time, and other employee benefits. Good training plus strong networking provides lots of opportunities.

But most artists do not receive such offers snd have to be prepared to take secretarial and service jobs, which is why the BA is more useful

But the BA will almost never receive those offers if they are studying at a school that offers a BFA too. They are basically only 2/3 trained and committed vs. their peers.

Completely false. And the BA helps with getting the kind of jobs that will help
Pay off the loans, e.g., secretarial, paralegal, service industries

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, my dd loves drawing, painting, ceramics, photography. She also loves museums and galleries. I want her to find a school where she can foster her love for these areas and be around other arty kids and adults, while also getting a broad based liberal arts degree. And not break the bank (I’m looking at you art schools in NYC).
She seems to like a bigger school, but I’ll have her check out anything that might fit the bill.

Thanks for the replies

Not to be a Cassandra, but unless you are wealthy and able to substantially support your kid after their art degree is over, this is mostly likely not a route your kid wants to go down.

Our kid with an art degree (BFA in Design and Production from UNC School of the Arts) had multiple job offers before graduation and chose a position with health care, retirement, vacation time, and other employee benefits. Good training plus strong networking provides lots of opportunities.

Doing what though?
You're kind of confirming the assertion that you need to have something else, either family with money or a job that's completely left field of the art training, to survive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, my dd loves drawing, painting, ceramics, photography. She also loves museums and galleries. I want her to find a school where she can foster her love for these areas and be around other arty kids and adults, while also getting a broad based liberal arts degree. And not break the bank (I’m looking at you art schools in NYC).
She seems to like a bigger school, but I’ll have her check out anything that might fit the bill.

Thanks for the replies

Not to be a Cassandra, but unless you are wealthy and able to substantially support your kid after their art degree is over, this is mostly likely not a route your kid wants to go down.

Our kid with an art degree (BFA in Design and Production from UNC School of the Arts) had multiple job offers before graduation and chose a position with health care, retirement, vacation time, and other employee benefits. Good training plus strong networking provides lots of opportunities.

But most artists do not receive such offers snd have to be prepared to take secretarial and service jobs, which is why the BA is more useful

But the BA will almost never receive those offers if they are studying at a school that offers a BFA too. They are basically only 2/3 trained and committed vs. their peers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, my dd loves drawing, painting, ceramics, photography. She also loves museums and galleries. I want her to find a school where she can foster her love for these areas and be around other arty kids and adults, while also getting a broad based liberal arts degree. And not break the bank (I’m looking at you art schools in NYC).
She seems to like a bigger school, but I’ll have her check out anything that might fit the bill.

Thanks for the replies

Not to be a Cassandra, but unless you are wealthy and able to substantially support your kid after their art degree is over, this is mostly likely not a route your kid wants to go down.

I have an art degree and make over 200K a year. No one wealthy was supporting me. I started off as a graphic designer and now lead a design team.

How much were you making after graduation? Also assuming you did not go to grad school. That 200k can be after many years of employment.

Most people do not come out of college making $200,000 a year right away. It takes years.

Some people have to be reminded that not everyone is interested in jobs based on who makes the most money. They are looking to do what they love and what they’re good at. My daughter just finished a BFA in NYC. These students are incredibly resourceful in making money in NYC despite the high costs. Her classmates are varied, some middle class, some wealthy, some struggling. They are doing what they love.

So true. I know some animation/digital art students who create animated porn for sale. They said it pays well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, my dd loves drawing, painting, ceramics, photography. She also loves museums and galleries. I want her to find a school where she can foster her love for these areas and be around other arty kids and adults, while also getting a broad based liberal arts degree. And not break the bank (I’m looking at you art schools in NYC).
She seems to like a bigger school, but I’ll have her check out anything that might fit the bill.

Thanks for the replies

Not to be a Cassandra, but unless you are wealthy and able to substantially support your kid after their art degree is over, this is mostly likely not a route your kid wants to go down.

I have an art degree and make over 200K a year. No one wealthy was supporting me. I started off as a graphic designer and now lead a design team.

How much were you making after graduation? Also assuming you did not go to grad school. That 200k can be after many years of employment.

Most people do not come out of college making $200,000 a year right away. It takes years.

Some people have to be reminded that not everyone is interested in jobs based on who makes the most money. They are looking to do what they love and what they’re good at. My daughter just finished a BFA in NYC. These students are incredibly resourceful in making money in NYC despite the high costs. Her classmates are varied, some middle class, some wealthy, some struggling. They are doing what they love.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, my dd loves drawing, painting, ceramics, photography. She also loves museums and galleries. I want her to find a school where she can foster her love for these areas and be around other arty kids and adults, while also getting a broad based liberal arts degree. And not break the bank (I’m looking at you art schools in NYC).
She seems to like a bigger school, but I’ll have her check out anything that might fit the bill.

Thanks for the replies

Not to be a Cassandra, but unless you are wealthy and able to substantially support your kid after their art degree is over, this is mostly likely not a route your kid wants to go down.

Our kid with an art degree (BFA in Design and Production from UNC School of the Arts) had multiple job offers before graduation and chose a position with health care, retirement, vacation time, and other employee benefits. Good training plus strong networking provides lots of opportunities.

But most artists do not receive such offers snd have to be prepared to take secretarial and service jobs, which is why the BA is more useful

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, my dd loves drawing, painting, ceramics, photography. She also loves museums and galleries. I want her to find a school where she can foster her love for these areas and be around other arty kids and adults, while also getting a broad based liberal arts degree. And not break the bank (I’m looking at you art schools in NYC).
She seems to like a bigger school, but I’ll have her check out anything that might fit the bill.

Thanks for the replies

Not to be a Cassandra, but unless you are wealthy and able to substantially support your kid after their art degree is over, this is mostly likely not a route your kid wants to go down.

Our kid with an art degree (BFA in Design and Production from UNC School of the Arts) had multiple job offers before graduation and chose a position with health care, retirement, vacation time, and other employee benefits. Good training plus strong networking provides lots of opportunities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, my dd loves drawing, painting, ceramics, photography. She also loves museums and galleries. I want her to find a school where she can foster her love for these areas and be around other arty kids and adults, while also getting a broad based liberal arts degree. And not break the bank (I’m looking at you art schools in NYC).
She seems to like a bigger school, but I’ll have her check out anything that might fit the bill.

Thanks for the replies

Not to be a Cassandra, but unless you are wealthy and able to substantially support your kid after their art degree is over, this is mostly likely not a route your kid wants to go down.

There is that. My Art kid (fortunately) spun herself into game design which led to steady employment by Microsoft out of GMU, which is why you should try to direct your student into a BA or BS (computer sciences generated art) because your child is far more likely to get employed with a standard BA, etc. behind them than attending a dedicated art school. I know several classmates of DD who went that route and are working service jobs to pay off loans

I know someone with a recent degree in video game design from SCAD, with no job offer yet.

+1. SCAD is one I’m describing above

Anonymous wrote:Someone I met at work once told me almost all his classmates in art school gave up fine art for something else, many are in the digital art business. Another practical career path is medical illustrators.

A lot of these "practical" applications for art majors in digital arts/illustration are going to be eaten up by AI.