I have a number of students ask me what careers they can pursue in the arts. This list is by no means exhaustive and includes some careers best served by dual majors, but here are some of the possible employers/roles in no particular order:
- technical/medical illustration with the military, medical publishing, engineering firms
- commercial illustration
- graphic design/web design/user interface design
- game development
- animation
- 3D animation
- running CAD systems
- film
- concept artist
- product design
- advertising/marketing
- printmaking studios
- photography studios
- ceramics studios
- jewelry studios
- metalsmithing
- furniture restoration/design
- textile studios
- personal studio practice
- portrait artist
- caricature artist
- art festival circuit
- Etsy/Amazon Handmade/online vendor
- tattoo parlors
- sign companies
- galleries/museums
- art theory/writing
- scene design
- interior design
- faux-finishing/mural work in collaboration with interior designers
- staging store window displays
- cake decorator
- special effects/makeup artist
- art teaching positions at K-12 private schools (public typically requires additional certification beyond a BA in art)
- community arts center/camp/craft instructors
- teaching adults at those "Painting and Pinot" type night/weekend classes
- private art lessons
With graduate school, additional options open up like art therapy, higher education, and more.