How to forge a career in the arts
By Jenny Ringland
Forget bachelor degrees and PhDs. When it comes to forging a successful career in the arts, persistence and passion are essential qualities to have.
According to research by the Australia Council, only one in 50 artists earn more than $150,000 a year for their creative work.
Big picture
Art gallery owner Iain Dawson says while university graduates may have well-rounded artistic skills upon completion of their arts degree, they have no knowledge of how to market them.
“I deal with emerging artists through my gallery and they have no idea how to interact in the art world,” Dawson says.
“It’s all about relations, go out and meet as many people as possible in the industry, go to exhibition openings, offer to intern at galleries, say you’ll serve drinks at openings.”
That’s the experience of curator and gallery owner Dougal Phillips who says he “fell into” his career by putting on shows and writing in his spare time after paid jobs.
Artists struggling to receive recognition for their work should consider using their skill in a different way within the industry, Dawson says.
“You could do a masters in museum studies and find work in museums,” he says. “Local and state governments offer art-based positions, you could be an arts and culture officer for example.”
The Australia Council’s Art Start program is a $10,000 grant for recent graduates, which can be used on things such as computers, rent and travel for research.
Art Start program director Kath Melbourne says two-thirds of applicants are successful.
“We recognise that the key time for challenge for an artist is the transition between study and becoming a professional,” Melbourne says.
She recommends emerging artists tap into the resources of fringe festivals.
“The Next Wave festival has a callout for artists to display their work, as do most festivals,” she says.
“Artists need to be resilient and flexible. They need to be strategic and find out about new opportunities.”
Career path
Dougal Phillips (pictured) runs the curatorial department for visual arts festival Performa in New York. He’s also part-owner of emerging artists gallery Chalk Horse in Surry Hills.
“The thing about curating is that lots of people want to do it, but it’s a very weird and niche job so there are very few real jobs available,” Phillips says.
Phillips says an interest in a broad spectrum of areas is key.
“The big curators I work for who run museums and biennales often have backgrounds in history, theatre, archeology and architecture. They’re often as interested in folk music, B-grade movies, UFOs and ancient Egypt as they are in art itself. That’s what makes them good at their jobs.”
Getting ahead
“If you wait around for someone to offer you a job it’s nearly impossible to find a job,” Phillips says.
“Yes, there are lots of jobs around at museums and local galleries and festivals but you have to already be doing the work yourself, like putting on shows, writing, publishing magazines, volunteering at the MCA or Biennale or doing public guerrilla art projects.”
Number crunch
The arts Career prospects: painter, sculptor, art gallery tour guide, museum curator, arts officer, teacher
Salary: entry-point $0-$10K, average $36K, top end $150K
Jobs advertised this month on careerone.com.au: 137
More information: cofa.unsw.edu.au; sydney.edu.au/sca; nas.edu.au
