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Career Explorations - Arts & Media
About This Cluster:
The Arts & Media Cluster includes jobs performing in theater, dance
and music, and such behind-the-scenes jobs in set design, lighting and
camera work. This cluster also includes the visual arts, such as painting
and sculpture, and the management of theaters, museums, art galleries
and concert spaces.
Also in this cluster are jobs in radio, television, films, newspapers
and magazines, that might include announcing, acting, filming, producing,
editing and reporting. Advertising is part of this cluster, as are jobs
in commercial art, design and photography studios.
Types of Jobs and Where They Are
In Connecticut, organizations in the Arts & Media Cluster continue
to need people to work in a large variety of jobs.
Museums and art galleries
not only need people knowledgeable about the visual arts, but also
people who understand how to display art
and to manage finances, buildings and organizations.
Connecticut newspapers
need people to write, edit and to manage all aspects of the business.
Reporters must be able to collect information
accurately and write clearly and quickly. Editors must have excellent
writing, editing and, often, desktop publishing skills. Technical
people get the paper printed.
Connecticut radio and television stations
not only need announcers, commentators and reporters, but also technical
people. In addition,
theaters, film production companies and concert spaces are businesses
that need employees with the same business and financial
skills that other industries do.
Making a good living in the performing
arts takes enormous talent, motivation and sometimes luck. Many
people enjoy using their performing
skills in regional and community theaters and other groups while
also working other jobs.
To give students a picture of the exciting
career opportunities in the state, we filmed people at work in a variety
of careers in member companies and agencies throughout the state. The
careers highlighted in the videos included jobs for graduating high
school students, people with 2-year, 4-year
and
advanced
degrees.
Examples of jobs highlighted in the videos are:Musician, Production
Manager, Producer/Director,
Installation
Manager.
There is also a video available for this
cluster that includes worksite footage and interviews from the following
companies: Goodspeed Opera House, Yale Center for British Art, Motion
Inc., Multi-Music Services and WNBC-TV 30.
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Educational Background Needed
Through research and communication with the Department of Labor and professionals in the state, it was noted that talented people can break into a variety of jobs in the arts without degrees. However, a four-year degree or above can be helpful in landing a first job, or in finding positions in larger organizations and communities where the competition is stiff. A bachelor's degree or above is particularly important if you are interested in arts management.
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Kinds of People Who Work in This Cluster
Working in this cluster often appeals to people:
•
Who are strongly drawn to performing
•
Who tend to see the world in terms of color and design
•
Who enjoy expressing themselves through drawing, writing, music or dance
•
Who are fascinated by the artistic and technical results that can be
achieved by using computers
•
Who are very interested in current events, trends and have a gift of
communication
Characteristics and Skills Vital for Advancement
Employers and experts cite the following practical and academic skills
as keys to advancement in the Arts & Media Cluster and all
job clusters. (Download
the Industry Skills Standards for Arts & Media
- 12 page PDF file)
• Strong literacy and excellent communication skills
• State-of-the-art computer and technology skills
• Strong math skills, and science skills in some fields
• Teamwork skills
• Flexibility and desire to learn new skills
• Cross-functionalism: the ability to transfer skills and learn new ones
in order to perform many functions in the workplace
• Multicultural awareness
• Fluency in at least one other language, in some fields
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Education Requirements and Average Salary Levels
Note: All salary ranges listed are current industry averages. Actual
jobs may pay more or less depending on a number of factors.
Level
of attainment: High school diploma, college associate’s
degree, or specialized training:
- Arts Administration/Management $22,000 - $43,000
Arts administrator, artist’s representative/agent, events
manager, fund raiser, assistant gallery director, grant writer, marketing/public
relations assistant, sales
- Performing Arts — Music $28,000
- $42,000
Composer, conductor, instructor/educator, musician
- Performing Arts — Dance
$26,000 - $42,000
Choreographer, dance notator, instructor/educator, performer
- Performing
Arts — Theater $25,000 - $67,000
Actor, director, dramaturge, performance artist, puppeteer, mime,
storyteller
- Photography $22,000 - $45,000
Commercial/fashion/forensic/industrial/news photographer, photojournalist,
photo technician, public safety photographer
- Production/execution
assistant $24,000 - $50,000
Costume designer, director — video/t.v., film, audio, theater;
editor — video/t.v., film, audio; lighting designer, producer-video/t.v.,
film, audio; production manager, set designer, stage manager
- Technician
$28,000 - $46,000
Audio-visual specialist, best boy/girl, broadcast technician,
CAD operator, gaffer, grip, lighting/recording technician, stage
technician
- Visual
Arts $25,000 - $43,000
Cartoonist, craftsperson — weaver, glassblower, potter; graphics
designer, Illustrator, Instructor/educator, painter, sculptor,
textile designer
For Bachelor’s, Masters or Doctorate Degrees/Other Professional
Degrees & Certificates
- Writers and Editors
Bachelor’s Degree $27,000 - $54,000
Reporter or correspondent, writer, critic, editor, author, playwright,
poet, producer — electronic, Web
- Production/Execution
Bachelor’s Degree $25,000 - $69,000
Producer — cable and commercial television, video, audio, theater,
film, multimedia; editor — television, video, audio, film, multimedia,
and the Web; costume/lighting/set/sound designer, stage/production manager
- Visual
Arts
Bachelor’s Degree $40,000 - $65,000
Illustrator (with strong computer science background), stage/graphic/textile/jewelry/fashion/furniture
designer, industrial design (i.e., product design, cars, etc.),
architect, painter, sculptor, craftsperson (weaver, glassblower,
potter, etc.)
- Master’s
Degree $43,000 - $81,000
Music teacher, computer technology teacher — with visual
arts background
- Performing Arts — Music, Dance, Theater
Bachelor’s Degree $47,000 - $83,000
Actor, choreographer, composer, dancer, dance notator, dance therapist,
musician, stage designer, artistic director, drammaturge, art/theater/music
therapist
Master’s Degree $53,000 - $90,000
Teacher, conductor
- Photography
Bachelor’s Degree $35,000 - $79,000
Photojournalist, commercial photographer — fashion, forensic,
industrial; photographic artist
- Multimedia Arts/Entertainment
Bachelor’s Degree $41,000 - $81,000
Multimedia edutainment developer — includes CD-ROM; multimedia
entertainment developer — includes CD-ROM, Internet program developer
Master’s
Degree $57,000 - $69,000
Software engineer for special effects, cartoon features, etc.
- Arts
Administration/Marketing
Bachelor’s Degree $40,000 - $78,000
Arts administrator, development director/grant writer, community/corporate
relations director, marketing director, museum curator, cyberspace
specialist, internet and online service director, direct marketing
specialist or
director; special events consultant, attraction manager — computerized
ticket planning and management
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Additional Resources
Arts & Media Career Explorations
Video
Teacher's
Guide for Careers in Arts & Media (PDF
file)
Student
Activity Sheets for Careers in Arts & Media (PDF file)
Industry
Skills Standards booklet (Arts & Media
section only) (PDF file)
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