Art Careers

Artists can typically be categorized into four groups:

• Art Directors: Art directors develop design concepts for media pieces and oversee the entire creation and production process..
• Craft Artists: Craft artists hand-make objects, such as candles, tapestries, quilts, and pottery, to be sold or shown..
• Fine Artists: Fine artists create items such as paintings, sculpture, and illustrations that are often displayed in museums and galleries..
• Multimedia Artists: Multimedia artists create images for film, video and other forms of electronic media..

In 2004, 64% of artists were self-employed, but many find work with museums, galleries, schools, advertising agencies, magazines, newspapers, and movie studios. Through 2014, employment opportunities are expected to grow as fast as average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), though competition in all art and design fields is generally quite keen. The outlook is most favorable for multimedia artists as the demand for special effects in movies and television, animation, and video games increases.

Salaries vary greatly for artists. Median earnings for salaried artists in May 2004 ranged from $23,520 for craft artists to $63,840 for art directors. Freelance artists, however, do not have a steady salary and must work to ensure a constant stream of income.