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GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE PLEASE....
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GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE PLE... - 7/4/2008 7:30:14 PM
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spdrgrl.603
Posts: 69
Joined: 6/16/2008
From: Dallas, Texas originally
Status: offline
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hey all. i'm graduating this year! finally.... this is my fifth year at the NHIA and i'm looking at leaving NH and moving back to Texas. the only hard thing is i am an artist and i want to move to a state with a good university with a great fine arts program and a state that supports the fine arts. leaving NH is the hardest choice to make becuse of course Boston and New York are great supporters of the arts. but i'm home sick and miss my homestate (Texas)...... so here's my question for anyone in Texas.... is Texas a good fit? what universities could an art teacher teach at? are there any places in Texas that are art infested? i grew up in Dallas and haven't been back in twelve years so i'm pretty much out of the loop.
if anyone that lives in California has any answers too please lemme know. i'm also looking at california.
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/6/2008 11:36:39 AM
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spdrgrl.603
Posts: 69
Joined: 6/16/2008
From: Dallas, Texas originally
Status: offline
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okay 30 some people looked at this and no one has any ideas for me? i really need your help....
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/6/2008 3:48:52 PM
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SavedToo
Posts: 105
Joined: 4/12/2005
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If you want to teach, you will need to find a college that will hire you. There are art programs at many of the colleges in Texas. Don't have a clue if they are hiring. You would need to do your own research.
California? It's expensive.
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/6/2008 7:14:57 PM
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artemis
Posts: 1075
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My sister graduated from UT a few years ago with her bachelor's in Art and she loved the school. She also hasn't been able to find a job teaching art in the two years that she's been out. The Austin area is pretty saturated with teachers in general and art jobs are hard to find anywhere in public and private schools. I know quite a few teachers that have their degrees in art but are teaching a different subject and waiting for an art position to come along. This is in jr. high/high school, though. I have no idea what it is like trying to find a job teaching art at the college level.
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/6/2008 8:30:02 PM
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spdrgrl.603
Posts: 69
Joined: 6/16/2008
From: Dallas, Texas originally
Status: offline
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thanks a ton artemis.... i am doing research but the sites are too black and white. i hope i'll get more responses like yours. i'm asking anyone in texas or calif. because i want to know from personal experience... if anyone visiting this thread lives in either state, is a student in a school with a good art program (or teacher) or has a relative that has information.... i'm finishing my training as an art teacher so i can teach all levels but i really want to teach college because there is more freedom (figure drawing for example, printmaking with acid, etc).
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/6/2008 10:36:25 PM
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stellaluna
Posts: 3442
Joined: 4/11/2005
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Do you have a graduate degree? To teach at a 4-year school, you typically need at least 19 graduate hours, but really you need a Master's degree or higher (or MFA). You might be able to get a job at a community college with just a bachelor's degree, but usually they want graduate hours, too.
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"In one century, we went from teaching Greek and Latin in lower schools to teaching remedial English in colleges."
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/6/2008 10:54:28 PM
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spdrgrl.603
Posts: 69
Joined: 6/16/2008
From: Dallas, Texas originally
Status: offline
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well i'm finishing my BFA and my Masters. i'm getting the BFA at the New Hampshire Institute of Art (www.nhia.edu) and the master's at UNH. 5 years at the NHIA and 1 year at UNH.
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/7/2008 9:45:44 AM
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stellaluna
Posts: 3442
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If you have a Master's, then that's good. As others have said, it can be quite difficult to get a job teaching art anywhere. I wouldn't worry about which areas have a lot of art--I would just look for a job anywhere you can get one.
(I'm in Texas. I have no idea about California.)
_____________________________
CW Underground
"In one century, we went from teaching Greek and Latin in lower schools to teaching remedial English in colleges."
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/7/2008 12:51:26 PM
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spdrgrl.603
Posts: 69
Joined: 6/16/2008
From: Dallas, Texas originally
Status: offline
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i want to be a professional artist and a teacher. its done up here. i cant see myself just teaching.... i want to pick a place that's art supporting
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/7/2008 7:33:27 PM
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eaglelady11
Posts: 379
Joined: 7/20/2005
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well, I am in California and it very arts friendly. But it's expensive. I am a little confused, do you have your Masters Degree? There are Arts Festivals. There are colleges and Junior (community) colleges, there are Arts Colonies. There is the film industry. Also, northern California is a cornucopia of arts. But it's very liberal so if you are a conservative Christian, you'll find alternative lifestyles in conflict with your values.
what do you really want to do? the answer is inside you. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you. You could go someplace you've never thought of and be happier than pie. Let the Lord direct your paths.
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/7/2008 7:45:57 PM
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spdrgrl.603
Posts: 69
Joined: 6/16/2008
From: Dallas, Texas originally
Status: offline
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i want to teach, be a professional artist, and be near family. its hard hearing friends talk about driving two hours to see their grandparents or aunts when i have to fly 3,000 miles (which hasn't happened in a long time). 'cept for my mom and brother we are all alone. i want to leave this state because there are too many painful memories and change my name to my mom's maiden name.... i want to start life fresh (name change and leaving nh because of alcoholic abusive dad and miss family back west)
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/8/2008 4:02:37 PM
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reach
Posts: 1169
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: online
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SF has an Art School.
My friends all went down south to private design school. They went to animation and design school in Pasadena area.
I would agree with other though. I would see who is hiring and make a choice there.
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/9/2008 9:18:22 PM
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mommyto1
Posts: 39
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I believe you need to do a search for community colleges and try to teach at the 2year degree level. For most 4 year universities, you'll need a Ph.D. or at least ABD to apply. There should be a website for each state, something like Regents of Higher Education or comparable to give you state-wide openings. Now is definitely the time to look, as colleges do their hiring before Aug 1. (I teach adjunct at a local university, 6 hr/semester, with an MBA)
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/13/2008 3:33:26 PM
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shadowspring
Posts: 1516
Joined: 5/27/2006
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I've heard Austin is a good place for artists.
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RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE... - 7/15/2008 9:29:12 AM
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Row1
Posts: 200
Joined: 12/2/2005
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At the high school level, it is a big challenge to find an art teaching position anywhere. If you want to go along a well-outlined path, you are going to have to pay your dues.
There is a decent art scene in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. That does not translate to more college-level teaching jobs. There is a great deal of fine arts in Denton, at UNT. They are noted for their music program. But you have to line in or near Denton to teach there.
College-level teaching jobs are at universities and colleges.
There is a finite number of colleges, universities, junior colleges, and community colleges in Texas. You will need to get on the web and figure out how to find lists of these institutions. Then, figure out if they have an art department or fine arts department. Figure out who the leader of that department is. Then, call each and every one and tell them what you have noted here: you are planning to move to Texas for family reasons, you have [whatever] degree and experiences, and you would like to work as an art teacher for them.
Keep notes and follow up regularly. You may find nothing the first year, but find something after a year or two.
Here in Houston, we have a business called called 'Leisure Learning Unlimited.' Just google it. People teach informal classes on a variety of topics: gardening, bike repair, conversational Spanish, art, etc.
You could teach one or a few informal classes in whatever you want, while you work some 'day job' [waiter, retail clerk, etc], that allows you to make the geographic transition. You could work in an art supply store or arts-n-crafts store just so your retail job is a little closer to your heart's desire. Or be a staffer in a museum. We have a whole museum district here in Houston, although it is in the pricey high-rent part of town.
There are art leagues here in the Houston area. Kingwood Art Society, Tomball Art League, etc. These are focused on competent amateurs getting the opportunity to meet, and put on exhibitions. If you come to the Houston area, you could jump right in and start learning about local opportunities. I have no idea about Dallas, Austin or San Antonio as far as art leagues goes.
Austin is a unique, special place. Thousands of people go there for school at UT, then decide it is such a agreat town, that they want to stay there. So, they follow their heart's desire and get their degree in art or media studies or literature, these degrees that do not easily translate into jobs other than teaching, then they want to stay in Austin. Guess what? There are no job openings. Each year, these programs graduate way more students than they have professors. So, do the math and you see there is not a job for everyone with a degree in Elizabethan Literature.
So, Austin is full of PhDs working at bakeries, coffee shops, etc. It makes it a very cool place, but it is super competitive to get any professional job outside of business or IT.
Also, Austin has gotten very expensive. However, there are other great choices. Look at the list of the top ten largest cities in the U.S.: this list includes Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. Find some listing of cost-of-living, or median-one-family-house-value. You will find that the cost of living is amazingly lower than other big cities in the U.S., and far less expensive than California. Median house is like Texas cities: 150K, CA cities 450K. All three of these cities are growing. All three are growing suburbs to the north. That means growing community colleges and high schools.
There are art communities within Texas, similar to Santa Fe' gallery-focused art community. Kemah and Rockport and I don't know where else. If you are painting or sculpting, you can get pieces in galleries in any major Texas city, or these modest-size but high quality art colonies also.
So, I would I guess maybe try a two-strategy approach: 1. think up a plan to just get relocated in Texas, including just getting a basic, decent apartment for a year or two, and working at whatever to pay the bills until you find a professional position, and 2. identify potential employers and ask about jobs.
For the 2nd strategy, now is the time to ask: if places do not have their art teacher(s) in place right now, they are eagerly seeking to fill these.
I don't think your strategy of asking where there is a good art scene is the best strategy. There is a great art scene in Austin, but finding a college teaching job would be quite an accomplishment. Rockport has art galleries, but only a couple small colleges. They might need an art professor, but they are modest size schools (Delmar, Victoria).
In the big cities, you may discover a high school teaching position where they are eager to hire you -- for some specific reason -- such as the school is lousy. You are going to have to contact Texans you know, or PM me, to ask how lousy some high school might be. Myself, I would rather work retail or waiting tables a couple years to shop for a decent position than to get in some position that would kill my desire to teach.
Finally, one idea is to figure out what you want to ideally do with your life. If you want to create art, then create art. Don't devote your time on earth to study it, teach it, buy it, critique it, etc. Devote your time to making art. Keep getting better. Keep learning how people market their artwork. But don't expect some well-paved job path. That is for people like me who do more structured, mundane things.
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