29 List Of Careers In Art & Career Paths

A full list of careers in art and a summarised career path for artists. If you have a passion for art, there are actually several careers you can opt for and grow into becoming a professional in your field, making a decent living from what you do. 

If you are confused about which career to embrace in art, this article will be of help. 

List Of Careers In Art

  • Art Acquisitions Specialist/Art Investor
  • Advertising Artist
  • Animator/Cartoonist/Character Artist/Multimedia Artist
  • Antique Art Appraiser/Estate Art Appraiser
  • Antique Art Restorer
  • Architectural Designer
  • Art Auctioneer
  • Art Director
  • Art Gallery Curator
  • Art Gallery Manager/Owner
  • Art Historian
  • Art Librarian
  • Art Professor
  • Art Teacher
  • Art Therapist
  • Artist Agent
  • Arts Organization Fundraiser
  • Commercial Artist/Layout Artist/Graphic Artist or Designer
  • Courtroom Artist
  • Craft and Fine Artists/Painters/Glassblowers/Potters
  • Creative Art Director
  • Illustrator
  • Logo Designer
  • Museum Art Archivist
  • Museum Art Curator
  • Museum Art Manager or Director
  • Police Sketch Artist
  • Portrait Artist
  • Sketch Artist

Short Description Of Careers in Art

  • 1. Art Acquisitions Specialist/Art Investor

Your job in this field is to develop, acquire, and produce artwork for projects/shows. You can also make a lot of money assisting clients hoping to add art to their portfolios. 

  • 2. Advertising Artist

If you opt for this career, your job is to create and design visuals for various advertising and marketing campaigns, and you are actually likely to work for an advertising agency. 

  • 3. Animator/Cartoonist/Character Artist/Multimedia Artist

Actually, the primary responsibility of an animator is to create frames (multiple images) to generate the appearance of movement (animation). This is an exciting career though, and you can work with a television production company, or even with a video game manufacturer, 

  • 4. Antique Art Appraiser/Estate Art Appraiser

This career will set you on the paths of acquiring immense knowledge in the history of art and antiques, although you can decide to specialize in a certain art period or type of art collection pieces. So, what you will primarily do is to evaluate pieces of art to determine authenticity and monetary value. 

  • 5. Antique Art Restorer

The job of this professional is to assess damaged artwork (including books, paintings, sculptures, etc) and determine the best way to restore it to its original or nearly original appearance. 

  • 6. Architectural Designer

Their job is primarily to create project layouts, plans, and drawings for clients using CAD software. 

  • 7. Art Auctioneer

Your job here will be to conduct evaluations and assessments of various art objects, including determining the age, origin, quality, and condition for setting a price value. 

  • 8. Art Director

Your job will be to oversee the visual art that is used in various media, including websites, newspapers, magazines, packaging, and movie/television productions. 

  • 9. Art Gallery Curator

Their primary responsibility is to assemble, catalog, and manage various art collections – as well as presenting/ displaying these collections. 

  • 10. Art Gallery Manager/Owner

Their major role is to oversee the everyday operation of a business and any supplies needed, staff payroll, and any operational issues. 

  • 11. Art Historian

Your job as an art historian is simply to research and analyze artwork, as well as interpret various pieces of art so as to define the period and circumstances of its creation. 

  • 12. Art Librarian

Their job is simply to see to the organization of visual arts, as they will provide easy access to the information that explains each art piece.

  • 13. Art Professor

This is obvious – teaching about the field in a college or university.

  • 14. Art Teacher

As an art teacher, you can teach at any school grade level from kindergarten to high school.

  • 15. Art Therapist

To become an art therapist, you are required to hold a Master of Art Therapy degree.

  • 16. Artist Agent

Your job is to represent the artist and works to promote and sell their work. 

  • 17. Arts Organization Fundraiser

Their major role is actually to promote and develop art within a community featuring various artists. 

  • 18. Commercial Artist/Layout Artist/Graphic Artist or Designer

Their responsibility is to come up with creative visual concepts and get them implemented – either manually or with computer software. It should also be added that they mostly work in the advertising/marketing niche. 

  • 19. Courtroom Artist

Your job is to create artistic renderings of the proceedings of a courtroom trial. 

  • 20. Craft and Fine Artists/Painters/Glassblowers/Potters

They create art to sell. They employ different methods to create original art. You’ll create art to sell. 

  • 21. Creative Art Director

They find careers in visual arts, including newspapers, advertising agencies, product packaging, and movie or television productions. 

  • 22. Illustrator

They work on projects, such as illustrating books, magazines, greeting cards, or advertisements. 

  • 23. Logo Designer

You will be is a graphic artist specializing in one type of work. 

  • 24. Museum Art Archivist

Their major responsibility is to get themselves concerned with the documentation of works of art. 

  • 25. Museum Art Curator

They are to study and work to authenticate art objects, as well as research the origin and history of each object.

  • 26. Museum Art Manager or Director

They are trained to have a deep knowledge of a museum’s art collection and guides the museum art department

  • 27. Police Sketch Artist

They are usually part of the forensic department and is also called a composite artist. They do depend on their sketches to get criminals. 

  • 28. Portrait Artist

They have the skills to make a comic book and can work with a graphic novel publisher or movie/television company. They can also make individual, family, or group portraits for diverse places.

  • 29. Sketch Artist

You might work with law enforcement, or create graphic novels and comic books. You can use what you have to draw the likeness of individuals. 

How To Start A Career In Art

An art career, like several others, won’t just happen overnight, but you must take appropriate steps. You will need a plan, and work hard towards actualizing your vision. Here are some important things you must do to start a career in Art. 

  1. Develop Your Skills

You should start here. One may have natural talent quite alright, but you see, without hard work, the raw skills may not take the person very far. Hence, Take a Few Courses, Practice on Your Own, and also get exposed to art by going to Museums, Galleries, and Shows

  1. Make a Studio Space

Having your own studio space is important, and has several benefits. It will also ensure that you do your works without distractions. Keep the studio Private, Consider Indoor Air Quality and Work with as Much Light as Possible

  1. Find Your Artistic Voice

Do all it takes to hone your creative voice too. Of course, you will know yourself better (in regards to your artistic voice) as you work harder and study. Just keep exploring new ideas, subject matters, and methods. Also, learn to talk about art and make friends with artists.

  1. Make Yourself Known

Enter art competitions, sell your work at craft shows, make business cards and postcards, and also take your work to galleries. Additionally, try to develop a network

  1. Learn to Run a Business

You might be employed by an organization, and you can do things independently. Know what you want, set goals, and ensure you are reliable. 

Arts Career Paths

As explored earlier, there are several ways you can actualise your passion for art, and make a good living from what you do. You can simply keep growing in your field by accumulating more relevant skills and getting new knowledge. 

General Requirement To Study Arts 

Actually, the requirements for admission to an art course will vary between countries and institutions. Therefore, simply approach your school of choice and get to know their requirements. 

Closing

Closing on the list of careers in art and the career path, as you have seen, there are tons of things you can do with art. Here is a field that majorly deals with creativity, and you will enjoy seeing the results of what you produced