Making a Career in Art and Design

Ever since, many more training grounds have continued to emerge across the academic landscape in the form of art departments and faculties and schools in many higher institutions of learning thus, making the pursuit of art career more feasible and exciting, a lot of career mileage has since been accomplished in the artistic/creative, employment and industrial sectors of the nation. 

Some of these institutions include all the Universities, Polytechnics and several Colleges of Education that offer fine and, or applied art as a course of study such as in the few following: Ahmadu Bello University – Zaria, University of Nigeria –Nsukka, University of Benin, Obafemi Awolowo University – Ife, Yaba College of Technology, Auchi Polytechnic, the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) - Enugu, Kaduna (federal) Polytechnic, Akwa Ibom State University, Uyo, University of Port Harcourt, University of Maiduguri, University of Lagos, etc.

Painting by Morgan Nwanguma

For any aspiring art student or artist today however, it is worth mentioning here that the career prospects are limitless and the opportunities numerous. Thus art is a terrain that borders on the entire creative departments of all human endeavours. Applied art or Industrial Design is an area that embraces every aspect of Commercial Art, whiles the Fine Arts such as Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Print-making, are strictly specialised studio practices. Media art is a utilisation of the various working tools applicable to creative/visual media practice such as photography, film, video, theatre, sound, and slide, etc. 

Upon graduation from art school, anyone who specialises in any of these areas, will definitely be able to do well practicing as a full time artist either in a private studio or employed to work for someone or a company. The trained artist is a versatile human being, and thus can work in the department of culture as a cultural officer; he can also work in a Gallery as a Curator, or take up a teaching appointment while still practicing his art privately. There is also nothing stopping the artist from becoming a freelancer and working for different organizations at the same time.

Also, as a specialist in any of the fine arts, or applied arts such as Graphics, Textile design, Ceramics, Fashion design, Glass technology, the artist is able to adapt himself to fit into any creative units in the industry. These days however, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has even broadened the scope of Industrial Design to also include Web design and all that the computer and the Internet technology is enabling the artists and designers to perform, and to earn a very lucrative living.


THE ADVERTISING AND MEDIA WORLD

A lot of high profile opportunities and job prospects exist in the Advertising world. The creative departments in media and advertising are where artists are employed to give expression to their creative energies - working as Visualisers, Graphic designers, Illustrators, etc. Today a wave of electronic images and their manipulation for creative purposes is presenting a new form of visual energy and possibility. Computer graphics, image scanning and alteration, image transmission, graphic animation, visual databases, and computer interactive packages are making industrial performance more efficient and quick. Artworks and ideas are easily developed for presentation via dot matrix thermal, inkjet, laser, as well as electronic plotting, video, and laserdisc and augmented through photographic modification and other classic studio media.

Art Business

The business of art is a topic that is hardly discussed in corporate or business circles in Nigeria. This is evidence of the level of ignorance that is bedevilling our society as a whole. However, it is also a fact that a depressed economy is not exactly a fertile ground for the flowering of a robust art culture hence it is popular knowledge that art is mostly an elitist meal. A patron of art must have the power of purchase as it were. But that is speaking in the formalistic sense. Suffice it to say however that in everyday human existence there is art, and so in that sense we all are indirectly and unconsciously involved in the patronage in and usage of art and artistic products or creations.

But the issue is that our society is still developing and we are still grappling with the pedestrian issues of survival and consumption culture. As a people, we wallow in a self imposed life style of distractions, anxiety and disorientation. Among the signposts of development and I dare say civilisation and modern development is the level or artistic nay creative awareness, advancement and sophistication. By the time a conscious awareness and orientation is built into the system by purposeful policies, it generally rubs off on every sector of societal developmental machinery.

It is sad to say that the spirit and power behind our great artistic heritage and civilisations of the world renowned Igbo Ukwu, Nok, Benin and Ife cultures were lost somewhere along the line in the course of time. The instrument necessary for quest for societal change and leadership thrust lie in the letters and arts. The leadership will necessarily employ the instrumentality of the arts in galvanising society. Thus scientists, engineers as well as designers, etc are put to work.

Art appreciation and aesthetic values as a matter of conscious policy decisions must be inculcated into the citizenry to birth this revolution. And by the time this is done, we will begin to see a great attitudinal redirection and change that will on its own begin to fashion our existence as a people and as a nation.

In the advanced climes it is normal, and it is also a matter of policy that every public building have in its plan and construction, provision for artistic embellishment. It is a part of the architectural policy, it is also a part of the landscaping, and tourism policy, for all that it matters. And these will generally include historical, aesthetic, monumental, cultural, and economical considerations and implications.

Now let us look at the worth of an artwork: Mona Lisa (1503-7), measuring 77x53cm – the portrait of the wife of a local Italian peasant painted by Leonardo da Vinci, today is arguably the most important singular piece of artwork, both in terms of value as well as popularity. According to the Guinness Book of Records, Mona Lisa was assessed for insurance purposes at $100 million in 1962, but insurance was not concluded because the cost of the strictest security precautions was less that of the premium. Due to our level of development however, we are still not able to see art as an investment as is the case in the advanced world.

Again let us look at another typical scenario: A compilation of original manuscripts, sketches and studies carefully put together by the same artist during his life time, comprising of architectural studies, the elements of mechanics, and human anatomy are now hungrily collected by museums and individuals (Bill Gates some years back plunked down $30 million for the Codex Leicester, one of the documents!). Thus artworks can be valued and recognised, as well as accepted as collaterals by banks, etc.

Morgan Nwanguma
Lagos