Careers in Culture

Visual Arts and Crafts

Welcome

A career in visual arts and crafts is a rewarding one with many opportunities and challenges. Using quizzes and interactive tools, this site will lead you to discover:

• Whether a career in visual arts and crafts is for you
• The skills you need to be a visual artist
• The multiple opportunities available in visual arts and crafts
• Tools and tips for getting your ideal job

If you have an interest in design and a mind of creativity a career in visual arts and crafts could be for you.

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• 
  What You Need To Know

• Starting With You

• Challenges and Opportunities

• What's Happening Today

• Focus On Your Career

• 
  What You Need To Do

• What Visual People Do

• Career Routes

• Work Search Strategies
   

• Credits

• Want More Information?

 

Printable version

The Mind's Eye: Careers in Visual Arts and Crafts A classroom ready printable booklet. You will find quizzes on a student's aptitudes and knowledge of the sector; articles and testimonials on career options and paths; and work search strategies including sample résumés and interview questions. CHRC Member $7.49 CADNon-member $9.99 CAD   Learn more Sample Pages

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Introduction

Do you dream in colour? Is your eye constantly engaged with the shape, line and curve of things? Are your hands always doing, creating? Then perhaps you should consider a career in the visual arts, crafts or design. Craftspeople have an opportunity to create objects that are beautiful and often functional. Visual artists challenge viewers to see the world around them with new eyes. Designers make functional objects attractive and pleasing to use. Artists and craftspeople have made their mark since the dawn of civilization, and continue to light our way in exploring the potential of our worlds – real and imagined. If you choose a visual arts, crafts or design career, you’ll find a world of opportunity to express yourself.

The Mind's Eye: Careers in Visual Arts, Crafts and Design is part of a series of online resources to help you research, plan and achieve your cultural career goals. They have been developed by the Cultural Human Resources Council, a national not for profit organization that represents artists and arts organizations across Canada. Explore CHRC’s website to learn more about other careers in culture.

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Website organization

Section 1 – What You Need to Know

In the first section, “What You Need to Know”, we:

• Look at the various job opportunities available in visual arts and crafts and graphic design.
• Help you determine if careers in visual arts, crafts or graphic design might be in your future.
• Examine some of the things successful visual arts and crafts people have in common.
• Explore the future of visual arts and crafts and learning.

Section 2 – What You Need to Do

In the second section, “What You Need to Do”, we:

• Explore the various educational paths you should follow in order to make yourself marketable in the competitive visual arts and crafts field.
• Show you how to market yourself by creating great cover letters, effective résumés, and performing well in interviews.
• Provide you with a list of helpful links, so that when you are ready to pursue your exciting new career, you will have all the tools at your disposal.

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Visual careers

You'll find hundreds of careers for visual creators and workers. Here are some examples: