Students looking for a career in the arts shouldn't necessarily worry about the old stereotype of starving in a garret.
However, students concentrating in art, music and creative writing should be prepared to look at a wide variety of jobs, and not limit themselves to one ideal choice.
The outlook for careers in the arts is really "no better and no worse than ever," said Charles Baxter, an English professor and director of the University's Master's in Fine Arts program. However, Baxter cautioned students, "It's almost impossible to become a self-sustaining writer out of school."
These words of warning hold true for other types of artistic careers as well.
"It's tough and it always has been tough," said Morris Risenhoover, an assistant to the dean in the School of Music.
"All artists have known, from their teachers and parents and friends, that life in the arts is a highly competitive undertaking," Risenhoover said.
University alum Joshua Henkin, who graduated from the MFA program in 1993, has already discovered this fact. He currently lives in Ann Arbor and teaches private fiction workshops, but has also published short stories and has written a forthcoming novel.
But Henkin said he realized that artistic success is a chancy thing. "I think it is pretty difficult to find a job. It would be dishonest for me to say it's easy. But I don't think people come in with any illusions."
The difficulty of finding a creative job might seem to be a major obstacle. But, like Henkin, many students overcome it by obtaining jobs related to their field of interest. Gene Pijanowski, an associate dean in the School of Art, said that many Art graduates "go into fields aligned with, or in some proximity to, art."
As Henkin said, "You can count on two hands the number of people writing literary fiction and making a living from it. Plenty of people get jobs doing other things."
Some students are already thinking ahead and preparing for this possibility. Bronwen Rae, a Music junior, said, "I want to be an opera singer - my main thing is performing. So if I can't perform in one medium, I'll try and perform in another."
Kelly Hirina, a Music first-year student who plans to major in dance, also said she worries about finding a job. "I want to be a performer or choreographer, but if I couldn't, I'd probably go back to school."
However, students can prepare for the job search even during their undergraduate years, by developing a range of interests.
"We try to admit students who are strong both artistically and academically," Pijanowski said. "We encourage a strong academic course of study, and we encourage a major outside the School of Art, maybe even a second undergraduate degree. It gives students more flexibility."
Students often benefit from their professors' advice. Risenhoover said that this system operates in the School of Music. "Our principal career counseling is between a student and his or her teacher, who for the most part has been there and can give excellent guidance," he said.
Baxter also had suggestions for undergraduates.
"Writers need to read and write as much as they can, and to send their work out to magazines and work on getting published."
Still, many would say it is most important that students maintain their commitment to the arts. Risenhoover characterized such students as "driven, obsessed with the arts. ... It doesn't matter at all what anybody says. Hardships laid out for them don't dissuade them."
And even if students don't find their ideal job right away, there is still hope, Baxter said.
"Do whatever you can to put food on the table, but save time during the day for your writing," he said.
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
Eight-year-old Rachel Miller gets her copy of Polar Express signed by its author, Christopher Van Allsburg. Van Allsburg was recently on campus to receive his Distinguished Alumni Award. He graduated from the University in 1974.