Visual Arts
A career in visual arts offers boundless opportunities for artistic expression and personal growth. As a visual artist, you have the privilege of transforming your imagination into tangible masterpieces that can evoke emotions, challenge perceptions, and leave a lasting impact on the world. Whether you choose to specialize in painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, digital art, or any other medium; your journey begins with a deep passion for creativity and a desire to communicate your ideas through visual storytelling.
This career path is a continuous learning process, where you constantly refine your technical skills, explore new techniques, and experiment with different styles to develop your unique artistic voice. Visual artists often find themselves navigating a diverse range of avenues, from showcasing their works in galleries and exhibitions to collaborating with designers, filmmakers, and other creative professionals on collaborative projects. A career in visual arts demands perseverance and adaptability, as you may need to balance periods of solitude in your studio with engaging with the art community and seeking opportunities for exposure.
EXPLORE CAREERS
A graphic designer uses their creativity and technical expertise to visually communicate ideas and messages. They design and create various visual materials, such as logos, branding elements, marketing materials, web designs, user interfaces, and print media. Their work involves using design software, selecting colors, typography, and images, and ensuring the final product meets the desired objectives while captivating the target audience. Whether in digital or print media, a graphic designer's ability to blend aesthetics with functionality makes them instrumental in shaping effective visual communication across industries. If you are curious to learn more about graphic design from a business perspective, check out the business page.
A photographer uses their camera lens to capture and preserve moments, emotions, and narratives. They possess a keen eye for composition, lighting, and timing, allowing them to transform ordinary scenes into captivating images. Whether specializing in portrait, landscape, wildlife, fashion, or documentary photography, their work is a powerful form of visual communication. Photographers often work in diverse settings, from studios to outdoor locations, capturing life's significant events, documenting history, creating commercial imagery, or producing artistic works.
A job as a sculptor involves creating three-dimensional artworks using various materials and techniques. Sculptors may work in a variety of settings, including studios, workshops, galleries, and outdoor spaces. Their primary responsibility is to conceptualize, design, and execute sculptures based on the artistic vision or client's requirements. This process includes selecting suitable materials, such as clay, stone, wood, metal, or other mediums, and using tools like chisels, hammers, carving knives, or welding equipment to shape and mold the material into the desired form. Sculptors often engage in research, sketching, and planning before starting the physical creation of the artwork.
A career related to drawing often involves using drawing skills to create visual representations of ideas, concepts, or stories. As a drawer, you may work in various industries, such as publishing, advertising, animation, or entertainment, bringing characters, scenes, and designs to life. Using a wide range of traditional and digital drawing tools, you will sketch, outline, and add details to your illustrations, ensuring they align with the project's requirements and artistic vision. Attention to detail, creativity, and the ability to effectively interpret and communicate ideas visually are essential traits for success in this role.
As a ceramic artist or potter, you have the opportunity to explore various techniques, such as hand-building, wheel-throwing, and glazing, to create functional and decorative ceramic pieces. From delicate pottery and tableware to intricate sculptures and art installations, ceramics offer a versatile and expressive medium for artists to convey their creativity. A career in ceramics involves continuous experimentation with different types of clay, firing methods, and surface treatments, honing technical skills and mastering the art of transformation from raw clay to finished ceramic pieces.
A career in interior design is a creative and fulfilling journey of transforming spaces into functional, aesthetically pleasing environments. As an interior designer, you'll collaborate with clients and professionals, using your design expertise to create inspiring interiors for homes, offices, and various settings. With a keen eye for detail, you'll select furniture, colors, lighting, and materials to craft unique and impactful spaces. This dynamic field offers opportunities to solve design challenges, work on diverse projects, and leave a lasting impression on people's lives. Embrace your passion for creativity and spatial design, as interior design offers a fulfilling path of making spaces come alive.
An arts administration career involves managing and coordinating creative projects and organizations. Administrators oversee budgets, marketing, fundraising, and logistical aspects to ensure smooth operations. They facilitate the growth of artists and the arts community while promoting cultural enrichment and artistic expression.
A specific form of arts administration is museum studies and administration. As a museum studies professional, you'll delve into the intricacies of curating, managing, and interpreting artifacts, artworks, and historical objects. You'll learn how to design engaging exhibits, conduct research, and engage with diverse audiences. This field offers a blend of art, history, and education, allowing you to contribute to society by preserving our collective past and fostering a deeper understanding of the world's rich cultural diversity.
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FIND OPPORTUNITIES
To begin exploring jobs and careers within visual arts, search the following job boards. Please note this is not an exhaustive list, but designed to be a starting place.
- Art Jobs
- Americans for the Arts Job Bank
- New York Foundation for the Arts Jobs
- Springboard for the Arts
- Creativepool
- Artist Communities Alliance
- Smithsonian Institute
- American Alliance of Museums
- American Institute of Architects
- American Institute of Graphic Arts
- Arts Administration Job Board
- Art Station
- BRAG Internship
- Coroflot
- Design Week
- Authentic Jobs
- Krop
- Flex Jobs
DEVELOP YOUR INTEREST
There are many options to get involved at Colorado College and develop your career competencies. Get involved to deepen your understanding of an industry and help you decide if a job in this field is of interest to you. Planning your experience can feel daunting, so check out some industry specific ideas both on and off campus below. As you plan, meet with the Advising Hub to discuss your major and academic interests to ensure you’re on track for your academic plans as well.
- Colorado College Clubs: B-Side Arts Collective, Black and White Darkroom Club, Llamapalooza Music and Arts Festival, Sustainable Fashion Club.
- On-Campus Job Examples: Ceramics Studio Support, FAC Museum Intern, Clay Class Instructor, Arts and Crafts Student Instructor and Coordinator, Visual Resources Assistant.
- Volunteer or intern with the Fine Arts Center. They have positions within art museum studies, Bemis School of Art, and the theater.
- Engage with the Arts & Crafts Department on-campus! Participate in their classes or programs, or utilize the space for independent projects. Consider selling your craft in their annual Arts & Crafts Fair.
- Get involved with CC Mobile Arts. They bring free art experiences to the Colorado Springs community. Consider volunteering with them!
- Consider a major or minor in Art.
- Graduate school can be a good next step, however not always necessary. It is important to have experiences to help narrow down your area of interest. If you are interested in graduate school, ensure to start preparation early, such as identifying programs of interest, knowing admission requirements, and talking to faculty and the Career Center about your interests.
- Search for graduate school programs through databases such as Princeton Review.
- There are many graduate programs you could consider, but an example of types would include: advanced degrees in Arts Management, Curatorial Practice, Museum Studies, Art Therapy, and Visual Arts.
- Thinking about teaching art? There are different pathways to becoming a teacher and each state has slightly different requirements, but check out this page to learn more about becoming a teacher in Colorado.
- Further your knowledge outside of the classroom by checking out websites and software recommended by the Art Department.
- The Visual Resource Center on campus has equipment available to check out and offers workshops on topics such as Photoshop and Illustrator.
- Check out courses to further your skills through online platforms such as SkillShare, LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, and CreativeLive.
- Software Skills: Adobe Products (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop), UI/UX Experience, Figma, Project Management software (Basecamp, Asana)
Additional Skills: Layout design, typography, color theory, branding, campaign development
- Software Skills: Adobe Products (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop), UI/UX Experience, Figma, Project Management software (Basecamp, Asana)
- MasterClass offers online classes surrounding a variety of topics taught about industry professionals and experts.
- It is important to creatively highlight your skills and accomplishments, and many jobs will likely require a portfolio. Check out these platforms to create a digital portfolio: Weebly, Wordpress, Wix, Carbonmade, Behance, Squarespace.
- Use a program like Envato Elements to create mock-ups that are presented professionally.
- Listen to some podcasts! Podcasts are a great way to expand your knowledge. Just a couple of examples include Beyond the Studio, This Week in Art, and The Art Biz.
- Network and get involved in the local Colorado Springs area. Attend art events and gallery openings and join local associations and organizations. If you are interested in Graphic Design, join the AIGA Colorado Springs and AAF Colorado chapters. They plan many events, and it is a great way to meet local professionals.
- Connect with alumni. Alumni can be a great resource to learn more about the industry. You can find alumni through LinkedIn or TigerLink, CC’s networking platform.
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CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE
- Associations: American Alliance of Museums, American Art Therapy Association, Professional Association of Design, American Society of Media Photographers, National Press Photographers Association, Society of American Archivists, National Association of Independent Artists, American Association for Interior Designers, College Art Association, Association of Arts Administration Educators
- Read career guides on The Vault. These guides provide valuable insight into the industry, helpful resources, and detailed information about specific careers.
Contact the Career Center
CareerCenter@ColoradoCollege.edu
719.389.6893
Physical Address: 1130 N. Cascade Avenue, Morreale House, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
719.389.6893
Physical Address: 1130 N. Cascade Avenue, Morreale House, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
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Last updated: 11/20/2025