Whether it is a career as an artist, gallerist or teacher, there are several career options within the art world. Despite this, a career in the arts is one of the most competitive in the world.
With research revealing more than 70% of the UK’s under 35s are suffering from a crisis in confidence when pursuing careers due to a lack of education, JOB TODAY has partnered with leading employers, including Box Galleries, to launch Summer Camp which helps young people immerse themselves in a range of different careers.
If exhibitions such as Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams or Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing have inspired you to work in the art sector, worth an estimated £10.8bn* a year in the UK alone, how do you stand out from the crowd and score your dream job?
To help young people get their foot in the door, JOB TODAY has teamed up with one of London’s leading gallery owners, Emma Moir, and one of the world’s leading contemporary artists, Lauren Baker, to reveal their top tips on how to start a career in the arts.
Emma Moir, founder of Box Galleries, started out her career as a head hunter with a law degree. In 2012, Emma set up Box Galleries as a place to show a variety of artwork at various price points, provide a platform for emerging artists as well as to build up investment collections of highly reputable artwork. Emma shares her top tips for getting into the art industry.
- Take on as many different work experiences and internships as possible. This will not only give you incredible insight into the art world but will also help you make invaluable contacts.
- If you want to become more focused on the artist side then shadow an artist and/or photographer. They are always looking out for an extra pair of hands to help.
- If you are interested in the curating side of art, then look for work experiences within larger museums and galleries as this will give you access to a wider, and more hands on, experiences.
- If you are interested in a Gallery Sales role specifically then luxury and high end retail experience is useful as it will give you experience of liaising with customers and the sales environment.
Lauren Baker is a British contemporary multidisciplinary artist who exhibits internationally. Alongside her instillations at Box Galleries, Lauren has also created pieces for Tate Britain, Selfridges and Harrods. Initially working in marketing, Lauren started her art career in 2012 after a life-changing trip to South America. Here Lauren shares her top tips for starting a career within the art world.
- Experience in other sales industries is useful as they are transferable skills. A great example is estate agents and recruitment consultancies. These roles are about matching products with people – a similar premise to being an art dealer.
- Whilst not crucial, a degree in History of Art does help when applying for roles.
- Make sure you continuously networking in the industry. Most private views, art fairs and openings are free to attend!
- Subscribe to a variety of art magazines and industry papers to ensure you are up to date with the latest news.
Co-founder of JOB TODAY, Polina Montano explains why Summer Camp is important:
“We want to remove the worry and frustration young Brits face when they try to land that summer job with no experience – that’s why we came up with our Summer Camp and are partnering with some truly amazing brands to give job seekers fun and free work experience this summer so they can explore their passions, gain new experience and potentially walk away with a job for the summer!”
Young Brits can apply online for a spot in the London-based Summer Camp which takes place across July. The program will give 40 job seekers (ten across each session) the chance to immerse themselves in a range of different industries so they can seek out where their passions lie and even be in with a chance to land a job at the end of the month.
For more information visit https://jobtoday.com/gb/summer-camp/
