Case Study: Brenda

Case Study Outline:

New Emerging Artist

Age: 24

Practice Focus: Printmaking, Drawing, Digital Art

Media: Lithography and intaglio, mixed drawing media, PhotoShop and Procreate

Practice Goals:

Find creative focus in my artwork. Figure out what my next  steps will be as a professional artist.

Challenges or Obstacles:

Fear of not being able to support myself with my  art. 

Art Practice Description:

Yeah, I have my MFA. Now what am I going to do? I have come to realize  that I was so busy during undergrad and graduate school fulfilling the  requirements expected for the degrees that I have no idea what my next  step will be. I don’t want my parents to say, “We told you so”. Wanting to  be independent, I have two jobs that are both part-time. I work 3 days a  week as a gallery assistant and 2 days as a museum greeter/ticket cashier.  It is enough to just pay the bills. I do have a little bit of time to create but I  no longer have access to a printing press so I continue to draw and create  on my computer.

I have a basic resume with a few exhibitions that I took part in during  grad school. I am active on social media, specifically TikTok and IG.  However, I am not getting any real traction from my posts. From my  gallery job, I have some idea what to do to find gallery representation  but this job has shown me the reality that getting a gallery is not a  guarantee of a livable income. I wonder what my options are but have  no idea what the steps are. Plus, now that I am out of school, I am so  unsure of what my art is. I am floundering. I am having trouble  focusing on my art since my jobs constantly pull me away.

Here is a little back story. My artistic life began early. I was always drawing  as a youngster. My parents would always say how talented I was. My 

brother and sister were also encouraged to follow their talents that leaned  toward music that started by playing piano and then the clarinet and flute  respectively. I dabbled with the piano but I dreamed of becoming an artist  not a musician.

The high school that I attended didn’t have a strong art program so my  parents searched for summer opportunities where I could pursue and  improve my artwork. My father, a doctor and my stay at home mom were  active in finding the universities not too far away where I could apply. I had  two summers during high school where I attended programs that basically  gave a taste of what a freshman drawing class in art school would be like.  Even though my Dad and Mom were wondering how I could make an art  degree into a livable profession, they supported my dream. By the time I  got to grad school, my siblings were in college too. Between working as a  waitress, scholarships and only living expenses covered by Mom and Dad,  I was able to finish grad school with no debt. Gosh, I am so lucky with that where others are not. This, however, doesn’t make it any easier for me to figure out my art’s purpose or what my future path will be.

No comments yet