Arts Industry Overview

While the term “arts industry” encompasses a wide variety of fields, all careers within this discipline involve highly creative aspects. Professionals in these fields must possess artistic vision, a deep appreciation for design and a clear aesthetic. Given the wide variety of fields which define the arts, there is no typical career path or work day for an artist—each aspect of this industry offers different opportunities. Use the following index to learn about various professions in arts:

• Architecture
• Arts Management
• Fashion
• Fine and Performing Arts
• Graphic Arts and Design
• Museums

CCE Resources

• LionSHARE: LionSHARE maintains a list of organizations involved in the arts. Companies that have recruited Columbia students in the past include The American Federation of Arts, Museum of Modern Art, Tamara Eaton Design, United Nations Development Corporation, StyleSight, Kenneth Cole, Alice + Olivia, ACA Galleries, Little Monster Films and Julie Meneret Contemporary Art.
• Vault and WetFeet Guides: CCE subscribes to career-focused web services such as Vault and WetFeet, which offer profiles of industries, companies, and careers-such as the WetFeet Career Overview for Architecture, Vault guide to Residential Architecture, WetFeet Career Overview for the Visual Arts, Vault Guide to Fashion Careers.
• CCE Internship Programs: CCE helps connect students to domestic and international internships in a wide variety of fields, including the arts through the Columbia Arts Experience (CAE).

Alumni Profiles

• Tze Chun, CC '06. Founder of Uprise Art.
• Chad Miller, GS '07. Events & Outreach Coordinator at Columbia Arts Initiative.

Columbia Resources

• Columbia offers a variety of venues for student visual artists to display their works, including the LeRoy Neiman Gallery and the LeRoy Neiman Center for Print Studies.
• CSArts was created to give CC and SEAS artists a space in which to showcase their artwork and talent on the walls of the Center for Student Advising.
• Arts Initiative at Columbia connects students to the arts in New York City. The Initiative offers an internship and job board too.
• Artists' Resource Center offers different resources, professional opportunities and scholarship opportunities on film, visual arts, theater and writing. 
• Extracurricular clubs such as the:
  • Columbia Artist Society and the Columbia University Photography Club provide visual artists a space for self-expression.
  • Barnard+Columbia Architecture Society, focused on networking and facilitating a forum for those interested in architecture to display and discuss their work.
  • Design for America is a Columbia/Barnard student group using design to create local and social impact.
  • Publications such as Hoot and 292 Magazine examine fashion in detail.

External Resources

• The Art Career Project: The Art Career Project provides career resources and networking opportunity for many types of careers in the arts.