Many assume that writing students are the only ones who need to get published in order to further their careers. If you write a book, your work should be published; if you want a job as a journalist for a magazine or newspaper, then your only option for getting said job is to have published materials on your resume. Yet, for the students of SCAD, getting published goes well beyond writing majors and can appeal to many fields of study.
So, what exactly is publishing all about? New American Paintings, a juried exhibition in print and venue for art publishing, stated that being published “differ[s] for every artist, but most report a significant amount of contact as a direct result of publication. For some artists, being published results in sales, for others it results in new gallery representation or the inclusion of work in an exhibition.” For every sort of artist, simply placing artwork in a gallery no longer exists; one must learn to distribute work in anthologies, postcards, social media and other outlets. This allows the artist, whether in school or out, to break into his or her chosen career path.
Georgia Lee, director of Ivy Hall and a former editor and journalist, indicated that trying to find a job ⎯ as a writer or in any artistic field ⎯ without some published material could set back job seekers in their search for employment; potential employers like to see candidates with real world experience and being published falls into that realm. Echoing her sentiments, Jay Montgomery, an illustration professor at SCAD Atlanta, stated, “Yes, it is important to try to get published before you graduate in the illustration field. It’s not a deal breaker with most editorial or small clients, but if you are wanting to illustrate children’s books, advertisements for a big company or corporate illustrations, it certainly helps ⎯ if not being required by some.” The idea is to have something to present to a potential employer. “The more the better,” stated Lee.
In dealing with employers, they want to see if you can market yourself, before you market their works. O’Seremi Odu, a third year squential art student, stated, “Work [that is] published has credibility. It shows [that] editors reviewed your work, critiqued it, you revised it and it was approved. References on the Internet have weak credibility. But, to cite something published shows people who know what is appealing and aesthetically pleasing [that you] have refined it.”
Some students at SCAD have observed that aspects of the writing world and the visual art world overlap. Curron Gajadhar, a second year painting student, stated that “an online portfolio can only go so far and if you don’t get critiqued, then you don’t get exposure.” He continued by saying, “there has to be a symbiosis between the journalistic end and artistic end ⎯ bridging [the gap] between the creator and viewer. It is a literature stepping stone for the artist to express.”
For many students, they are not only creating visual pictures, but also want to create pictures with their words. Gajadhar, paraphrasing the poet Rene Ricard, stated, “When people see a work of art and pass it around and it is good and he writes an article about it, people know it is true.”
For those who want to start marketing their work, Lee explained that the most important thing an employer looks for is errors. She explained, “Before being considered, it has to be correct … then, the content must fit.” Montgomery stated that in some cases, “there is a catch-22. ‘I can’t get published until I’m published.’ The most important thing, however, is having a professional portfolio, networking and business skills to actually use and a great attitude when you are doing it.” The combination of these attributes will help any student and/or job seeker to further their career.