Pursuing higher education is like stepping onto a blank canvas — there are countless possibilities. If you have a passion for artistic expression and creativity, you may be looking into an art degree. We’ll delve into the brush strokes that make up art degrees and paint a picture of the possible careers out there.

What Is an Art Degree?

An art degree is a program or course of study that provides students with a higher education qualification encompassing an often broad spectrum of varying artistic disciplines. Students who pursue art associate degrees engage in visual arts, design and overall creative expression through different mediums.

You could explore painting, sculpting, photography, ceramics and even filmmaking as part of your program. Most courses offer practical elements as well as theoretical knowledge and art history.

What Is a Fine Arts Degree?

What is fine arts? Traditional fine arts are visual art forms, such as painting and sculpting. As art has evolved, though, fine arts degrees encompass categories like:

• Visual arts
• Design
• Music
• Theatre
• Dance
• Creative writing
• Photography
• Film
• Art history

The easiest way to think of fine art is as a specialized subset of an art degree focusing on creative and visual arts. Depending on your major, fine arts students focus on practical, theoretical and historical aspects of disciplines such as drawing, painting, printmaking and much more. The program encourages students to explore and experiment with materials and mediums to improve understanding and develop more specific skills within their chosen field of specialization. An associate degree in art may be a good step on the way toward a degree in fine arts.

What Jobs Can You Get With an Art Degree?

Pursuing an art degree was once seen as limiting. However, even in a world where AI and generative text and art are ever-increasing, to innovation in many fields. Here are some potential career paths for art students:

• Graphic designer: Graphic designers create visual concepts and designs using computer software according to client specifications.
• Art director: There are art directors in various fields, but the overall position involves overseeing a project to ensure the message aligns with the goal.
• Animator: Animators use illustrations, both drawn and computer-generated, to bring ideas and stories to life.
• Art therapist: Art therapists help people face mental health conditions like anxiety and depression through art.
• Art museum curator: This role requires individuals to manage, organize and oversee collections in museums, galleries and other cultural institutions. They ensure the proper presentation and preservation of artistic pieces.
• Art educator: Depending on your skill level, degree and preferences, you can teach art at various education levels.
• Freelance artist: A freelance artist works independently or collaborates with others to create artwork in different mediums with the intent of selling, exhibiting or taking commissions.
• Web designer: In the internet age, artists with technical expertise can help design visually appealing and user-friendly websites.
• Creative director in advertising: This fast-paced career involves leading creative teams to develop effective and competitive advertising campaigns.
• Set designer: If you enjoy design and working with your hands, designing sets for theatre and movie productions may be a good fit.

Average Salary for an Art Degree

Calculating the average salary for an artist depends on a few variables, including experience, field, specialization and industry. You can to search for more information on your desired career, see average pay with an art degree and more.

We broke down the average pay with an art degree for the following careers in North Central Massachusetts:

• Graphic designer: The is $56,873.
• Art director: The is $53,099.
• Animator: Salaries may differ slightly if you work as an animator or special effects artist, but the is $44,378.
• Art therapist: Art therapist salaries can vary greatly, depending on your location and experience, but the is $64,271.
• Art museum curator: The is $58,918.
• Art educator: You can expect as an art teacher, depending on the grade you teach and your location, but the is $72,130.
• Freelance artist: As a freelance artist, particularly a fine artist, business and networking skills are just as important as artistic skills. The is $27,927.
• Web designer: For those focusing on web and digital interfaces, the is around $72,515.
• Creative director in advertising: The or advertising and promotions managers is $81,883.
• Set designer: The is $46,849.

Is an Art Degree Worth It?

The following factors can help you determine if an art degree would be fulfilling for you.

Passion and Personal Fulfillment

Pursuing an art degree can be immensely rewarding and fulfilling for those passionate about creative expression and creation. If you find joy and value in creating art and sharing it with the world, then the intrinsic value may be enough to keep your passion alive while earning compensation for your talents.

Skill Development

One major misconception about art degrees is that all you learn is how to draw, paint or sculpt — in reality, comprehensive art programs equip you with skills such as critical thinking, communication and problem-solving. Many of these skills are transferable to various professional settings.

Job Market Realities

Before embarking on your art degree, research the common limitations and obstacles, and keep an eye on the job environment to see how to overcome them. Specific art careers are highly competitive, while others promise lower annual salaries than others. Thus, consider the transferability of the degree skills and determine whether you’re open to a related career in education, technology or marketing.

Portfolio, Networking and Trends

Regardless of how talented you are and how hard you work, you need good networking skills backed up by an impressive portfolio in art. Bolstering your portfolio of work, constantly staying abreast of trends and interacting with other arts professionals go a long way to enhancing career prospects.

Making the Choice

Artists and creatives are often dreamers, and this is essential to creating innovative works, remaining inspired and growing artistically. However, when enrolling for an art degree, you must determine whether you would thrive in a competitive, challenging and gratifying field of study.

Kickstart Your Art Career at Mount Wachusett Community College

The Mount is an accredited institution that cherishes the arts and believes creative expression and ingenuity are vital skills many industries require to grow and thrive. The ¿ªÔªÆåÅÆ Art Degree equips students with vital knowledge and allows them to earn credits to transfer later, should they wish to pursue a bachelor’s or master’s.

If you want to start your art journey, apply to ¿ªÔªÆåÅÆ online or download a PDF application. For any questions, request more information or call The Mount at 978-630-9447 — your future starts today!

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This is a Dwarf Hamster, I have one named Corey. He’s very cute and deserves to be appreciated.

This is a Giraffe. When I was little one licked me on the face at a zoo. They deserve to be appreciated.

This is a Pomeranian dog. A few days ago I saw one on the sidewalk and we walked together back to his house. His name is Coco and he deserves to be appreciated.

This is an Albino Ball Python. I wanted one for my birthday but my parents said no. I was very sad and would have named it Alfredo. He deserves to be appreciated.

This is a Siamese cat. I have one named Luna. She’s a monster but I love her so much. She deserves to be appreciated.

This is my other cat Lily,a Siberian cat. She is beautiful and so gentle and deserves to be appreciated.

This is a Cockatiel. I used of have one named Belle. She was very loud but super kind and deserves to be appreciated.

Happy Thursday Y’all!!

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Let’s talk about investing, don’t worry, I took a personal finance class so I’m qualified. Investing is something they never tell you about, but it’s more important then ever to start it right now then later on in life. Let’s do some math ok?

So, a woman, let’s call her Ms. Early, starts investing at age 15. Her savings account has an APY (annual percentage yeild) of 11.25%. She is putting $500 in her savings every year until she is 65.

A man, we can call him Mr. Late, starts investing at 45. His savings account also has an APY of 11.25%. He is putting in $10,000 in his savings every year until he is also 65.

Kind of seems like a no-brainier right? The one who is putting more money in their account has the most money by the time they are 65. Well, you’d be wrong. Very wrong actually. While Mr. Late is putting in $10,000 a year, hes only doing it for 20 years, while Ms. Early would have been putting money in for about 50 years. Does the amount of time they have been saving matter? Actually yes.

APY is the amount of money you earn in interest every year. So with a 11.25% APY, Ms. Early in her first year would have made $56.25 in interest at the end of the year. So now she has $556.25 in her bank. That money plus the $500 she is putting in savings becomes $1,556.25 at the end of the year. Since the amount of money is higher, she earns more interest, about $118.83, making her total for the end of the year $1,175.08. See where I’m getting at here? So by the time Ms. Early is 65, with interest and consistent savings, she will have $1,131,160.64.ÌýThat is a lot of money dude.

For Mr. Late, while yes he is putting in a lot more money, he has less time for interest to accrue. By the time he is 65, he will have $828,897.31 in his savings, which is a lot, but not as much Ms. Early has at 65.

Do you see the importance of investing early? For Ms. Early and Mr. Late, it’s a difference of $300,000. You could do a lot with that money. So please people, start now. Even if you can only put in $100 a year to start, it’s going to add up, and your future self will definitely thank you.

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It’s unavoidable. The whole college thing. If you’re not thinking about it, your mom is and bringing it up during dinner. Hanging out with your friends can suddenly turn into a 3 hour conversation about how unforgiving student loans are. Don’t even get me started on family gatherings. For almost a year every conversation with family has always started with “So what college are you thinking about?” and then I have to scramble for an answer so I don’t look unprepared or lazy. School is a battleground for avoiding college, guidance councilors are chasing you down to talk about scholarships or career possibilities. Teachers are talking about the pains of writing letters of recommendations. Every lesson for the whole year is solely based around “preparing you for college.”

To be honest, it’s super overwhelming. There is SO much to think about. College essays, applications, college tours, SATs, ACTs, AP exams, FAFSA, scholarship applications, the list goes on and on guys. And the problem is is that it won’t stop until March, when you finally get your letter of acceptance, maybe from your dream college, and maybe everything you went through was worth it, maybe not.

I’m not reminding you guys to stress you out. I’m stressed already, I’m sure anyone that has to think about it even a little bit is already stressed. I think it’s important to remind people, myself included, that preparing for college is not the end of the world. In fact, it’s the start of it. Don’t get into your dream school? Go to a community college for your undergraduate and then get into your dream school. The cost of college too high? Find other scholarships or a different school that will allow you to save up for a more expensive schooling. Worried about your SAT scores? Many colleges accept two, even three different SAT scores and find the highest average, hey, a lot of colleges don’t even look at SAT scores anymore. Can’t seem to write the perfect college essay? You have many English teachers who would be so happy to help you. All of this college stuff, although overwhelming, shouldn’t stop you from having fun this summer and during the school year. Yes, you should be thinking about it, but not when you’re at the mall or the beach. Allow yourself time to stress and think, but only for a few hours a week. The number one thing colleges look for is someone that stands out from the rest, and letting yourself be consumed by college and the perfect grades is not going to make you stand out.

So please people, remember to take care of yourself this summer and the upcoming year. Have at least a few minutes every day just for you, where you can watch your favorite show or paint your nails or pet your dog. It’s important not to forget yourself though all this. Mental well-being should always come first for us, no matter what you got on your SATs.

– Katelyn, an equally struggling senior

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Venture Teams like Baking for a Cause and Sports For Smiles have made it their mission to help their peers that may be struggling with poverty. Baking for a Cause from McKay Arts Academy raises money through bake sales to help lessen the cost of field trips for their peers. Sports For Smiles from Sky View Middle School collects used sports equipment to give to students who can’t afford to play sports in the city of Leominster. These aren’t just the only Venture Teams doing this, many more are joining with local homeless shelters or foster homes to help more people in their community.

Teams like Dream Helpers from Longsjo Middle School, who are helping local foster children by raising money to purchase and give personal care items to them, or Save the Homeless at McKay Arts Academy, who hold fundraisers at Our Fathers House in Fitchburg to help the homeless population. These teams are creating a huge difference in their communities by helping those who need it, and who are often overlooked.

To check out the Venture Teams mentioned here, go to our page at

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Try Your Best

Try Your Best is a Venture from Fitchburg High School that launched this year. The teams goal is to restore Bartley-Nolan Park, a local park playground and half basketball court. This team has “adopted” and want to restore the park so there will be an increase in children who play there. This team got their inspiration from their own memories of the park, and want to give back to their community.

Operation American Hero

Operation American Hero is a Venture from Leominster High School. This Venture wants to help their local veterans. They have made a clothing and hat line with American pride slogans which they sell to raise money for organizations such as the Leominster Veterans’ Services.

Meals for Shields

Meals for Shields is a Venture from Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School that launched this year too. This Team focuses on raising money and sponsorships to be able to bring hams and pies to every fire house in the their community, to say thanks for the sacrifices many firefighters make during the holidays.

That was a closer look at three Venture Teams that have made their community a primary cause. How are you able to help our your own community?

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All these Venture Teams have one common goal, to create a better environment at their school, by either improving the school itself, or improving the student body. It seems to be working as well, as over the past years both schools and their environments have improved greatly.

The past few years have brought great change in the way of school environment. Nowadays more students have become more accepting towards one another, especially for the LGBT communities at school. You will find today that many do not judge based on skin, race, clubs, or sexuality, as seen a lot in the past. There is no such thing as “cliques” anymore, one club does not define you. In many places you will see a baseball player also in the spring musical, or an aspiring artist part of the school’s GSA club. With the help of Ventures like UNITY, students can now focus on becoming an individual, rather then worry about fitting into a stereotype.

There is also great change with schools themselves. Many students and Venture Teams are working on improving both the inside and outside of their schools. Many are raising money to replace the water fountains in their schools with better, more modern ones. Cool the School, a Venture Team from Skyview, raised money to replace the fans in their classrooms. One team at Oakmont Regional High School has made it their mission to create gardens to make their school more beautiful and to bring students together. These teams and their causes are improving and changing the very environment they live in.  For them, creating a better place for their peers is the greatest cause, as it helps to create better citizens. These citizens will eventually start to improve the communities around them, and help to create a better world. With Ventures like UNITY and Student Action for FHS, their communities have been changed for the better, for their peers and for themselves.

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Kind of scary right? So, how can you help prevent this from happening? Here are some tips that you can use in your daily life to help the environment;

1. Use reusable bags! When shopping, try to use bags that are not plastic, or will be thrown out after just one use, this kind of waste is what allows our ocean to fill up with plastic.
2. Save electricity! When going out, even for a short while, make sure to turn off your AC and lights, as this decreases the amount of fossil fuel created in the air.
3. Use reusable straws! If your enjoying iced tea at home or at a restaurant, try to use metal straws or reusable plastic straws. Although straws only make up about 1% of the oceans plastic, it can still create a difference.
4. ¸é±ð³¦²â³¦±ô±ð!ÌýTale as old as time, but recycling does really help improve our environment when done correctly. Make sure you check with your local community to see what they take for recycling, as it can vary from town to town. Recycling only takes a few seconds, and can have a huge impact on our environment.

These are the types of problems that future citizens are taking note of and trying to solve. With United Way Youth Venture, causes like the environment are explored by students looking to make a change in their community. Ventures like Project Hydrate, where the goal is to decrease the use of plastic water bottles, and Eco Friendly Redesign, which focuses on making a more environmentally friendly place at school, are truly the worlds future, as these bright kids are creating real change in their communities.

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As their story goes, an AP U.S. History class at Oakmont Regional High School was learning about President John F. Kennedy and his creation of the Peace Corps, who would aid foreign countries in a bid to increase America’s appearance on the world stage. As their teacher, Mr. Jeffery Aubuchon, was a former Peace Corps volunteer, the students became very interested in the whole idea of the Peace Corps, and their mission to help foreign countries that might need it.

That interest suddenly became #APUSH4Peace, as the students realized that with the help of United Way Youth Venture their interest in helping foreign countries could become a reality. With the help of UWYV and their teacher, the students were able to come up with a venture and plan that would allow them, through fundraising, to donate money to Peace Corps projects around the world. On their Panel night, #APUSH4Peace was  able to secure $1,000 in seed money to help start up their Venture. The students and Mr. Aubuchon were seen celebrating after in the school’s library, their dream and interest had taken off, and was about to become something much greater then anyone ever expected.

Their slogan, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”, spoken by John F. Kennedy during his inauguration speech, has become their driving force to continue on with the venture. Since launching in December, #APUSH4Peace has fund-raised and donated over $1,800 to projects in Tanzania, Gambia, and Mozambique to help with water treatment, health, and facilities for students just like themselves.

As one of the largest Ventures at United Way Youth Venture, we can’t wait to see what #APUSH4Peace has to offer as they continue to work and expand over the year!

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

– John F. Kennedy, 1961

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