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Row1 -> RE: GRADUATING COLLEGE- TEXANS (or Californians) ADVISE PLEASE.... (7/15/2008 9:29:12 AM)
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At the high school level, it is a big challenge to find an art teaching position anywhere. If you want to go along a well-outlined path, you are going to have to pay your dues.
There is a decent art scene in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. That does not translate to more college-level teaching jobs. There is a great deal of fine arts in Denton, at UNT. They are noted for their music program. But you have to line in or near Denton to teach there.
College-level teaching jobs are at universities and colleges.
There is a finite number of colleges, universities, junior colleges, and community colleges in Texas. You will need to get on the web and figure out how to find lists of these institutions. Then, figure out if they have an art department or fine arts department. Figure out who the leader of that department is. Then, call each and every one and tell them what you have noted here: you are planning to move to Texas for family reasons, you have [whatever] degree and experiences, and you would like to work as an art teacher for them.
Keep notes and follow up regularly. You may find nothing the first year, but find something after a year or two.
Here in Houston, we have a business called called 'Leisure Learning Unlimited.' Just google it. People teach informal classes on a variety of topics: gardening, bike repair, conversational Spanish, art, etc.
You could teach one or a few informal classes in whatever you want, while you work some 'day job' [waiter, retail clerk, etc], that allows you to make the geographic transition. You could work in an art supply store or arts-n-crafts store just so your retail job is a little closer to your heart's desire. Or be a staffer in a museum. We have a whole museum district here in Houston, although it is in the pricey high-rent part of town.
There are art leagues here in the Houston area. Kingwood Art Society, Tomball Art League, etc. These are focused on competent amateurs getting the opportunity to meet, and put on exhibitions. If you come to the Houston area, you could jump right in and start learning about local opportunities. I have no idea about Dallas, Austin or San Antonio as far as art leagues goes.
Austin is a unique, special place. Thousands of people go there for school at UT, then decide it is such a agreat town, that they want to stay there. So, they follow their heart's desire and get their degree in art or media studies or literature, these degrees that do not easily translate into jobs other than teaching, then they want to stay in Austin. Guess what? There are no job openings. Each year, these programs graduate way more students than they have professors. So, do the math and you see there is not a job for everyone with a degree in Elizabethan Literature.
So, Austin is full of PhDs working at bakeries, coffee shops, etc. It makes it a very cool place, but it is super competitive to get any professional job outside of business or IT.
Also, Austin has gotten very expensive. However, there are other great choices. Look at the list of the top ten largest cities in the U.S.: this list includes Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. Find some listing of cost-of-living, or median-one-family-house-value. You will find that the cost of living is amazingly lower than other big cities in the U.S., and far less expensive than California. Median house is like Texas cities: 150K, CA cities 450K. All three of these cities are growing. All three are growing suburbs to the north. That means growing community colleges and high schools.
There are art communities within Texas, similar to Santa Fe' gallery-focused art community. Kemah and Rockport and I don't know where else. If you are painting or sculpting, you can get pieces in galleries in any major Texas city, or these modest-size but high quality art colonies also.
So, I would I guess maybe try a two-strategy approach: 1. think up a plan to just get relocated in Texas, including just getting a basic, decent apartment for a year or two, and working at whatever to pay the bills until you find a professional position, and 2. identify potential employers and ask about jobs.
For the 2nd strategy, now is the time to ask: if places do not have their art teacher(s) in place right now, they are eagerly seeking to fill these.
I don't think your strategy of asking where there is a good art scene is the best strategy. There is a great art scene in Austin, but finding a college teaching job would be quite an accomplishment. Rockport has art galleries, but only a couple small colleges. They might need an art professor, but they are modest size schools (Delmar, Victoria).
In the big cities, you may discover a high school teaching position where they are eager to hire you -- for some specific reason -- such as the school is lousy. You are going to have to contact Texans you know, or PM me, to ask how lousy some high school might be. Myself, I would rather work retail or waiting tables a couple years to shop for a decent position than to get in some position that would kill my desire to teach.
Finally, one idea is to figure out what you want to ideally do with your life. If you want to create art, then create art. Don't devote your time on earth to study it, teach it, buy it, critique it, etc. Devote your time to making art. Keep getting better. Keep learning how people market their artwork. But don't expect some well-paved job path. That is for people like me who do more structured, mundane things.
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