Is the goal in jewelry and metal smithing only about making a
living?
Gee, I hope not entirely, Andy! But I guess the extent to which that
might be true depends on the needs and desires of the individual
metalsmith, their time in life and the cards they were dealt in the
big game. A retired executive looking to open a small boutique with
her husband will approach the art of metalsmithing vs. producing an
income with an entirely different perspective than a 35 year old
father of two with a third on the way and two cars that need tires.
My words to Elaine’s students ~
If immediate income is a primary objective of a college student
contemplating a degree aimed at a new career in jewelry, bench
related or otherwise, I would recommend considering a different
profession. Other than starting out in commissioned sales (and that’s
no guaranteed picnic either), it usually takes a long time to get the
experience that builds the skills required to produce a decent
income, let alone start a business.
Unless one is born into it (like I was) or falls into a choice
position by luck, fate or some other outside intervention, one must
love it enough (and be in a position) to accept that they might have
to work for very close to free for at least a few years. Even (maybe
especially) with an express lane into the field, if they aren’t doing
it because of their love of forging metal and stone into art of one
kind or another, they’ll probably end up resenting or even hating it.
There’s just not enough money in it, for quite some time anyway, to
warrant doing it for a living if one doesn’t derive personal
enjoyment and satisfaction from at least some part of it. Most people
would make a lot more money right out of school as a mechanic,
plumber or electrician than they will as a metalsmith, degreed or
not.
Right now, if the student’s objective is to make money right after
graduating with a four year degree, a degree in one of the several
fields of Engineering would be good to have. Law would also be a good
one. I have no facts, but I’d bet that a university degree in Metal
Arts would be somewhat far down the list of income-producing degrees
for someone entering the workforce upon graduation. I can say with a
high degree of certainty that such a degree doesn’t add a whole lot
to the hourly wages of a starting goldsmith over someone that just
graduated from The Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts or the Texas
Institute of Jewelry Technology. Many potential employers will hold
the lesser diplomas in higher regard and will consider a university
degree in Art as a comparative negative for an entry level bench
position. A banking institution will require much more than a four
year degree and high aspirations as well before making a small
business loan. Please understand that I’m not making judgments or
casting aspersions, only stating reality as it currently exists in
the jewelry industry.
Someone counting on starting and feeding a family and/or a business
with a career in jewelry right out of school, regardless of the type
of school and their level of motivation is almost certainly going to
struggle, unless they have a rich uncle with a soft heart. That
struggle will be heavily compounded if the budding metalsmith has an
outstanding student loan of tens of thousands of dollars. I don’t
know for sure, but I think this would apply to pretty much any
artistic pursuit. I know several painters that spent a lot of their
early years painting more houses than canvases. Faux painting
bathrooms and refinishing hardwood floors seems to be far more
lucrative than selling from galleries for many, at least starting
out.
Heard this recently from a friend that repairs guitars for a partial
living. Do you know how to find an up-and-coming musician with a new
master’s in music in Nashville? Hold up your forefinger and say
"Waiter…"
If you don’t love it enough to embrace doing whatever it takes for
as long as it takes no matter how little it pays, study something
else that pays better. If you love your art and you believe in
yourself, you’ll do what ya gotta do and you’ll get by. If you play
your cards right, you might even do really well in the long game.
Dave Phelps