Art

Children's Literature

This title is part of a series published by Thomson Gale for high school students, "Careers for the Twenty-First Century." Interestingly, the only career discussed in this book which directly involves the creation of fine art is sculpture. Although passing reference is made to arts such as painting and drawing, the assumption seems to be that there are no actual careers to be found in these fields. While many fine artists make their living in art education, the author of this book apparently does not consider that relevant to a discussion of careers in art. Nor is the extensive field of illustration discussed. Instead, chapters are devoted to work as a conservator (an area that requires extensive specialized knowledge of historical practices), art therapist (requiring at least some training in psychology) and graphic design (nowadays almost exclusively dominated by computer specialists). Jewelry design, to which a chapter is devoted, is generally considered more craft than art. While the material included in this volume is undoubtedly accurate and certainly clearly presented, the gap between the promise of the title and the actual subject matter covered is too wide to ignore. Counselors and art teachers seeking to advise students of career opportunities in art would do well to have more complete resources on their shelves. 2005, Thomson Gale/Lucent Books, Ages 12 up.
—Michele Tremaine