The perfect career for people in New Jersey, who are extremely creative, is one of the many exciting fields of art.
Art careers are not only fun and profitable, but they allow people to work within a field that they enjoy, as well.
The first step to launching an art career is finding an incredible school to train within, and following is a list of some of the top schools in the state.
New Jersey Schools of Art
Below are some of the best Art Schools for Art Classes, Courses, Programs and Degrees.
Guild of Creative Art
Located in Shrewsbury and approved by the New Jersey Department of Education, the Guild of Creative Art offers several extraordinary art classes for both adults and youths. If people would like to learn about the guild and its classes, they can visit their website at-http://guildofcreativeart.org/. They can also phone the school at-732-741-1441 or write to them at their mailing address-620 Broad Street, Shrewsbury, New Jersey, 07702.
Some of the amazing classes that the guild offers to adults include the following-Drawing and Mixed Media, Oriental Watercolor and Pastels, Oil and Acrylic Painting, Drawing and Painting Florals, All-Level Watercolor, Drawing and Painting all Media, Lyrical Abstract Expressionism, Watercolor Basics and More, Intermediate and Advanced Watercolor, Advanced Watercolor Alchemy, Beginner Digital Photography, Watercolor, Abstract Painting Workshop, Figure Painting Workshop, Oil Painting, Portrait Drawing and Painting, and Painting from Photos/Copying Old Masters. Following are some of the unique classes that they offer to teens-Drawing and Painting Portfolio for Art Majors, Drawing and Painting, Sculpture, Figure Drawing, and Drawing and Painting for Seven to Fifteen Year-Olds.
New York/New Jersey Academy of Ceramic Art
Located in Jersey City, the New York/New Jersey Academy of Ceramic Art offers top-notch training for those people who love ceramics. If people would like to learn additional information pertaining to the academy and its classes, they can phone the school at-201-432-9315 or write to them at-279 Pine Street, Jersey City, New Jersey, 07304. They can also read about the academy and its classes online at-http://www.nynjceramics.com/.
While the schedule of available classes may vary, some of the classes that the academy typically offers are as follows-Wheel-Thrown Pottery and Form, Hand-Built Pottery and Form, The Art of Slip-Casting, Science Primer for the Ceramic Artist, Open Studios, Dimensions in Tile, Slip-Cast Porcelain Tile, and Raku Workshops.
Perkins Center for the Arts
Located in Collingswood and Moorestown and registered with the New Jersey Charities Registration and the Attorney General, Perkins Center for the Arts offers a vast array of exceptional art classes for creative persons in New Jersey. If people would like to find out how to enroll in any of the center’s classes, they can call the school at-(856)833-0109 or write to them at their mailing address-30 Irvin Avenue, Collingswood, New Jersey, 08108 or 395 Kings Highway, Moorestown, New Jersey, 08057. They can also visit the center’s website at-http://www.perkinscenter.org.
Following are some of the remarkable classes that the Collingswood center offers for adults-Bookbinding/Artist Books, Drawing and Painting Portraits from Photographs, Drawing, Master the Art of Oil Painting/Including the Figure, Mosaics, Painting Landscapes and Still Life, Paper Making Studio, and Tube Acrylic Painting on Canvas. The centers also offer several terrific youth classes, as well. Some of the youth classes offered at the Collingswood branch include 2 and 3D Art Exploration, Barry Moore Drama class, Paint Explorations, and Summer Art Camps.
Some of the fantastic classes that the Moorestown center offers for adults are as follows-Acrylic Painting for Beginners and Beyond, Advanced Watercolor, Dance, Drawing, Figure Drawing for Beginners and Beyond, Intermediate to Advanced Drawing, Intermediate to Advanced Oil Painting, Life Drawing/Painting Studio, Master the Art of Oil Painting, Mixed Media and Acrylic Painting, Painting Over the Line, Portraiture-Beginning/Intermediate and More, The Figure as a Vehicle, Beginning Pottery, Beginning Throwing and Hand Building, Beginning to Intermediate Throwing, Glazing and Decorating Techniques A and B, Handbuilt and Thrown Pottery, Throwing on the Potter’s Wheel, Wheel Throwing/Hand Building and Surface Decoration, and Mosaics.
The Moorestown branch offers the following superb classes for youths-Art Around the World, Art Exploration, Comic Book Illustration, Drawing Basics, Fashion Drawing for Aspiring Designers, Graphic Novels, Kids Yoga, Kid’s Creations/Drawing with Crayons and More, Little Picasso, Medusa/the Minotaur and other Mythological Creatures, Photography, Puddle Jumpers, Splash/A Little Bit of Everything, Teen Art Course, The Da Vinci Art Club I and II, Toddler Tunes, Young Masters, Ballet and Tap I, Ballet II, Ballroom Dancing Fundamentals, Classically Creative Dancing, Fabulous Fairy Dancers, Pretty Princess Dancers, Stories with Cinderella, Toddler Tap and Tutus, Drama/Comedy and Improvisation, Emerging Potters, Exploring Clay, Pottery for Teenagers, Welcome to Pottery, and Summer Art Camps.
Visual Arts Center of New Jersey
Located in Summit and approved by New Jersey’s State Council of the Arts, the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey offers a broad range of splendid art classes for people of all ages. If people would like to find out how to sign up for any of the classes at the center, they can call-908-273-9121 or visit them online at-www.artcenternj.org. They can also write to the center at-68 Elm Street, Summit, New Jersey, 07901.
The center offers a vast array of art classes for both adults and youths, alike. Some of the exemplary classes they offer are as follows-Drawing and Painting, Ceramics, Photography and Digital Media, Jewelry, Printmaking, Sculpture, Enameling on Metal, Jewelry/Wax Carving and Modeling, Jewelry Fabrication, Figure Sculpture, Visions in Sculpture, From Tumbler to Teapot, Advanced Techniques for Making Large Forms, Turn/Turn/Turn, Beginning on the Potter’s Wheel, Pottery, Wheel-Thrown Pottery, The Joy of Hand Building, Beginning and Intermediate Wheel Throwing, Ceramics for the Ultimate Beginner, Experimenting with Art, Mosaics/Tabletops and Other Large Projects, European Philosophers on Art, For the Love of Textiles, Handmade Paper Basics and Beyond, Mixed Media and Collage, Mommy and Me, Figurative Monotype, The Power of Paper, Exploring Etching in Color and Black and White, The Beauty of the Monotype, Printmaking lab, Personal Digital Projects, Digital Photography II, Introduction to Photoshop, and many more.
Schools and Colleges in New Jersey
Below are some of the most popular Colleges in New Jersey for aspiring Artists.
Caldwell College
Caldwell College in Caldwell has many excellent art-related programs, accredited with the Commission on Higher Education, including art history, graphic design, art therapy and studio art. Prospective students can contact the college by calling them at-973-618-3000, or they may visit them online at-http://www.caldwell.edu. They can also request program pamphlets by writing to them at-120 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, New Jersey, 07006.
Those students, who wish to pursue a bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design, will need to fulfill a variety of basic skills and program-specific requirements. The basic skills curriculum that they will need to complete is as follows-Communication Arts, English, Fine Arts elective, History, Language, Mathematics, Philosophy, Science, Social Studies, two Social Science courses, Theology, Writing, Catholic and Dominican Tradition, and Global Awareness/Cultural Understanding.
The program-specific curriculum consists of the following classes-Drawing I, 2D Design, 3D Design, Color Theory, Photography I, Computer Art I, Computer Design I, Life Drawing, Typography/Layout, Sculpture I, Painting I, Junior Comprehensive, Digital Imaging I, Advanced Portfolio, Senior Seminar, Senior Thesis, History of Design, World Art I and II, Modern Art, and at least six additional Studio Art electives.
County College of Morris
County College of Morris, located in Randolph and accredited with Middle State’s Commission on Higher Education, offers outstanding programs in culinary arts, dance, design, game development, graphic design, music, visual arts and visual arts education. People, who would like to study within any of these areas, can call the college at-973-328-5000, or they may write to the campus at-214 Center Grove Road, Randolph, New Jersey, 07869. They can also find the application process online at-http://www.ccm.edu.
Those students, who want to earn an associate of applied science degree in game development, must take the following general education classes-English Composition I and II, Precalculus, one Humanities elective, General Psychology or Principles of Economics, Analytic Geometry and Calculus I, one additional Mathematics elective, and Laboratory Science.
They must also take the following program-related classes to earn their degrees-Computer Programming Language, Computer Concepts and Problem Solving, Computer Operating Systems and Utilities, Data Structures and Algorithms, Game Design Concepts, Game Production, Game Programming, Media Aesthetics, Systems Analysis and Design, and at least two additional Technical electives.
Drew University
Drew University in Madison has fabulous programs in art, art history, music and theater arts, all accredited with the Middle States Association of Higher Education. Those people, who would like to attend Drew University, can phone the school at-973-408-3000, or they may choose to write to them at the following address-36 Madison Avenue, Madison, New Jersey, 07940. They can also find out about the programs online at-http://www.drew.edu.
Students, who wish to major in art history, will need to complete the following basic education classes-The College Seminar, The Common Hour, College Writing I and II, Natural Science, Social Science, Fine Arts elective, Humanities elective, Interdisciplinary Studies, Writing in the Major Field, two additional Writing courses, two Quantitative Literacy electives, three Foreign Language electives, Information Literacy, two Diversity electives, Off-Campus Experience, and Capstone.
They will also need to complete all of the following art-related courses-Western Art I/Ancient and Medieval, Western Art II/Pre-Modern and Modern, Greek and Roman Art or Medieval Art, Italian Renaissance Art or Baroque and Rococo Art, 19th Century Art or Early 20th Century Art or American Art, Native Arts and Archeology of Latin America or Arts of Africa and the Diaspora or Islamic Art or Arts of Asia, Semester on Contemporary Art, Art History Research Seminar, History Colloquim, and at least two Art Studio courses.
Essex County College
Essex County College in Newark offers delightful associate degree programs in art and music, accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Those people, who would like to earn their associate’s degrees in either one of these areas, can learn how to apply by phoning the college’s main desk at-973-877-3000 or by visiting their website at-http://www.essex.edu. They can also request a college handbook by writing to-303 University Avenue, Newark, New Jersey, 07102.
For people to earn an associate in arts degree, they will need to complete a four-semester long program comprised of several general education and art-specific classes. The general education courses that they need to take are the following classes-College Composition I and II, Effective Speech, two Social Science electives, two Laboratory Science courses, Mathematics, two English Literature electives, two History courses, and two Humanities electives.
The art-specific courses that they need to take consist of the following classes-Art History I or II, Fundamentals of Art I and II, Drawing I, Two-Dimensional Design, Fundamentals of Painting I, Three-Dimensional Design, and at least one additional art-specific elective.
Additional Art Schools in New Jersey
- College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown
- William Patterson University of New Jersey in Wayne
- Felician College in Lodi
- The College of New Jersey in Ewing
- Georgian Court University in Lakewood
- Sussex County Community College in Newton
- Kean University in Union
- Seton Hall University in South Orange
- Monmouth University in West Long Branch
Following the Path to an Exciting Art Career
1. For people, who would like to work in the field of art, the first thing they need to do is choose one of the many fascinating schools listed above and fill out a standard application. They will then need to submit their high-school and/or other transcripts, along with their application, to the school of their choice.
2. In many cases, applicants will need to attend a personal interview with a school official, submit a portfolio of their art work and/or audition before they can gain entry to an art school. They may also need to provide the school with one or more letters of recommendation, an essay and any relevant experience they have in their field of choice.
3. If the school accepts applicants, the students may then need to attend an orientation or a tour of the school. They will also need to purchase various basic art supplies as necessary for their program. While the supplies that they may need may vary depending upon the program, some basic supplies they may need are drawing pads and utensils, basic paint supplies, a digital camera, measuring tools, glue sticks, cutting tools, masking tape, a stapler and a laptop.
4. Students will need to complete various general education course work, as well as, program-specific course work to earn their degrees. They will also need to complete an art capstone, an apprenticeship, an internship, a thesis or a program-specific project; and, in some cases, they will need to complete more than one. All of these steps are essential to beginning a successful art career.
