Arts

Oles explore fine arts, finance, journalism, and publishing careers as part of the 2017 New York Connections Program.

Students interested in the arts can pursue many different careers — from performance, mastery of a craft, arts management, and creative writing, to professional careers such as architecture, graphic design, or landscape design — and many, many more! Talk to people, try things out, and meet with Piper Center coaches to develop a strategy to identify your career trajectories. Use your creativity to find a career path that is just right for you.

2019-2020 5th Year Emerging Artists Kali Breska, Peter McCrae-Hokenson, David Morrison, and Margaret Lindahl.

St. Olaf’s Department of Art and Art History approaches the study of art as both an intellectual and creative endeavor. The curriculum provides students with the research, interpretive, and technical skills to make and study meaningful works of art and to sustain them as artists and critical thinkers throughout their lives. Learn more about the Art Department.

Springboard for the Arts

MN Artists

National Endowment for the Arts

ArtSearch – contact the Piper Center to obtain access at: 507-786-3268 or piper.center (at) stolaf.edu; part-time, full-time, seasonal, year-round and internship opportunities

The Art Career Project

Art Career Cafe

Art Jobs

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits

Minnesota Broadcasters Association

Arts Organizations in Minnesota (Minnesota State Arts Board List)

Seek out opportunities to explore your interests, gain valuable professional experience, and develop new skills through Student Employment.

What types of roles are there for students?

Check out the Student Employment Guide to learn about roles students currently or have previously held at St. Olaf. There are a wide variety of opportunities!

Here are a few examples:

Working in the Flaten Art Gallery
Graphic Design roles, Photographer positions (various departments)
Assisting with ushering, costumes, scene construction, and other roles within the Theater Department
After-school program assistants and Art Leaders at Greenvale Park Community School
Event management and program support roles in a wide variety of departments

Student Employment Resources

Student Employment Job Board – this is the best resource for identifying current openings on campus. Occasionally, departments will also share opportunities on Handshake.

Student Employment Guide – this guide includes many of the positions that students currently or have previously held at St. Olaf. If you see a position you are interested in, but do not see it posted as a current opportunity on the Job Board you may wish to reach out via email or by stopping in to the office to learn more about the role and hiring process.

Handshake

How-To Guides Resumes • Cover Letters • Interviewing • Networking • LinkedIn • Personal Statements

Where Can I Find Funding?

Coaching and Resources

The arts encompasses many possible career areas and roles — some students may wish to be a practicing artist or performer, while others may want to work in supportive roles such as those found in arts administration. Still others may want to work in larger industries, such as film, media, or fashion.

The Piper Center is eager to support you in finding internships and research related to the arts. Please stop by the Piper Center anytime during business hours to have an initial conversation with a Peer Advisor. When you are ready to go further and meet with our arts career coach Bryan Shealer, please schedule an appointment through Handshake.

Skills Guide (LinkedIn Learning): Arts & Arts Administration

Piper Center Events

Bryan T Shealer (he, him, his)

Associate Director, Career Development & Coaching

Tomson Hall 270B

P507-786-3049

Eshealer@stolaf.edu

Office Hours: Monday, 3-5pm or by appointment in Handshake

View Profile →

Piper Center for Vocation and Career

Opening the doors to opera — Learn more

Opening the doors to opera

Though only a junior at St. Olaf College, Darrius Morton has already auditioned for and been accepted into, the ranks of the Minnesota Opera chorus. He is performing in all five of the ensemble’s operas this season.

Learn more

A theatrical learning opportunity — Read More

A theatrical learning opportunity

As a teaching assistant at the Tony Award-winning Children’s Theatre Company this summer, Christine Menge ’18 had the opportunity to work with established theater professionals and college students from across the country.

Great Explorations — Glenn Hernandez ’02 — Read More

Great Explorations — Glenn Hernandez ’02

In a way, every single pixel in the virtual reality game Luna belongs to Glenn Hernandez. As the game’s art director, he was responsible for crafting the overarching look for the fantastical game in which a character named Bird enters and navigates a mysterious world.