It is commonly believed that a career in art will lead to nothing. Painting leads to starvation. Sculptures lead to homelessness. Drawings lead to living in a parent’s basement.

However, in this day and age, the idea of the starving artist is outdated and no longer an image of fate for every student that chooses to make a canvas their workspace. This is evident all over the world, with museums dedicated to art, movies made from drawings, comics that are produced and sold by the millions, and even in the very style of the letters that make up this sentence. Art students all around the world are making successful careers, even art students from Bob Jones.  

Jane Philips is an artist that works in a studio at Lowe Mill. She graduated from BJHS after having taken several art classes. Philips said that she took an art class every semester of high school, sometimes two a semester. Although Philips had an earlier interest in art, she says that it was not until high school that she really began to expand and learn more about the subject. She was taught how to use oil paints and was encouraged to experiment with different medias and materials at Bob Jones.

Now two years out of college, Philips said she is happy being able to spend so much time in her art studio. When asked if she would encourage students to pursue art careers, she said, “I definitely encourage you to pursue a career in the arts. Because if that is what really makes you happy and you can’t imagine yourself being anything but an artist, then you will find a way to make it work and a balance that suits you.”

Mrs. Lasko, one of BJHS’s art teachers, said that she was very proud of her students that have gone off to have successful art careers and that she believes the starving artist no longer exists, as long one is willing to do the work. “In my class, I try to prepare kids for the real world.”

There are several Bob Jones alumni that have gone into art careers, some still succeeding in the Huntsville/Madison area. Many of these, including Jane Philips, are not starving. They may be working hard, but they are also happy. A career in the arts no longer guarantees a life in the someone’s basement or starving on the side of the road, using paintings for firewood.

As long as there is a willingness to work, success is within the grasp of aspiring artists.