Collections : [Oral History Archives at Columbia]

The interviews of the Artist Career and Training Project were conducted by the Research Center for Arts and Culture at Columbia University from 1990 to 1993. The project sought to systematically analyze the career paths, training, and job satisfaction of artists, craftspeople, painters, actors, and related professionals, such as museum curators, critics, dealers, managers, directors, producers, and union representatives. The interviews address education, training, preparation to career entry, peers and colleagues, marketplace judgments, critical evaluation and public response, and career satisfaction and maturity. The study strove to include diverse participants in terms of gender, ethnicity, age, and stage of career. Other themes frequently discussed include the use of other jobs to supplement a career in the arts, aging, Actors' Equity, materials used in crafts, and the very meaning of having a career in the arts.