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This week over 40 students took the opportunity to listen to a filmmaker, a sculptor, and a painter describe how they navigated various channels of the art world and built successful careers.   "Careers in Visual Arts," organized by the career center, received such a positive response from students as well as from alumni that it may be repeated in the near future.

David Gaynes '99, an independent television producer and documentary filmmaker, Stephen Knapp '69, a sculptor and architectural glass artist, and William Wright, a painter and teacher, addressed the challenges and triumphs they had experienced in establishing themselves in their respective fields.  According to photography student Ginny Berg, who covered the event for this web story, all speakers honestly discussed the difficulties in achieving success and emphasized the necessity of persistence, perseverance and "thinking outside of the box."  All three speakers also admitted that they had to accept other kinds of work at various points in time to pay bills while solidifying their careers.

Steve Knapp summed up his experience as a working professional artist very succinctly.  "It's a great way to live and it's a lousy way to make a living. But don't give up on what you love to do." In his three years since graduation, David Gaynes looked back and shared with his audience how his career is unfolding. He shared this thought: "Everything you do is a little lesson, a contribution to who you are today.  Watch your progress and value your work."

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