Working in the Arts seems out of reach for many. Hearing the phrase “starving artist” quite a bit through years of school, it is natural that many bright students steer towards seemingly more stable career paths. However, I was able to get in contact with a group of people who are successful in their artistic careers from the Springfield Little Theater to discuss how they got to their positions and what they do, as well as contact an aspiring student that wishes to work in the arts herself.
Alexandra “Lexy” Saner is a professor at Drury University as well as the Marketing Director for Springfield Little Theatre. When asking Ms. Saner about her role in the art world, she described it saying “My role is to promote and support passion.” In her work, Saner oversees production and distribution of the theater's marketing materials. She also is responsible for interacting with media and the community in order to spread awareness of what the Theater has to offer.
An Alumni from Drury University, Saner graduated with a major in Theatre as well as Arts Administration. This allowed her to gain knowledge on the business side of art, while fostering her passion for Theatre. “My current job is not where I planned to end up, but it was no accident. Despite learning a lot of lessons along the way, I wouldn't do anything differently,” she explained.
One factor Saner emphasized was that with a career in the arts, work doesn’t feel like work. As a job, Lexy Saner is able to support others’ dreams and create ever changing experiences. For anyone looking for a career in this field, this is a key reason for pursuing it.
Jessica Bower works with Lexy Saner at the Springfield Little Theatre, and she had a slightly different path. Bower graduated from Webster Conservatory of Fine Arts in St. Louis, Missouri with a degree in Acting. Her role at Springfield Little Theatre is working as an Education Specialist. This means that she directs acting classes for middle school, high school, and college level students. She works closely with students individually also on prepping for college auditions. In addition to this, she directs shows at Springfield Little Theater and works regionally as an actress in her spare time.
Jessica Bower also did not anticipate to end up working for the Little Theatre, but calls it her home. Bower explained that a path in the arts is never set in stone. “If you have your mind set on one specific thing, you are setting yourself up for major disappointment,” she says. “You have to show up, do the work, and trust that whatever investment you are making in creating art and developing strong relationships with those around you in your community will pay off. It has for me.”
Tulley Beard is a junior at Drury University studying Arts Administration, Design Arts and Graphic Design. She originally came undeclared in her major(s), and was lucky to discover the Arts Administration program through a friend her freshman year. “I chose Arts Admin because I love art so much and I have always been involved in different kinds of arts, but I got more fulfillment from helping people create rather than creating art myself,” she explains.
When asked where she thinks she will end up in the art world in the future, Beard did not have an answer. She is open to options as she is familiar with many forms of art. She wishes to see herself in a fairly high position of power in an art organization of some sort, as long as she can “make the world happy.” Beard does have high hopes and can see herself getting a good job in the future.
Tulley Beard expressed some decline in the university’s focus on the Arts Administration program as a whole. “Drury has the best intentions, but it feels like Arts Admin has been pushed to the back burner and forgotten about. I want more, I want to learn more.” Though she feels there is more to learn, her passion is strong and she is willing to take anything she can get. “I do not feel prepared to go out into the world and run an organization yet, but I do have two more semesters. I hope that by the time I get through those, I will know how to be a professional person.”
The path to success is never easy and there is very often doubt among students who are passionate about the arts. It can be difficult wanting to work in a field that at times seems to be continuously losing funding. With the example of those currently in the art realm (specifically at Springfield Little Theatre), there is hope for the art leaders of the future. Lexy saner says it best: “I love where I'm at right now and the path that brought me here was worth it - it's almost a trophy. People will tell you that you can't achieve and they will stand in your way. It is up to you to choose to be capable. The world opens to passion. Pursue it.”
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