There are three principle costs when deciding on pursuing an education in the Fine Arts. This, frankly, is not something anyone is going to tell you, let alone your teachers or the faculty. Art Schools are cost prohibitive, and it is uphill. When evaluating whether or not you want to go to a strictly Art centric school, keep in mind, it will be often more expensive, and take more time to complete assignments as well as a degree. While this shouldn’t deter you, it will be to you benefit to be aware of what to expect.

The Monetary Cost of Art School

If you’ve ever been to an Art School you may know that it is prohibitively expensive. There is the standard cost of tuition, which will likely be higher, but there is the cost of supplies. I’m not talking about pencils and paper either. You will have to pay for expensive materials and tools that you may only use once. These will not be cheap materials as you will be judged by the subjective standards of your teacher. While you’re learning may not suffer with a cheap brush or cheap paper, your grade will. Some schools also require usage of specific brands such as Staedler. This isn’t so much of a problem as it means you will not be allowed to develop favorites. This can become pervasive as some schools require the use of an Apple Macintosh which is often a multiple in cost of an equivalent non-Apple computer

The Temporal Cost of Art School

Art schools are also time consuming. There is often a rule, when it comes to work load, that the student is expected to spend six to eight hours outside of class for every one hour inside. As a general rule of thumb, it will never take any student that long to produce work or strong results. There is also, due to the longer than average length of classes, a significant amount of wasted time. There will be periods between classes work can’t be done, rooms will be inaccessible, and days when supplies will run empty during the middle of a session. You will spend a significant time not working as well as working in an Art School.

The Cultural Cost of Art School

There is also a cultural in an Art School. If one doesn’t share the expected group mentalities, perspectives, or ideas, then one will often find themselves facing barriers. Historically art has not been about originality. It has been about convention and disrupting convention, but seldom the progress, democratization, or intellectualization of the craft or medium. It is a flaw, as professors will often be practicing artists, but they were trained in a similar environment, and will train their students as they were trained, if not the exact opposite.

Never Be Scared

Art School can be a wonderful experience, as well as an educational one, but there are flaws in the system. It can, and most likely will, pose an unnecessary challenge, while consuming resources, personal and financial. There is little one can do about that, so evaluate your environment, and determine if the school or schools you may be choosing are worthwhile and valuable to your future. Never be fearful of a challenge, but always be weary and keen.