Artistic opportunities

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Students receive lesson on creative careers

Woodland Regional High School junior Camery Keeley, right, talks with Woodland graduate and film producer Matt Campbell during the Art Career Night on Feb. 27 at the school in Beacon Falls. The event was held to show current students interested in the arts the available careers in creative fields. –LUKE MARSHALL
Woodland Regional High School junior Camery Keeley, right, talks with Woodland graduate and film producer Matt Campbell during the Art Career Night on Feb. 27 at the school in Beacon Falls. The event was held to show current students interested in the arts the available careers in creative fields. –LUKE MARSHALL

BEACON FALLS — A career in the arts is a viable path to take and not just for “starving artists.”

That’s the message students and parents received at the Art Career Night Feb. 27 at Woodland Regional High School

The evening featured five Woodland graduates, a parent of a graduate and a representative from the Savannah College of Art and Design, who all came together to talk about careers in art.

“It’s really intended to get across the idea not only to students but to parents because people have a lot of misconceptions about the arts and understanding what opportunities are out there for people who go into the arts. I think they think kids are going to be ‘starving artists’ when they graduate from college,” said Woodland fine arts teacher Chris Misuraca, who hosted the event.

Woodland graduate Nadia Baz currently works at Worx Branding & Advertising in Prospect. Baz said she took part in the event to show students they can have a career and future in the arts.

“The purpose is to really motivate students and parents to know that there are creative careers out there. Everyone knows the term ‘starving artist,’ and everyone says if you’re interested in the arts you are not going to find a job. But in reality they are everywhere,” Baz said.

In addition to Baz, Woodland graduates Michael Dionne, a graphic designer, Matt Campbell, a film producer, Nikki Lee, a web designer, and Jess Zielonka, a wedding photographer, talked to students and parents about being employed in artistic careers.

The graduates said there’s money to be made in creative careers, but it takes hard work to attain a desired job.

“If you guys want to do it, do it. But do it 100 percent,” Campbell said.

Craig Bures, an industrial designer and father of a Woodland graduate, said he’s been working at his job for 30 years and has enjoyed it the whole time. He said his job gives him the ability to be creative every day.

Woodland senior Michael Marti, who plans on going to college to study filmmaking, said he was pleased he came out to the event.

“I enjoyed it very much. It was very informative,” Marti said.

Sunshine Drysdale, a sophomore at Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury, said she was surprised with how many career options there are for those interested in the arts.

“I thought it was wonderful,” Drysdale said. “Coming in here I didn’t think there were this many careers I could look into.”