East Hosts Visual Arts Career Night

East hosted its first ever Visual Arts Career Night last Thursday. It was held in the main gym, and gave students an opportunity to explore the different areas in the art field and what steps they would need to take educationally in order to reach their goals. Adam Finkelston, the photography teacher at East, was in charge of organizing the event.

“The outcome was about as I had hoped,” FInkelston said. “There were about 50 students there, and I hope to expand it next year.”

The gym was set up with booths, each from 11 different professionals. There were booths about restoring art, manufacturing, designing and curating.

One of the booths was by April Watson, the Curator of Photography from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Paul Benson, the conservator of objects at the Nelson-Atkins, was there as well. His job is to “actually touch the artwork and repair it if it needs,” said Finkelston.

Junior Ilana Duby was one of the 50 students to attend Thursday night.

“We got to talk to the artists and they told us how to get an education and how to survive in the art world,” Duby said.

Duby is currently in IB art, and is undecided on whether or not she wants to attend art school and pursue a career in the art field.