THE FUTURE IS ART, DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY: DOES EDUCATION MEAN BUSINESS ?

You may read this article only if you believe that education means business, regardless of its stream; Engineering, Medicine, Architecture, Catering or even Fine Arts and Design. Here I am talking about  NID, MIT, DSK, Srishti, Symbiosis, UID, DYP, etc & Sir J J School of Art, Rachana, BVP, Abhinav, DYPatil, BSBandekar, Raheja, etcDesign & Fine Arts Careers & Colleges and their admissions ad future prospects.With the increasing speed of life today we hardly have time to study or make a correct informed choice before taking major career decisions. One may not realize, but it matters most when we are about to take decisions about a career for our child after the formal X & XII standards. 

We hardly look back upon the  we were ourselves in the tenth or twelfth grade. We believe and accept that our child is too confused as to which path he/she should take. At times we might fail to accept that actually, we too are equally or more confused. Since we are elders, we believe that we are able to take a more apt decision. It is very natural for our kids at this age to be confused and I believe that ‘being confused’ is a good sign. You can be confused only if you have tremendous potential, if you are intelligent and have a vast choice in front of you. So stay confused, take it easy and enjoy this phase as this is a natural process of growth and everyone has to go through it at some point or the other. There was a time when our parents and we lived in a world where nothing except Science, Commerce and Arts was present. Tenth & Twelfth Boards was a period in life where the world came to a stand still for the whole family followed by Engineering or Medicine... and that was it. If you still think on these lines and feel that times have not changed you may stop reading further.In the past decade and a half, much of the world has moved on. Due to a wave of media growth and technological advancements; many avenues which were never ever considered as careers have become a lucrative and a professional career option. 

Art, Advertising, Design and allied fields have been given a status of their own today and the good part is that parents have starting absorbing the fact that this too is a respectable career. Other professions have come into the limelight such as Cricket, Catering, Acting and Films due to media & popular national icons such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sanjeev Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bacchan and art has become a career brand with the label of M F Hussain in India. Advertising, Design, Photography were brought forward with names like Alyque Padamsee, Bharat Dabholkar, Pralhad Kakkar, Gautam Rajyadaksha, Atul Kasbekar and so on.At first, there was limited yardstick for parents and students such as NID or JJ SCHOOL OF ART. There was also, a lack of awareness in the field, its education and the proceeding career options as a Designer or Creative Personnel. But over the years, consequently, design colleges started mushrooming in various places and began growing.  

Today on the upper list of Design or allied education systems are institutes such as NID, MIT, DSK, Srishti, SID, UID, MS etc. Whereas for Fine Arts we have Sir. JJ School of Art, Rachana, Bandra School of Art, Sophia College, Abhinav, Bharati Vidyapith, DY Patil, Thane School of Art, BS Bandekar School of Art etc. Few of us know that almost all fine art colleges give a degree from deemed universities such as Mumbai University and Pune University. Most design colleges offer a diploma and are in the process of providing a similar degree. 

Both these diplomas and degrees are now seen equally, which in itself is a sign that things have changed and will continue to. This also helps in Post graduation or studying abroad later and furthermore in procuring bank and housing loans. NID has been the top priority amongst parents and teachers who have regarded it as the IIT of design education although there is no Degree obtained here. Honestly now there is more confusion in the minds of those parents who were born 20 years before the advent of Whatsapp, Facebook and the Media cloud. All design & allied colleges like NID, NIFT, MIT, DSK, Srishti, SID, UID etc ask for a 12th educated student and require only an average of 50% marks. This also means that all those who do not excel towards Eng or Med are open to a respectable Design College with excellent hostels & mess facilities. To get into these design colleges you have to clear their internal admission tests which is a mix bag of written tests, Studio & Skills, Interview & presentation. This means more than just good marks in the twelfth; they prefer intelligent students. Round one is a written test of IQ, GK Logic & Maths. Clearing this will take you to level two, you have a Studio test here, your intelligence and creative skills are tested. 

After this you have a final round which is a Jury/interview round where you can present your artworks that you have done before entering this discipline. Thus you need to have a presentable and a concept based portfolio. After all this you are on the road to become a future Young Designer may it be Product, Automobile, Industrial, Animation, Gaming or Video and the allied.If you remain in the top 5 almost every year of your college you will be assured to fly abroad for further studies (PG) or if you choose and gather experience of the industry here you will land up enjoying what you always wanted to do and even get paid for it as a bonus; a respectable 5 - 10 laks P.A. to start with.Now we come to Fine Art colleges that are less glamorized but who give a respectable degree for PG or going abroad. You have to make a selection of two major streams, one is Commercial Arts and the other is called Drawing & Painting and/or Sculpture. We are now talking about JJ, Rachana, Bandra, BVP, DYPatil, Abhinav, etc. Here you need to have cleared the Ele/Intermediate Drawing Grade Exams held by the DOA board and the preferred ones are those who have an ‘A’ grade. A  50% is required in the 12th here too as a basic. But to get in this stream you need a CET certification (after the 12^th) from the Director Of Arts of Maharashtra State Board.

An authentic Mumbai/Pune University degree is what you will have after 5 years.The CET is again a mix bag of GK and Drawing Skills. Here there is no concept of Jury. If your work is good you will certainly do well in the CET and the GK tests are pretty simple just to avoid the dumb mass of students. For all these Fine Art colleges you do not require a hostel if you are in the same town so no additional burden of expense. You can choose between Painting and Commercial Arts or Sculpture. If you choose Commercial, you are now on the road to Advertising, Branding, Animation, Photography & Graphics. After 5 years you may begin a career in an Advertising Agency and start taking home upwards of 5 and 10 laks PA as per your ability. If you choose Painting  then in a span of 5 years you may fine tune your creative senses, oil paints, print making, Sculpture etc. On your own you could discover computers or any allied design platforms and if you are innovative you will not only enjoy Drawing & Painting everyday but also get paid for it. You will be always in process of getting ready for your next show in any of the newly mushroomed art galleries across India or the Jehangir Art Gallery or online galleries a world over. On this side of a career there is no defined job and salary. If you are smart, acceptable, good and affordable by society then you will soon be driving a Mercedes Benz or a BMW. If you are average you will be absorbed anywhere on a salary basis as per your talent and as per the requirements of your boss and his private office.

I have written this to share my knowledge about the present scenario of Art & Design institutes since I have been an integral part of this system for the past 30 years. I have graduated from the Sir J. J. School of Art in 1985, was awarded fellowship after topping in Fine Arts - Mumbai University. A colorful life I’ve had ever since - working in some top Ad agencies in Mumbai, making my own films, exhibiting my works in many art galleries, freelancing and doing corporate murals and today my wife and myself run an Art academy for students of all levels. What initiated this writing is the fact that since the turn of the century, media, communication, marketing etc have come a long way. Design & Art colleges have started mushrooming all over the place. Fashion designing, Gemology and the likes in the glamour world are making waves for career options. At all colleges, fees are skyrocketing and complementing this we have several banks that are opening avenues of education loans with easy and tempting repayment offers.  Honestly, parents are more confused than the 10th & 12th std kids. They need to know this, have awareness about this field and feel secured about it. I would be happy to guide and help anyone who shows serious interest in this creative world.

Our chocolate office - created by students.

Because I believe The future is Art, Design and Technology.

SHEIL BABURAO SADWELKAR

 

Sheil Baburao Sadwelkar - 9860610605GD ART + BFA (Awarded Fellowship) - Sir J J School of Art (1985/86), Mumbai UniversityVisiting Faculty in Design and Fine Art colleges.  

Currently : Independently working as an Artist  specializing in B/W Ballpen drawings & Murals. Solo shows in New Delhi, Mumbai, Jakarta, etcIndependently running an Art Academy with artist wife Minoo in Pune since 1999 for students of all ages bagging several International and National awards year after year.

A Black n White Studio - created with a Ball point pen.

Works are in private collection, Corporate offices and Institutes : NGMA, Nehru Center, Jehangir Art Gallery, Sachin Tendulkar, Pt. Jasraj, Bombay Municipal Corporation, Times of India, Soli Godrej – Godrej Group, Remo Fernandes, Kalpataru Constructions, Vidhii Partners, Precision Camshafts Ltd, Aspi Balsara - Balsara Group, Narang International, Klenzaids Engineers, Milton Plastics just to name a few.   

Finishing strokes by Trishaala Limaye