ABSTRACT
How is the desire to create art, or to become an artist, shaped by one’s personal interests, motivations, and surrounding contexts and experiences? What is the role that personal motivations and interests impact an individual’s career pathway in the arts? What is the role of family, school, or informal learning experiences (e.g., museums, camps, or afterschool programs)? This chapter uses life history interviews to explore the paths of 31 visual arts professionals (artists, educators, curators, and art historians). Interviews explored factors that impacted career choice and path from early childhood to present day. In this chapter, we highlight the nature of early interest, social and material supports, the urge to create, and tensions that marked important transitions in education and career.
