Community artist to conceptual artist
A community artist already meets 36% of what the conceptual artist role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.
68.2/ 100
1 How much of what a conceptual artist is expected to do is already part of a community artist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the conceptual artist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A conceptual artist role treats 6 of its required skills as things a community artist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- art history
- contextualise artistic work
- define artistic approach
- discuss artwork
- intellectual property law
- labour legislation
What stands in the way is 12 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 14 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A conceptual artist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a community artist background worth leading with.
- already held discuss artwork communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held manage artistic project management skills
- already held participate in artistic mediation activities communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held present exhibition communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held develop artistic project budgets information skills
- already held develop educational resources communication, collaboration and creativity
All 14 carried skills, including the 6 the conceptual artist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 23 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn adapt artistic plan to location required
- still to learn create artwork required
- still to learn define creative components required
- still to learn develop an artistic framework required
- still to learn identify artistic niche required
- still to learn maintain an artistic portfolio required
- still to learn make artistic processes explicit required
- still to learn select artistic materials to create artworks required
- optional, not held assess each stage of the creative process optional
- optional, not held create pen-and-paper images optional
- optional, not held design greeting cards optional
- optional, not held develop animations optional
- optional, not held provide input to collaborators to guide their work optional
- optional, not held use artistic materials for drawing optional
- optional, not held design graphics optional
- still to learn gather reference materials for artwork required
- still to learn monitor art scene developments required
- still to learn study artistic techniques required
- optional, not held assess conservation needs optional
- optional, not held monitor sociological trends optional
- still to learn iconography required
- optional, not held ensure safety of exercise environment optional
- optional, not held plan art educational activities optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a conceptual artist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 iconography study this
- 02 adapt artistic plan to location practise this
- 03 create artwork practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 14 skills that carry over
- already held art history knowledge
- already held contextualise artistic work skill
- already held define artistic approach skill
- already held discuss artwork skill
- already held intellectual property law knowledge
- already held labour legislation knowledge
- already held develop artistic educational activities skill
- already held develop artistic project budgets skill
- already held develop educational resources skill
- already held keep personal administration skill
- already held manage artistic project skill
- already held manage personal professional development skill
- already held participate in artistic mediation activities skill
- already held present exhibition skill
11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held assess conservation needs optional
- optional, not held assess each stage of the creative process optional
- optional, not held create pen-and-paper images optional
- optional, not held design greeting cards optional
- optional, not held develop animations optional
- optional, not held ensure safety of exercise environment optional
- optional, not held monitor sociological trends optional
- optional, not held plan art educational activities optional
- optional, not held provide input to collaborators to guide their work optional
- optional, not held use artistic materials for drawing optional
- optional, not held design graphics optional
31 held skills the conceptual artist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adopt a person-centred approach to community arts skill
- not needed by the target role approve reports for artistic project skill
- not needed by the target role assess community arts programme resources skill
- not needed by the target role assess data collected to improve community arts programme skill
- not needed by the target role assess your competencies in leading community arts skill
- not needed by the target role balance participants' personal needs with group needs skill
- not needed by the target role be a role model in community arts skill
- not needed by the target role collaborate with stakeholders in leading community arts skill
- not needed by the target role communicate with target community skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate artistic production skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate community arts activities skill
- not needed by the target role define roles of supporting team for community arts programme skill
- not needed by the target role demonstrate technical expertise of your dance style skill
- not needed by the target role develop a coaching style skill
- not needed by the target role develop artistic coaching programme skill
- not needed by the target role develop cultural activities skill
- not needed by the target role direct community arts activities skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate supporting team in community arts program skill
- not needed by the target role help the programmer define an artistic vision skill
- not needed by the target role identify sources on potential target communities for art skill
- not needed by the target role interact with an audience skill
- not needed by the target role manage participants' expectations in arts skill
- not needed by the target role participate in music studio recordings skill
- not needed by the target role read scripts skill
- not needed by the target role record lessons learnt from your sessions skill
- not needed by the target role research your target community skill
- not needed by the target role study community as a target community skill
- not needed by the target role theatre techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role use pedagogic strategies for creativity skill
- not needed by the target role work with respect for own safety skill
- not needed by the target role work with supporting team in community arts programme skill
1 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn iconography required
Common questions about this move
Can a community artist become a conceptual artist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A community artist already covers 36% of what a conceptual artist is expected to do: 14 skills carry over, 6 of which the conceptual artist role treats as required.
What skills does a community artist need to become a conceptual artist?
12 required skills are missing, plus 11 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is iconography.
How hard is the move from community artist to conceptual artist?
Its learning distance is 68.2 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.