Missouri Art Schools

Guide to Missouri Arts School Programs

When you look at your high school notebooks do you see doodles in all of the margins?  Do you find yourself spending your free time creating your own images with paper and pencil?  Do you enjoy sketching the likenesses of your friends and family? If you answered yes to these questions, then you might have a future as an illustrator. If you live in Missouri you have several education options to earn a post secondary degree in fine arts. Most illustrators will obtain a four-year degree from a college or university before entering this field.  There are also online programs for both four year and two year degrees to cut down your commute time and earn your degree right from home.

Missouri Arts Job Outlook and Salary


There are quite a few areas in which an illustrator may find work.  Illustrators are necessary to create images for magazines, books, calendars, and many other print items.  There will be an increased demand for illustrators who specialize in creating digital images for a variety of mediums.  With this increase, illustrators may find opportunities to work from home in a telecommuting situation. So whether you live in Springfield or Columbia, you could work for an employer anywhere in the world.

This area of fine art also includes those who work in medical and scientific illustrations.  These artists must have additional knowledge of the subject in which they are working such as anatomy or geology. Related occupations to illustrating are cartoonists and sketch artists.  While some illustrators will be employed full time by a single business, many will work as freelance contractors for several different companies to be able to earn a living in this field.

For those illustrators living and working in Missouri, the typical salary will range from $38,000 to $55,000 per year.  Salaries may have wide variations depending on the area of specialization, the type of employer, and the level of recognition in the industry. Illustrators may need to supplement their income by selling their artwork at art festivals, galleries, or from a home art studio.  Those working in this field may also increase their income by teaching courses for art students of all levels.  There is a high level of competition for the relatively few local Missouri employment opportunities that are available for an illustrator.  

Local Art Festivals & Events


Saint Louis Art Fair – September 10th – 12th, 2010
The Figure Now International Juried Art Show – February 5th – 26th, 2010
The District Art Annual – June 25th – 27th, 2010
Museum Marketplace – April – 10th – 11th, 2010

Largest Cities in and Around Missouri

Kansas City, Saint Louis, Springfield, Independence, Columbia, Saint Joseph, Lee’s Summit, Saint Charles, Saint Peters, Florissant…

Missouri State ZIP Codes


64101, 63101, 65802, 64050, 65201, 64501, 64063, 63301, 63303, 63031…

Top Art Schools for Missouri