Your
Future After SAIC Internships
Careers
Our Alums
SEE YOUR FUTURE WITH SAIC
Embrace a creative life
An education in art and design unlocks a whole new perspective on the world.
In a rapidly changing global landscape, the ability to think imaginatively and empathetically is invaluable. A commitment to a creative life is not only worthwhile, but vital for shaping a brighter, more inclusive future.
92% of SAIC graduates were employed or in graduate school within 6 months of graduation
The arts industry contributes 1.016 trillion to the economy of the U.S.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis 2024
saic.edu/capx
Career and Professional Experience Handshake
We call ourselves CAPX, and we are here to help you prepare for life after art school from the moment you arrive on campus.
We empower students and alums through career education, connecting them to diverse experiences and opportunities. From polishing résumés and refining portfolios to mastering the art of interviews and crafting a robust professional network, we’re here to help you succeed. Whether face-to-face or in the virtual sphere, discover the myriad ways we can collaborate and propel you towards success.
An innovative college-to-career platform that connects students and alums with thousands of internships, jobs, and other employment opportunities on and off-campus.
Get started at:
saic.joinhandshake.com
Expert Exchange
Informational interviews and consultations with alums, creative professionals, and business leaders about venture ideas and future careers.
CAPX Internships
Connecting SAIC students with organizations and companies in Chicago, throughout the U.S., and internationally.
Big Interview
On-demand virtual interview training for all experience levels. Offers practice and feedback 24/7 from any location that has internet access.
CliftonStrengths®
Online assessment and coaching to help discover natural talents and develop strengths.
28M
people are currently working in an art and design field*
Career-based courses
Prepare for life after SAIC while still in school with courses led by our faculty of practicing artists, designers, and scholars. Here’s a sampling:
» Artist In The Here & Now
» Artist-Run Spaces
» Artist Start Up: Small Businesses
» Creative Industry of Artists
» Curriculum & Instruction
» Developing a Social Practice
» Every Day I’m Hustling
» Fashion Intensive Portfolio
» Financial Management
» Intellectual Property in New Media Art
» Internship as Professional Experience
» Preserving Moving Images
» Printmedia Platforms
» Professional Practice for Freelancers, Illustrators, & Cartoonists
» Project Pragmatics: Getting Your Work Out Into the World
» Proposals & Positions: Portfolio Development Seminar
» Punk/DIY Methods in Production
» Runway Meets Runway
» Statements, Grants & Proposals
» Studio Life
» The Working Artist: Life After Art School
» Web Art
» Why Make Art Now?
» Writing & Writing-Based Projects
“I feel like my academic appointment [at the Smithsonian] has allowed me to put my arts administrator lens on. It has allowed me to be something aside from an art historian.”
A summer fellowship gave Alexandra Kader Herrera a fresh perspective on her goals. Photos: Courtesy of Kader Herrera
Internships that prepare you
Countless cool companies and cultural collaborators look to SAIC students for their next wave of talent.
CAPX helps you land your dream internship with ease. From funky artists’ studios to sleek design firms, cozy publishing houses to bustling museums, and everything in between, the opportunities are here. Whether you’re into tech, gaming, fashion, or social change, there’s an internship waiting for you to kickstart your career journey in style.
One of the United States’ largest arts-based internship programs bosungkim photography play+
The network that connects you
You will not only learn about the accomplishments of our alums, you will have the opportunity to engage with them directly, participate in courses led by them, and leverage their professional networks. This access extends beyond Chicago, reaching connections worldwide.
Notable Alums
Georgia O’Keeffe Painter
Jeff Koons Multimedia Artist
Some of the world’s most influential creators have the distinguished title of SAIC Alum. Will you be next?
Ivan Albright Painter Roger Brown Painter
Halston Designer
Lawrence Steele Fashion Designer
Anchee Min Novelist
Joan Mitchell Painter
Elizabeth Murray Painter LeRoy Neiman Artist
Byeong Sam Jeon Fine Artist
Claes Oldenburg Sculptor
Cynthia Rowley Fashion Designer
Apichatpong Weerasethakul Filmmaker
Ed Paschke Painter
Grant Wood Painter
Robert Storr Critic, Artist, & Curator
Chris Ware Cartoonist & Graphic Novelist
Rashid Johnson Fine Artist
Sarah Vowell Author & Voice Actress
Paul Chan Multimedia Artist
Wu Tsang Filmmaker, Multimedia & Performance
Wen Yiduo Poet & Scholar David Sedaris Writer
ALUM SNAPSHOT
Chris Naka
BFA 2006
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ATLAS OBSCURA
Learning to explore inside and out
After graduating from SAIC, Chris took on a Creative Director role with the Blue Man Group, concepting and producing content, including music videos, social media films and even contributing designs to their stage show. Seven years ago, he made the move to Atlas Obscura and has risen to the role of VP, Content— leading all of the company’s output.
It’s been a prolific time of creation. He’s directed and edited short documentaries, along with commissioned content. The content from the entertainment division has won awards from the New York Times to Regional Emmys. Recently, Chris is proud to have developed The Atlas Obscura podcast, which has over 40 million downloads and multiple awards.
“Our podcast has been named Best Travel Podcast at the iHeartRadio awards two times and featured as Apple Podcast’s #1 Travel Podcast.”
Sasha Samochina
BFA 2009
CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST DESIGNING ACCESSIBLE SYSTEMS OF EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
Create your own trajectory
Sasha is an award-winning creative director, technologist, and artist, who’s worked with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Chicago’s Field Museum.
Working on the cutting edge of video and web development is something Sasha has always found very exciting. She has proudly pioneered the first 360° video on NASA’s social media and led the creation of the Data Visualization and Infusion department. Today, Sasha is the Founder and CEO of some-thing Company, a business that creates innovative visualization experiences that transform how people perceive their processes and the world.
“SAIC
really challenges you to think about the work you produce. Not just the WHAT, but also the WHY.”
Gabriel Bump
BFA 2015 / AUTHOR OF EVERYWHERE YOU DON’T BELONG
Everywhere You Don’t Belong is the winner of the 2020 Ernest Gaines Award for Literary Excellence and a selection as one of the 100 most notable books of 2020 by the New York Times.
All my creative writing workshops were crucial to my creative development. The writing program was small, so a lot of us took several classes together with the same professors. It felt like a small family, bickering, comfort, all of it. Adam Levin, Janet Desaulniers, Todd Hasak-Lowy, Mark Booth, James McManus, Ruth Margraff, Leila Wilson, Jesse Ball—they were our parents, or cousins, or cool aunts and uncles.
“My creative writing community was unlike anything I’ve experienced since.”
ALUM SNAPSHOT
ALUM SNAPSHOT
NEW COURSES LED TO A CAREER PATH
FINDING HIS COMMUNITY
Amy Smeed
BFA 1997 / CO-HEAD, ANIMATION AT WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
Amy became the first woman head of animation in Disney history, working on the film Moana. You’ll also see her work in favorites like Frozen, Wreck-itRalph, and Tangled.
SAIC influenced my career path through its openness to try new classes. The interdisciplinary study approach allowed me to experiment with different art forms. Before attending SAIC, it hadn’t ever occurred to me to take an animation class, and I hadn’t even realized it was a career path someone could take.
“Don’t give up on your dream. There will be
difficulties on
your
journey,
and
it will most likely not be a straight line from where you are today to where you’d like to go.”
Sierra Schoening
BFA 2012 / PROP & PUPPET BUILDER AT JIM HENSON CO.
Sierra works at the Jim Henson Company, handling and wrangling puppets for productions like Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street.
My internship got my foot in the door and helped land me a job as a freelancer at Jim Henson Company. I’ve seen some of my puppet creations come to life on the big screen! (In the puppet comedy thriller, The Happytime Murders, starring Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, and Maya Rudolph). With the people I have met and the connections I’ve made, I have endless possibilities for my future.
“I spend my days making fun and imagination for a living. I am very happy to be where I am today.”
ALUM SNAPSHOT
ALUM SNAPSHOT
LOOK. LEARN. LEAP.
CHANNELING IMAGINATION FOR A LIVING
Javier Lopez
BFA 2010 / VISUAL DESIGNER, GOOGLE MATERIAL DESIGN
After working for various consultancies, agencies and studios, Javier is now a Designer at Google on their Material Design team.
At SAIC, I learned that there’s more than one way to solve everything. I look at my work through many lenses and explore different ways of making. The work that I am the proudest of, in my professional career, has been the projects where I get to tell stories that connect design with other disciplines like engineering, motion, and even strategy.
“SAIC taught me to focus on my own learning and exploration— how to bring my ideas to life.”
Elisabeth Heying
BFA 2015 / MFA 2022 / ARTIST, MATERIAL RESEARCHER AND EDUCATOR
Painting, pigments & place
Studio artist Elisabeth Heying paints to explore place, landscape and surface as records of and containers for human experience.
When she’s not making or researching, she’s sharing her knowledge of painting and materials. As the founding director of StudioLab at SAIC, she taught students how to make and use traditional and modern painting and drawing materials, along with creating a library, material archive and a database of instructional videos.
Elisabeth received a 2023-24 Fulbright Award to conduct her project exploring pigments and material meaning in the Cypriot landscape.
“My relationship and approach to painting, pigment and place is all shaped by one core belief: material has meaning, has memory.”
Simone James
BFA 2010 / FASHION DESIGN & GARMENT CONSTRUCTION
Simone is a footwear designer for Coach and founder of the luxury lifestyle brand ssames.
I studied fashion design and garment construction at SAIC. It was the perfect option for me, having a great fashion department and being one of the most prestigious art schools in the world. Also, I was born and raised in Chicago and wanted to stay close to friends and family. The classes and curriculum challenged me to think beyond clothes and dig deeper both conceptually and aesthetically.
“Be open to change and stay connected with your peers and colleagues because you may need them in the future for your career. Many of the opportunities I received was because of these connections.”
ALUM SNAPSHOT
ALUM SNAPSHOT
SEEING
NEVER STOP MAKING CONNECTIONS
Sneha Shah
BFA 2015 / FOUNDER AND CEO OF CURATY
Sneha is the Founder and CEO of Curaty, a company which leases curated, museum-quality art, strategically matching artists with businesses.
My creative development is a direct output of my classes and instructors. Lela Hersh’s Art and Valuation course set the tone for my career in the art business. Michael x. Ryan, the founder of SITE Galleries (SAIC’s student-run galleries) and my Sophomore Seminar professor, has continued to be a mentor throughout my career after SAIC. I recall learning the practical skills of art handling and gallery management, from putting a nail into the wall to de-installation.
“At SAIC, I was able to find transformative internships and jobs as an undergraduate that in the other cities might have been reserved for grad students.”
