Adelphi art graduates prove that a creative career is not only viable, but that the possibilities are limitless.
Never mind the “starving artist” tropes. Declaring an art major is a power move. A creative degree gives students versatile skills for a world that craves innovation, leading to career possibilities that are as diverse as they are exciting.
Art students not only learn how to paint, draw and sculpt—they also learn to think. “The art department prepares students to be creative problem solvers, and we give our art students a wide range of skills based in the studio arts as well as in design, digital art and technology,” said Kellyann Monaghan, professor and chair of the Department of Art and Art History.
Adelphi offers degrees to appeal to different areas of interest, including Studio Art, Graphic Design, Art and Design Education, and Art History. Students benefit from small classes led by successful artists, branding experts and seasoned educators, along with real-world experiences like internships, collaborative mural projects and career preparation courses. “We function like a small art and design school within the larger University,” Monaghan said. Students can develop skills in complementary fields like psychology, business and communications. This flexibility helps them tailor their career paths to their interests.
Those paths are broader than many people assume. Adelphi art alumni work as photographers, art directors, school educators, art therapists, and in many other fields. “Students don’t have to be starving artists,” Monaghan said. “There are lots of different ways for them to make a living in the world.”
Case in point: Meet several Adelphi alums who built a thriving career with their art degree.
Turn a Creative Vision Into a Thriving Agency
Carl Timpone ’08, Portrait, Editorial and Commercial Photographer and Partner at Visual Natives
Photographer Carl Timpone ’08 graduated at the start of an economic recession. Jobs were scarce, but the creativity and independence Adelphi fostered helped prepare him to think outside the box. He began sneaking backstage at concerts to take photos of musicians, which quickly led to creating album artwork. “My job was just to listen to the music, listen to their lyrics and translate that into a visual form,” Timpone said.
As he gained experience and became more successful, he partnered with a graphic design graduate he met through the music scene and launched an agency—Visual Natives—that is still in operation today. Their clients span record labels, the fashion industry, enterprise companies, and legacy artists like Stevie Nicks and Def Leppard. “What I enjoy most about my career at this point is the ability to think quickly and creatively and the human connections that I make with the subjects, even if it’s brief,” he said. And those subjects happen to be Hollywood’s biggest stars, from Cynthia Erivo to Timothée Chalamet, and music industry icons like Post Malone and Chappell Roan.
Photography by Carl Timpone ’08
Timpone’s photography spans editorial, commercial and portrait work—for celebrities like Cynthia Erivo, Timothée Chalomet and Post Malone. Launch Gallery
Photography by Carl Timpone ’08
Timpone’s photography spans editorial, commercial and portrait work—for celebrities like Cynthia Erivo, Timothée Chalomet and Post Malone. 5 Photos-
Director Justine Triet and actress Jennifer Lawrence
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Actress Lily Collins
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Actress and singer-songwriter Cynthia Erivo
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Actor, comedian and singer Jamie Foxx
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Actor Timothée Chalamet
Share Life Lessons Through the Art Room
Elise Weber ’20, painter and art teacher at Island Trees High School
At Adelphi, Elise Weber ’20 developed a solid artistic foundation and mindset that she now passes on to students at Island Trees High School in Levittown, New York. A landscape painting class proved especially transformative, driving her senior portfolio and shaping her identity as an artist. In fact, she’s still a landscape painter today, selling her work at The Firefly Artists gallery in Northport and Gallery North in Setauket, both located on Long Island.
In addition to teaching studio art, drawing and painting, ceramics, 3D art, photography, and graphic design, Weber enjoys using the art room as a space to teach life lessons. “A lot of the time you’re teaching them that you can’t become emotionally attached to something until it’s completely finished,” she explained. “If something goes wrong, even if it’s out of their control, they have to be able to take that loss and just move forward.”
Paintings by Elise Weber ’20
Weber’s work is inspired by the landscapes of Long Island and the surrounding New York state area. Launch Gallery
Paintings by Elise Weber ’20
Weber’s work is inspired by the landscapes of Long Island and the surrounding New York state area. 5 Photos-
A gallery wall displaying a collection of framed and unframed artwork by Elise Weber.
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Painting: Through the Leaves, Branches, and Windows
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Detailed view of artwork by Elise Weber.
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Artwork by Elise Weber
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Elise Weber painting en plein air.
Bring Ideas to Life as a Corporate Art Director
Elisabeth Clarke ’13, art director at Macy’s
At Adelphi, Elisabeth Clarke ’13 learned to see design at the finest level of detail—hand drawing fonts and examining every curve of a letter. “It fine-tuned my eye early on,” she said. But after graduating, there was a time when she questioned whether graphic design was the right career path. “I love being creative, but do I really want to be on the computer all the time?” she recalled asking herself.
Then she pursued a new challenge and took on the role of art director at Macy’s, which gave her the opportunity to participate in a diverse range of creative projects. “As an art director, it kind of feels like I’m playing a make-believe job because what I’m doing, it sometimes really does feel like I’m just having fun,” she said.
Graphic Design by Elisabeth Clarke ’13
Clarke’s work includes art direction and layout design of print and digital campaigns that drive company objectives and reinforce Macy’s as a style authority. Launch Gallery
Graphic Design by Elisabeth Clarke ’13
Clarke’s work includes art direction and layout design of print and digital campaigns that drive company objectives and reinforce Macy’s as a style authority. 2 Photos, 1 Video-
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Clarke’s design layout for Macy’s apparel.
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Clarke’s design layout for Macy’s apparel.
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Clarke’s design layout for Macy’s apparel.
Help Kids Heal Through Art and Play
Kathleen Mascia ’19, child life specialist at Good Samaritan University Hospital
Kathleen (Oberle) Mascia ’19 knew she wanted to be an art therapist as early as ninth grade. A senior year class at Adelphi, Big Bad Painting, helped cement that aspiration. The premise was simple: Show up, create and let go of any expectations about the end product. “It taught me that the product isn’t always what matters—it’s the process,” Mascia said.
As a child life specialist on the inpatient pediatric and pediatric intensive care units at Good Samaritan University Hospital, she puts that philosophy into practice, using art and play to help hospitalized kids understand what’s happening to them. “The best feeling is when I’m helping a child, let’s say, understand an IV by making a doll that they get to put a real IV into,” Mascia said. Simple projects like this help kids feel less afraid.
A Powerful Art Community
The hands-on learning and exhibition opportunities at Adelphi reflect the Department of Art and Art History’s commitment not only to educating students as artists and creators, but also to giving them purpose. Whether it’s making connections with professional organizations in New York City or providing ample forums for showing work on campus, students are immersed in a community that values and supports artists.
“We create a wonderful sense of community. I really feel like our alumni have this Adelphi spirit, this Adelphi pride in the art program—and a really wonderful network of alumni supporting each other,” Monaghan said.