Explore a Winning Arts & Music Admission Essay
In the competitive world of Fine Arts, Music Performance, and Design admissions, your portfolio or audition shows your skill but your Statement of Purpose reveals your mind. Elite conservatories and Ivy League arts programs look for more than "talent"; they seek innovators who understand their place in the cultural landscape.
Explore our featured Arts & Music Essay Sample to see how we help creators transform their artistic journey into a persuasive, professional narrative.
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Before
I believe the past shapes me into what I am today. Ever since the days when I was raised by my grandmother, a kimono weaver, in Kyoto, particularly renowned for its rich history and traditional Japanese art, the environment has enlightened my interest in visual arts and beautiful garments. Also, because my mother is a jewelry designer and makeup artist (used to be a performing artist, wedding dress designer, etc), under her influences, I am tempted to be a versatile person and staying hungry for absorbing anything more, anything new, anything aesthetic.
When I was a child, I liked to draw something to express my imagination, such as creating characters in exaggerated crinolines and picture books. Thus, my parents nurtured my interest of visual arts by sending me to the high school, which sets art-talented classes since they had noticed my art talent and interest. When I was a high school student, I was a costume designer in Drama Club, and that is my first time concretizing my whimsical ideas. After more than six years art training, I decided to pursue my BA in Arts Management from ****** University of Education. It allows me to explore diverse fields and find what I really want to be. Accidentally, in my Art Commodity class, I visited an exhibition at ****** Fine Art Museum, Le Défilé: Jean- Paul Gaultier / Régine Chopinot, and I was completely fascinated with it. Then, I have realized that, by being a fashion curator, it allows me to combine my interests into a career, so I have taken numerous relavent classes, such as Fashion Design Industry, History of Fashion and Cultural in Taiwan, Curatorial Studies, Museology: Theories, Exhibition and Performance Planning and Practice, etc. That is to say, attending this exhibition is the crux of my fashion- curator-decision.
“Passion+ability+effort=success”, my mother once told me. To me, fashion is passion. It is the emotional fuel that drives my vision. However, even I found what I really want to do, playing an important fashion curatorial role in contemporary museums, galleries, other arts organizations, or an independent curator. There are still many abilities I lack, such as professionally fashion history knowledge, sufficient practice, culture shock, etc. Even the significance of fashion industries is growing, but, admittedly, the educational resources and development of this field is relatively immature in Taiwan. Thus, it is necessary that students go abroad for advanced fashion studies. In addition, although I have had previous experience working as a curator, enough “fashion” curatorial practice is what I really expect. Undoubtedly, there are considerable opportunities in the city ******** School for Design located, New York City, and I want to seize them to create something extraordinary. The last but most important point is culture shock. In my personal opinion, experiencing culture shocks is an essential part for successful cultural workers. By doing so, it allows me listening to different perspectives and broadening my horizon, and then I can embodying those precious concepts in my output.
After
As a child, I have always had an active imagination that led me to draw upon my cross-cultural roots in Japan and Taiwan to create characters for stories in exaggerated crinolines and picture books. My creativity was not limited to the abstract – instead, I was influenced by my grandmother, a kimono weaver in Kyoto, who applied her imagination and vision to create traditional Japanese art that was rich in tradition. Combined with my mother’s career in jewelry design and as a make-up artist, I began to channel my interests into the exciting world of fashion.
My parents and teachers recognized my talents, and nurtured my interests in visual arts by encouraging me to attend a high school that focused on the arts. I was invigorated by this environment which inspired me to become a costume designer in the Drama Club, and study all facets of fine arts. My high school experience motivated me to pursue a Bachelor’s of Arts Management from the ****** University of Education, which helped me refine my interests further into an identifiable career by giving me the opportunity to explore a diversity of art disciplines.
However, the single most important event in college occurred during my Art Commodity class, when I visited an exhibition at the ****** Fine Arts Museum titled: Le Défilé: Jean-Paul Gaultier / Régine Chopinot. It gave me the direction that I needed --- a goal to combine my outgoing personality with my artistic passion to become a fashion curator. Soon, I enrolled in Fashion Design Industry, History of Fashion and Culture in Taiwan, Curatorial Studies, and Musicology: Theories, Exhibition and Performance Planning and Practice, among other courses. My visit to this exhibition proved to be a watershed event in my artistic career.
My mother once told me she would support any career choice, as long as I have the passion for the field. While my passion gives me “emotional fuel” to overcome boundaries, I understand pragmatically that I lack the technical skills that are critical for a fashion curator. I need to expand my understanding of contemporary museums, gallery administration, the role of art organizations, and how technology is changing the artistic landscape. I also need to understand the challenges of being an independent curator.
Unfortunately, the fashion industry is a relatively new industry in Taiwan, and therefore, our nation’s graduate programs are ill-suited for my educational needs and professional development. Although I know I will have to overcome cultural barriers, linguistic challenges, and general “culture shock” – I am excited about the possibility of studying in the United States. The ***** School of Design located in New York City will not only offer me the necessary educational opportunities, but also give me the professional network and industry access required to expand my understanding of the international fashion industry.
I am confident that I can succeed in the rigorous academic environment of the ****** School of Design, and provide unique insights to help my classmates understand how Western fashion intersects with Asian culture in an increasingly global society. The **** School will not only help me achieve my career objectives, but also help me return to Taiwan to help the emerging fashion industry in my native country capture the world’s attention with ideas that are truly exceptional.