| Stakeholders in the arts perceive a disconnect between the visual art curriculum at a university in the West Indies and participation of graduates in the market economy. The role of this university in promoting social and economic development is crucial to the region. Graduates are often left with limited options in which to make a living from their creative works. The purpose of this case study was to examine the perceptions of stakeholders in the arts in order to increase the understanding of the ways in which the visual art program may contribute to reform efforts so that graduates can engage in visual production both domestically and globally. The frameworks of interpretivism and pragmatism guided this study, which investigated participants' ideas about how curriculum can potentially lead to greater participation in the market. Data were collected from students, graduates, lecturers, artists, and investors through a maximal variation sampling method. The multiple sources of evidence were in the form of interviews, document analysis, and visual-artifact materials, from which themes, patterns, and relationships emerged. The results indicated a negative relationship between students' understanding of the market and their decision to engage in market activity. Graduates in the visual arts inadequately prepared for the business of the visual arts in their academic training were also employed outside their discipline. This study's findings may promote social change through efforts to introduce new curricular arrangements in higher education to support visual artists' participation in the visual arts market economy upon completion of a degree in the visual arts. |
