Art as a profession is a class for Juniors and Seniors (and arts focused sophomores) where they learned to explore a variety of career paths in the Arts. Many students already had a style or type of media that they enjoyed and had taken a variety of art classes. We focused on refining their style and learned about being a professional artist. We worked with a local company - ArtForce to bring in professional artists to show their work and talk to students about career options and their style and work as the business aspects of the art world. We also went on field trips to local NE art studios, museums and the U of M. Students learned first hand how to work with a client (Edison staff) to create a work of art and work within contract guidelines. They also learned how to market themselves, design business cards, post professionally using social media and make a wide array of artworks as well as build a portfolio.

Their final gallery show currently on display in the media center focused on the concept of "Change". It features the work over 18 students. This was a broad term that students could interpret in their own way to make a series of artworks on a theme in a media of their choosing. This process allowed students to create several artworks on a theme and choose their final and go through the steps of documenting and photographing their work as well as matting or mounting, hanging and displaying their work professionally. They also helped in teams to plan the show and build the gallery walls themselves in the Edison wood shop, created labels and postcards and flyers to allow them full ownership over the whole process of curating an art exhibit.