Career Area: Studio Artist

  • Jim Craft

    “The importance of learning the craft, learning the principles and elements of art and design and really understanding how to apply them, cannot be overstated. Design theory ends up being the currency of whether or not you can develop a particular visual way of expressing yourself, whether it’s sculpture, ceramics, architecture or another field.” 

    Jim Craft, who lives in Greenville, was a studio artist for ten years and then transitioned to academia. He was a professor of art at North Greenville University for 16 years and then moved to West Palm Beach, Fla., teaching at Palm Beach Atlantic University for 10 years. He earned his B.A. and M.A. from Bob Jones University and his MFA at Clemson University. 

    About

    As a studio artist, Craft worked in nearly all traditional media, including drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, and printmaking. He marketed ceramics, sculpture, and art to galleries and designed and produced ceramics for the High Point, N.C., furniture market. Craft secured commissions for paintings, murals, and architectural installations, including one at Our Lady of the Rosary in Greenville, S.C. 

    “It was really fun having a studio and being an artist, getting up every day and making stuff, showing my work at exhibitions,” said Craft. “But, it’s just not a realistic long-term goal. Even my friends who were wildly successful as artists had to supplement their income with other things, and it’s good to have those kinds of things in your pocket. So, I wouldn’t discourage anyone from getting a degree in graphic design or advertising or any of the design areas.” 

    Craft had also earned a degree in education, and making the move to academia was the best fit for him and his family. Teaching allowed him to mentor and guide aspiring artists, and the range of their career journeys was vast. 

    “I had students who have ended up in retail and selling in galleries or auction houses, traveling internationally even. Keep your alternatives lined up and be realistic about a career in the arts. You don’t have end up in a studio to stay in the arts. I had a student who ended up being an international buyer of fine rugs from all over Europe and North Africa and the Middle East. She was a painter, and she understood artistic principles and elements. You can focus on that and keep that, but keep a number of alternatives in your pocket just to be more widely marketable. It’s all the same – whether you’re looking at a Persian rug or a really nice ceramic vessel.” 

  • Daniel Dorriety

    Daniel Dorriety

    “I’ve always had a passion for welding… I’ve always been the kind of person who likes to work with his hands. The more you do, the more you try, the better you get.” 

    Daniel Dorriety is a welder by trade and works at General Electric building gas turbines. He is part of a special process team for repair engineering, focusing on joining development, handling the welding on every part of the gas turbines that get fixed. 

    About

    Daniel Dorriety is a seasoned welder at General Electric, repairing massive turbines with laser precision. His path began in high school, where he took welding at the Golden Strip Career Center and discovered the satisfaction of building something with his own two hands. That experience, paired with an associate’s degree from Greenville Tech, launched a lifelong career in the trades. 

    Today, Dorriety specializes in special process welding a technically demanding role that involves everything from torch repair to laser applications. Off the clock, he runs his own small welding shop and dreams of full-time self-employment. What drives him isn’t just the metal it’s learning. “The more you do, the better you get,” he says. 

    He encourages students interested in trades to explore short-term training programs like Arc labs, and to stay open-minded about alternative paths. Welding isn’t just about physical skill, he says it requires patience, communication, and constant adaptation. Whether it’s collaborating with engineers or mentoring newcomers, Dorriety takes pride in the craft and the community behind it.