Public art is proliferating in Eugene, with murals popping up on spare walls across town. However, artists still struggle to make a living wage while they beautify the urban landscape.

As part of a story about the local artist economy, the Register-Guard spoke to School of Art + Design Head Laura Vandenburg about how the school is preparing art students for professional life.

“We’re paying a lot of attention to professional practices especially for BFA and MFA final-year students,” Vandenburgh told the R-G. “It is built into their coursework, especially those students who will be working towards studio art.”

The R-G also caught up with local artist Ila Rose, who studied art as an undergraduate at the College of Design.

“We’re just starting to work with local artists to talk about what that pay rate should be,” Rose told the R-G about efforts to set a base pay for artists. “There’s a lot of discussion there about starting a union for live painters. It’s tough, though, because we all charge different rates.”

Read more in the story "Supporting the beating heart of Eugene's arts."