More than 50 art students from Katherine Wallestad’s art department at J.E.B. Stuart High School got a lesson from Kathleen Jones, senior graphic designer at the Pentagon, on Feb. 19.

Jones graduated from American University in 1977 with a degree in communications and a minor in fine art. She held a variety of design jobs before joining the Department of Defense 25 years ago. Her presentation included a discussion of multimedia and 3-D design. After lunch, a small group discussion was held.

Most students who attended the session are actively considering a career in art. While they knew that a majority of designers hold full-time salaried jobs, they were surprised about the variety of job fields available to visual artists, particularly those in the military.

Students saw art from a professional perspective that gave them an understanding of how a graphic artist makes a living, what the demands of the career are, and what level of determination it takes to succeed. The Student Art Enhancement Group, a non-profit art organization, located in Fairfax County, sponsored the artist visit.