How to Write an Artist's Resume
In an artist's perfect world, your art would not only make itself understood by everyone, it would sell itself. Unfortunately, no one lives in a perfect world, and sometimes, you, the artist, need to promote yourself as well as promote your work.
One of the best tools for this is an artist's resume. Unlike regular corporate resume formats that are taught in business school, an artist's resume looks a little different and has more--and less--than the list of past employment/job descriptions.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
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Start with an artist's statement. This is probably the most difficult part of any visual artist's resume. Your artist's statement should be no longer than a paragraph or two and, in that small amount of text, tell people not familiar with your work all about your inspiration and your artistic vision.
For example, in the Spring 2009 issue of "Thorn Magazine," singer/songwriter S.J. "Sooj" Tucker talks about how her spiritual beliefs infuse her music, and her beliefs are deeply influenced by string theory--the idea that there is vibration in every atom in the universe, and vibration also makes all sound and, therefore, all music. Even someone not familiar with Tucker's music will have some understanding and appreciation of her style if she added it to an artist's statement. -
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List in reverse chronological order (most recent first) any awards you may have won for your artwork.
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List your education. Indicate the schools you've received degrees from or master art classes you've taken. If you've gone to school or taken a class to improve your art, put it on your resume.
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List all the shows you've done, even group shows--again, in reverse chronological order. People who are interested in your artist's resume are looking to see how much professional experience you have, and how many shows you've done are a good indication of that.
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List any publications. If your photography has appeared in a magazine, list it by magazine name, date of publication and article title. If you and your art have been showcased in a monthly periodical or your local newspaper, list it (again, in reverse chronological order). If any of your shows were reviewed, list the publication, date of the review and reviewer's name. The whole point of your artist's resume is to help sell yourself, so list all past media appearances, print or otherwise.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure your name and all contact information is at the top center of your resume.
