How to Become a Freelance Art Critic

Art criticism is a challenging profession, one that requires a significant amount of expertise, a talent for writing, knowledge of art history and contemporary trends, and strong opinions. Although it is not necessary to have an advanced degree in art history, some training in the field is necessary, as art has become a highly specialized industry. Still, if you feel like you possess what it takes to become an art critic, the first step is to start off as a freelancer.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet access
• Pen and paper

Instructions

1. Familiarize yourself with the local art scene. Who are the most important artists? What galleries represent them? How many museums showcase art?

2. Determine which audience you feel comfortable writing for. For art critics, this could fall into two categories: specialist art magazines and the general public. If you wish to write for the latter, find out which newspapers and magazines publish art reviews.

3. Find an art exhibition you are interested in writing about. You can research what exhibitions are on in your area via the Internet. Try to attend the opening or the day after--most publications want pitches within a day of the opening. Never pitch a review of an exhibition without first seeing it, unless it's an artist whose work you know well and feel passionate about.

4. Pitch a review. If you are pitching a newspaper or magazine, find the email address of the culture editor and send him or her a pitch. If you are pitching a specialist art magazine, it should be sent to the reviews editor. Explain in a couple sentences why you feel a review of this exhibition could be interesting for their publication. You should also include a couple sentences describing your qualifications and past writing/publication experience.

5. Return to the gallery once your pitch is accepted. Look at all of the art once again and make detailed notes.

6. Write the review at home using your notes from the gallery. Describe the concept of the exhibition, the individual artworks, and any interesting biographical facts about the artist that may relate to the exhibition. Then provide a detailed assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the exhibition.

Tips & Warnings

• Always observe deadlines. Editors hate it when critics aren't able to abide by deadlines, as it slows down the production process of the entire publication. If you continuously miss deadlines, chances are high that you'll never be asked to review for a publication again.

References

• "The State of Art Criticism"; James Elkins, Michael Newman; 2008