What is all this talk about an Artist Bio? An Artist Statement? and an Artist Resume? What are they? How are they all related and how are they different? Those are the questions that I asked myself. Well, a quick internet search for them using google's toolbar, I quickly discovered what I was searching for! More hits and examples of each than anyone person would every need within their lifetime, LOL! I quickly realized my goal setting strategy and my #1 rule: To set a realistic obtainable goal! I was also smart enough to know, I needed help and fast!
So, I set out to my local library. A quick chat with the libririan on duty and I was lead to more resources than I'd ever would have imagined. Through reading, I discovered my answers, along with a lot more questions on self-promotion! Anyways, here is a bit about what I discovered.
An Artist's Resume
An Artist's resume isn't as intimidating as it sounds to create. One just needs to know the correct structure of it and what it includes and doesn't include. It is also helpful to know it's function. That was one of my first questions, what the hell does an artist's resume actually do?
In a nutshell, an artist's resume is used to impress gallery dealers, curators, collectors, grant agencies, juried art shows, and anyone else in the power chair that is in a position to get you where you want to be! It should reflect upon your achievements in the arts field. Nothing more and nothing less. It's purpose is to impress people with your credentials. It's a place to highlight your accomplishments and achievements. Okay, now what is in it?
An artist's resume should contain all of the following:
Your name, address, your phone number and your place of birth. Whether on not to put the year of your birth in it, is optional. Young people often prefer it while older artists tend not to include it to avoid the pitfalls of being negatively affected due to their age. I suppose this work both ways... we've all heard the phrases and comments about both! It should also include your exhibitions and performances. The year, the title of the exhibition, names of any sponsors, and the city and state held within. Other important information would be list the name of the curator and whether or not the exhibition was an invitational or a juried show. If you won an award, now is the time to shine your own light! If you've had more than three solo exhibitions, now is the time to update adding a Solo exhibitions to your resume! If you've had a solo exhibition but not more than the three, an * is used on the resume to stress that you participated in a solo exhibition. Collaborations are known as Group Exhibitions and are noted as well. Commissions are also listed on an artist's resume. Information such as friends, relatives, and other paid commissions are listed and are especially useful for the beginning artist! But what will eventually assist you is getting in to galleries and exhibitions that can further your career. Commissions from a well-known institiuation, cooperations, and collectors, are what you truly desire to strive towards. Within the biography portion of the artist's resume is where you'll list any and all publications in which your artwork has been mentioned, featured within, or reviewed. This is also the place to document any articles you've written. If you've been published in an exhibition catalog, include the name of the exhibition and the sponsor. If something was written about you in the catalog, list it but be sure to credit the author. Also, included in the artist's resume is any grants, prizes, awards, or categories you've won with your artwork and/or competitions! If an award was received and you previously mentioned it on your resume, list it here too. Beginning with the award, such as "Third place: Gallery name. City, State. Juried or Invitational. {If juried, include the juror's names}, and the year. Lectures and Public speaking engagements can also be listed as well as any radio and/or television appearances. Your art education should be the last thing listed.
Okay, now I can a lot of striving artist screaming, "But I don't have any of those!" well, that is yet another reason to establish a new goal now, isn't it? While you are working on that, you can still be working on establishing and creating an artist's resume. How? Did you read any of the above? There is a lot of food for thought in there to ponder upon!
But the reality isn't that easy. All artist's should have an artist's resume, at they should be in the process of doing whatever it takes to be forming one. Now, if you are like me and are just beginning in the submission area, don't loose hope yet!!! There are still steps that you can take to get where you desire to be. It is called, "Background Information" {See that was easy and painless enough!} Okay, now what do I include in it? Well, the goal here is to one day begin forming an artist's resume, so let's begin by reviewing that. Does it contain "your name, address, other ways in which you can be reach, and your place of birth? Check. Now here is where you explain that you are self-taught or list any art study programs that you've successfully completed. It is okay to begin with 3 short paragraphs! Afterall, every artist began somewhere! Double-space the document and triple space between categories. It is even okay to omit what you need until you reach the point of needing them! As you work to gain exposure, list them and include a few words of review regarding your artwork. Yes, there's "work" in the "artwork" word. And that, my friends is where you need to be focusing your attention to be able this build upon this artist's resume. Also, feel free to include an upcoming exhibitions and/or articles that are certain to be published.
In summary, an artist resume is a resume style list of your accomplishments. If your just beginning to submit your artwork for publications, who says you can't list a list of submissions in hopes of one day desiring to actually add one to your resume? One thing I've learned in creating artwork is rules are made to be broken, so why limit yourself?
The Artist Biography {or Bio, for short}
A biography is simply a narrative summary of you and your artwork. It is generally written in third person. Such as: "Cathy Highland's Mixed Media artwork and Book arts have been on exhibition in a solo exhibition invitational at Scrap and Stamp Ink, Mansfield, Ohio, 2003."
Next, you want to list some achievement that will grab your reader's attention and here is where having, establishing and maintianing your own personal niche can become very handy. "Cathy is an artist extraordiare as she is self-taught in the fields of creating scrapbooks, the craft of rubberstamping, in the creation of handmade and bound books, and in the book and paper arts fields." Unique, probably not, but it does grab the reader's attention and it does state that I am trying to work to establish my artistic career in hopes of one day establishing enough information to build an artist's resume!
So, in short, it accomplishes a goal. I could further go on to add that my artwork is held in the collection of many family and friends, of course, I'd list their names and not put that they are my family and friends.
This is were artist's helping artists becomes even more important. Each can help to assist the other along the way to striving for that area of where each desire to be. Next, I could include an expert of any publicity the event received, comments made by others, ect. Begin to build an artist's resume is the goal, but the purpose of an artist's biography is one area you can begin working to achieve in the meantime. A copy of your artist's biography should accompany every submission you submit, every handout you give away at an exhibition, and accompany any press release regarding your artwork. Besides that, did I mention that they are a great place to get started, thinking and behaving as an artist? {wink} It, also, informs others of ways to contact you for future reference!
The Artist's Statement
Unlike the Artist's resume, the Artist's statement is written in first person vs. third person. It is another tool that is used by artists to to gain entry into galleries, curator's, writters, critics, art dealers and consultants. It discusses you and your relationship with your art. It describes your creative process, and bares a bit of your soul. It includes something interesting about you that doesn't fit in anywhere else. It can focus on one or more topics, uses symbolism and metaphors that describes your artwork. It can include the materials and supplies themselves that you use to create the artwork and the techniques used in achieving your art, or any central theme and issues that are unique to you as an artist.
Often the artist statement is the hardest to write. It is hard to describe your artwork, especially when you're striving for determing it yourself. Here is where your families, friends, online friends and artistic buddies come into play. Ask and seek honest evaluations from them, what thoughts, feelings and emotions come into play when they view your artwork. Ask questions> "Does my artwork remind you of a certain artist's style? What words would you to describe my style?" Prior to writing your artist statement, it is important to put yourself into the position of who will be reading it? Assess it and analyze it. What is that is unique to you that will capture their [your reader's and intended audience]'s attention? What will it help for them to understand about you, your artwork, and your creative process? Think from a perspective audience's perspective and ask yourself, "What is about me and my artwork that is most important? What draws others to desire to view it? What emotions, thoughts, and feelings does it provoke?" Explain how you got started? What it is your currently doing? What your art represents to you and others. What are your accomplishments, area of study, when, where, what, why, and how! Turn all the negatives you discovered into positives so that they highlight your accomplishments now. Ask yourself, "what am I proud of? Then make a shorter condensed version or it that gets you across to your audience. Add a photograph of yourself or a photograph of you with your artwork in the background on disply! The opportunities are out there, are you looking for them?
When writing an artist's statement it helps to accentuate the positives of your artwork and avoid any insecurities you are feeling. You are not "attempting for, striving for, hoping or are hopeful for, or trying to" accomplish anything here, just state the facts of what it is that you do, why you are doing it, and what you desiring your artwork to say while it is viewed by others. Who, if anyone, influences you and your artwork? and be sure to think of both verbs that describe what you do and adjective that describe your artwork in an honest, direct, and energenic way. An artist statement should accompany any and all cover letters, letters of inquiries, and grant applications you seek.
Are you beginning to see the makings of a portfolio yet?
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