Debunking Common Myths About How to Write an Artist Resume
Based on the comments responding to the recent “Ask A Gallerist” post shared by All SHE Makes, it was evident that writing a professional artist resume is a topic of interest in this community! When it comes to art business, this is one of my favorite topics to dive into as consistently adding to, editing, tailoring, and optimizing my resume has helped me land job and internship opportunities, exhibitions, awards, a book deal, and much more. So clearly, it’s important, and you should put the effort into crafting something that you feel not just comfortable, but proud to submit to your dream opportunities.
That said, I absolutely understand the frustration of not knowing what to include, how a resume should be organized, or what to do if you’re just starting out and have little to no experience. I used to spend hours overanalyzing and re-editing or rush to craft and polish a resume before an application was due! If you’re struggling with these first two pain points, I recently put together an easy-to-use template where all of the research and formatting is already done for you so there’s no more confusing guesswork involved on your end. It is available as an immediate download that you can fully customize by filling in your personal information and even includes extra notes from me as well as ten additional professional tips I’ve learned from my experience.
But let’s rewind back to what you can include on a resume if you’re just starting out! Here’s my advice:
It’s not a dealbreaker.
I know this isn’t a tip for what to write, but it’s important to note that the vast majority of curators, gallerists, writers, and jurors reviewing your submission will primarily be focusing on the quality of your work, not how long your resume is! While it will likely be more important for a grant, fellowship, or other award (and is certainly crucial if you’re applying for a job!), for most art submissions, the priority is your art. For me, when I’m reviewing new artists for my gallery for example, I mostly look at a resume out of curiosity to see where an artist has previously exhibited, if they already show with any other galleries, and to make sure it is well-written as an overall sign of their professionalism.
People understand you have to start somewhere.
Try not to feel pressured to pad your resume with a ton of space between entries or with ‘fluff’ to make your experience seem like more than what it is. If you really don’t have much to include for now then submit your resume with whatever experience you do have at the moment, even if it only takes up a few lines. You’ll soon be struggling to fit all of your biggest accomplishments on the first page, trust me!
Begin submitting now if you haven’t already!
If you don’t have exhibitions, awards, or press to include - why is that? Have you actively been applying? Don’t get stuck waiting around for your work to be ‘discovered’. Instead, look for open calls where your work is guaranteed to be featured or exhibited (think charity art auctions, group shows at community art centers in your area, and some online opportunities), research reputable and affordable paid options if that is in your budget, and ask your peers where they’ve shown or been profiled.
Also feel free to pitch blogs, magazines, podcasts, radio shows, and even local television news programs directly about featuring you. Having multiple media mentions looks great on a resume, and no, it doesn’t have to be from ArtNews or Artsy! It’s actually easiest when starting out to begin with small or niche publications and media outlets. Think as broadly as possible here and even outside of the fine arts industry. For example, I’ve previously had my artwork featured in a printmaking tools catalog and in literary journals in addition to art magazines and blogs. You can refer back to my article on pitching for best practices. :)
List other arts education.
After your name and contact information, many resumes begin with an educational background where people traditionally list their degrees earned. If you are self-taught, you can choose to skip this section entirely. Or, you can write self-taught and mention any art-related courses, workshops, or lessons with another artist you’ve taken, even if they weren’t in pursuit of a certificate or degree.
Grow your exhibition record.
Remember that you can list online exhibitions on your resume. If you haven’t shown at all yet, think about hosting your own open studio or putting together an exhibition at a cafe, restaurant, boutique, or hotel in your area. You can even do this with a small group of artists to split the workload and generate more buzz. Many of these locations are more than happy to have an artist add visual interest to their space and the added benefit is that you can potentially make sales too. For more specific advice on doing this, I invite you to check out my interview with Dallas-based artist Bree Smith for The Create! Podcast. In this episode, she shares all of the tips she learned from recently organizing her own solo show.
Mention other experience if relevant.
Depending on what you’re submitting to, you could potentially also include:
volunteering, even if it was not for an internship
part-time or freelance art gigs
teaching experience, which can also be one-time workshops or webinars
professional organizations or memberships you’re a part of
your most proficient skills
public art you’ve been commissioned to do
collaborative art projects you’ve participated in
your curatorial projects or writing, if you’ve been published
But again, only mention these if it makes sense for the application or it relates to your artwork in some way.
Be upfront about it.
Lastly, if you’re still uneasy about submitting a mostly blank resume, a simple solution is to go ahead and address it in your artist biography (or statement if it has impacted the work you make) and say that you’re an emerging artist, a self-taught artist, or that you are just returning to your art after taking a break from it. This way, then it won’t be a surprise to whoever is reviewing your submission.
As long as you keep these tips in mind (and don’t write your resume in comic sans or list your private collectors) you’ll be fine! I hope this article has helped clarify what is typically expected in a professional artist's resume and put you at ease if you’re just starting out.
Cheers!
Alicia
Remember that you can grab my affordable artist resume template directly on my website! For more information about resumes and if you’d like to know about writing a CV and the differences between the two, please check out my book The Complete Smartist Guide.
