Artist Resume or CV?
Different situations in your visual art business require an artist résumé or curriculum vitae. Job opportunities may call for them, applications for grants and residencies usually require them and galleries like to keep them on hand. Artists often refer to these documents as one and the same. There is, however, a difference between the artist résumé and the CV.
What’s the Difference Between an Artist Resume and a CV?
According to the College Art Association,
There is a difference between a CV and an artist résumé. The CV is a record of all your professional activities, usually intended for use in academic situations as well as for applications to employment opportunities. The artist résumé is an abbreviated document, typically one to four pages in length, and is often tailored to reflect a specific expertise. The artist résumé is used in conjunction with commercial and non-profit galleries, the search for exhibition opportunities, residency and grant applications, public art proposals, etc.
Do you need an artist resume?
Your business path may not immediately call for a résumé. or CV. Still, it is important for you to keep a current record of the your work history. It’s easy to record activity when it is fresh in your mind. It’s harder when you have to recall events from the past when you are under the gone to write one.
The College Art Association provides a guide on how to write both an artist résumé. and a CV. At a minimum, maintain a list of your work history in chronological order, starting with the most current information. Then, when requested, edit the information needed into the appropriate format. Include the most current and relevant information for the opportunity at hand. This prepares you for requests that may come your way, without requiring too much work at the time.
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