Your artist statement should be a reflection of you and your work. You are telling your audience what you want them to understand about your art. You are explaining to them why they should want to look at your work.
- Write it in the first person.
- Write about your creativity, emotions and things that influence your art.
- Keep it real. Make it an authentic representation of you and your work.
- Keep it concise and clear. Your audience will thank you.
- It should represent current work.
- Consider multiple versions for different bodies of work.
- Tell people what you want them to know about your work.
- Keep a journal as you work, writing down thoughts that come to you about influences and ideas that you have along the way. It will be helpful to you when you sit down to write your statement.
Your bio is a highlight of your background, career and accomplishments. Think of it as a snapshot of your CV or resume.
- Write it in the third person.
- Include recent highlights and accomplishments such as awards, publications, notable commissions, etc….
- Write both a short (50 to 100 words) and longer version of a couple of paragraphs.
- Add a quality head shot.
For both the artist statement and biography you want to do the following:
- Review and update at least once a year.
- Have them ready to go when you need them, both electronically and in print.
- Proofread!
- Ask someone else to proofread and for input.
Do you have a question about your artist statement or bio? Drop me a line at becky@artisan-advantage.com and I will try to help.
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