Artist Resume Sample

Working as an artist comes with a unique set of challenges in a field that has its own culture and standards. Whether you’re applying for exhibitions, artist residencies, or art gallery positions, it’s important to make sure you know what’s expected when it comes to writing your artist resume.

Our tips will help you get a handle on best practices and show you how to highlight your relevant experience and expertise in a way that is sure to impress any curator or juror.

1. Know when to use an artist resume and an artist CV

While in other industries the difference between using resumes and CVs is pretty cut and dry, it gets more complicated when you’re an artist.

An artist resume should be used when applying to professional venues such as museums, galleries, or art centers as well as for opportunities like exhibitions, residencies, and proposals.

An artist resume should:

• Be 1-4 pages in length
• Be targeted towards a specific expertise
• Highlight details of your relevant experience, like exhibitions, residencies, or publications

An artist CV, on the other hand, should be used when applying to an academic artist position. A CV is a much more comprehensive document that should include all of your work experience. The only other time you should submit an artist CV is if it is specifically requested in a job posting.

2. Make a strong first impression

To be a successful artist your work needs to be eye-catching, and the same goes for a successful resume.

Whether you’re applying for an exhibition, a residency or an art gallery position, you need to make a convincing case for why you are the right choice. When it comes to making an impression, knowing how to start your resume can make all the difference.

To make a strong first impression, start off with a resume objective that summarizes your experience as an artist, some of your accomplishments, and your career goals.

Here’s an example of a strong artist resume objective:

This example is effective because the candidate communicates her qualifications as well as several key achievements.

Use this opportunity to highlight your greatest accomplishments and set yourself apart from other applicants.

3. Know how to list your artistic accomplishments

A resume for an artist is different from a standard resume in that it should also include any exhibitions, awards, publications, or other notable artistic achievements.

It can be difficult to know where to put all of these parts, and how to format them. In fact, to accommodate all this extra information, the standard resume length for artists is generally longer than the one page expected in most other professions.

To make it easier to put your resume together, here are examples showing how to format each category:

Exhibitions

Listing exhibitions shows that you have credible experience as an artist.

To list exhibitions on your resume, include the date, type of exhibition, title of the exhibition, gallery name, and location, like this:

2021     Solo Exhibition, Calm Before the Storm, Heather Sage Gallery, Taos, NM

If you have several different exhibitions to list, you can omit the type of exhibition and instead list them under subheadings for solo exhibitions, collaborations, or group exhibitions. Make sure to list any collaborators, curators, or jurors (these can go in parenthesis at the end).

Awards

Awards show the recognition you have received for your talent in the art community and make a valuable addition to your resume.

Include the year the award was received, the name of the award, the name of the entity granting the award, and the location. Here’s an example:

2021     Visionary Award, 2021 Annual Taos Fall Arts Festival, Taos, NM

Residencies

To list an artist residency in your resume, include the year, the program and the location. Residencies can be listed along with any awards and fellowships.

Here’s an example of how to list residencies on your resume:

2019     Residency, Helene Wurlitzer Artist Foundation Residency Program, Taos, NM

Publications

If you have been featured in a publication, listing it in your resume is a great way to demonstrate your visibility in the art community.

You can list publications using CMOS formatting. The only difference is that you will list the publications chronologically rather than alphabetically, so it is preferred to use the author’s first name before their last name.

List the author’s name, the title of the piece, the publication title and issue, and the date, like this:

Sarah Larkin. “Now You See Me.” Art Now 8, no. 56, August 8, 2021.

Commissions

If you were commissioned to create a piece of art for a public or private client, this can be a great way to show that you are a trusted and sought-after artist.

To list a commission in your resume, include the year, the entity that commissioned a piece from you, the name of the piece, the scale, and the method, like so:

2020     City Public Library, Explore Through Literature, 6’ x 6’, spray painted mural, Taos Public Library, Taos, NM

Collections

If high-profile clients have included your work in a collection, this is worth mentioning as it boosts your reputation as an artist and increases the desirability of your work.

Name the collection, the entity holding the collection (a museum or institution, for example), and the location. However, you should seek permission from private clients before listing them in your resume.

Here’s an example of how to list collections in your resume:

Taos Art Museum at Fechin House, Taos, NM

Workshops

If you’ve taken a workshop and want to include this in your resume, you can list it in your education section.

However, if you run a workshop then you should list this separately. Any lectures or presentations you have given can also be included along with workshops.

Including such achievements displays your authority as an artist and your expertise in a given area.

Be sure to include the date, the name of the workshop, where it took place, and the location.

2020     “Imitating Light”, Techniques in Art, Annual Taos Arts Conference, Taos, NM, June 18-20