What is an Artist CV and Recommended Practices for Writing a CV

As a visual artist, having a well-crafted curriculum vitae (known as a CV) is an essential part of any successful career. It allows you to showcase your accomplishments and skills, as well as communicate your unique artistic vision and ambitions to potential employers, collaborators, and audiences. A CV is also a great way to document your professional history and keep track of your progress over time. In this article, we will discuss the importance of an artist CV, and recommended tips for making one.

An artist CV is a document that outlines your artistic career

A professional artist CV is essentially a resume tailored to the art world. It’s a summary of your artistic experience, exhibitions, awards, and other achievements. Your artist CV should include your contact information, education, exhibition history, awards, etc. An artist CV is not only used by galleries and museums, but it is also a great marketing tool for you to use.

Your artist CV should clearly display your professional accomplishments and help you stand out in a competitive field. It should be succinct yet comprehensive and demonstrate to potential employers that you are a serious artist with the experience and skill set they’re looking for. It’s important to include relevant details that accurately reflect your artistic practice, such as your mediums, materials, and any other important information. When creating an artist CV, make sure to list your recent accomplishments first, followed by older ones. Be sure to keep your artist CV up-to-date so you don’t miss out on any opportunities.

It is required by galleries, museums, grants and other artist opportunities

An artist CV is an essential document for an artist. It is used by galleries, museums, and other institutions to evaluate an artist’s qualifications, skills, and experience. An artist CV is similar to a traditional resume in that it contains contact information, education, exhibition history, awards, etc., but it focuses on the art-related aspects of an individual’s career. These larger institutions will require a CV in mose cases.

When creating an artist CV, it is important to include relevant and impressive information about your art practice. It should highlight your creative abilities, skills, and accomplishments. Art institutions and galleries will use this document to determine if they would like to consider you for a show or commission.

Your artist CV should include all relevant exhibitions, publications, awards, residencies, and any other art-related activities. It should also include detailed information about each entry, such as where and when the work was exhibited. Additionally, you can include information about how your work has been received in past shows or any reviews or press you have received.

Including an artist statement on your CV is also important as it can provide an institution with insight into your artistic practice. Your artist statement should explain your motivations, ideas, themes, and processes.

An artist CV is a valuable tool in your career as an artist. It will serve as a record of your accomplishments and help to ensure that your work is recognized and appreciated. By creating a strong artist CV, you can showcase your creativity and skills to prospective galleries and museums and increase your chances of being chosen for exhibitions and commissions.

An artist CV can also be used as a marketing tool

An artist CV is a great way to show potential clients, galleries, and other professionals what kind of artwork you create and what accomplishments you have achieved in your artistic career. By highlighting your education, awards, exhibitions, publications, and more, you can give potential employers an idea of the type of artist you are and the quality of your work.

Having an artist CV can also make it easier for you to apply to competitions, residencies, and grants that may require you to submit a portfolio or detailed information about your work. A comprehensive artist CV can help you stand out among other applicants and may even make it easier for you to be accepted into certain programs.

Additionally, having a well-crafted artist CV can help you secure more opportunities for collaborations, interviews, and feature articles. You can use your CV as a reference point when responding to emails from interested parties and when discussing possible project ideas. An artist CV can be used to show off your work in the most professional manner possible and to demonstrate why you are the perfect fit for a certain position or project.

What Should your artist CV include?

Contact Information: It is important to provide your current contact information, including your name, mailing address, email address, and phone number.

Education: This should include any education related to your art, such as degrees, certificates, and workshops attended.

Exhibition History: If you have participated in any exhibitions or competitions, you should include details such as the exhibition title, dates, venue, and awards.

Awards: If you have received any awards related to your artwork, you should include those details here.

Publications: If your artwork has been featured in any publications or catalogs, include those details.

Other Professional Experience: Include any other professional experience that is related to your artistic practice, such as teaching positions, gallery representation, etc.

Tips for creating a strong artist CV

1. Remember this is a professional document, not a proposal. Keep it simple. Curators and other professionals would prefer a simple pdf document most often.

2. Update it every year. It serves as excellent documentation to your evolving art and art practice.

3. Keep it relevant. We recommend having your CV, and sharing what it most important to the opportunity you are applying for.

6. Use clear language: Avoid using jargon and use simple language when describing your work.

7. Keep it concise: An artist CV should be no more than two pages long. Make sure that all the information is easy to read and organized in a logical manner.

8. Proofread: Before submitting your CV, make sure to read it over for spelling and grammar mistakes.