Artist Resume Sample

Artists don’t usually follow the same career path as other professionals as there are so many industries that artists can actually work in and display their art. However, a well-established network is still necessary for artists, in order for them to create demand for their work.

Although a resume will not be the most important document potential hiring managers will look at for an artist (a portfolio is), to the greatest extent possible, you still need to come up with examples of why you are an artist people should keep an eye out for.

Here’s where to start:

1. Make an Introduction your Opening

The resume introduction is designed to give the potential hiring manager a reason to continue reading your resume. The candidate in the sample above has succeeded with his introduction, for these reasons:

• He describes his accomplishments which include past exhibitions as well as articles he has been referenced in
• He explains that he is also accessible to the public, with ability to create customized art pieces.
• He mentions his portfolio which will give interested parties a more in-depth look into his work

Essentially, he’s made a very compact argument for why he’d be a good candidate in a very short amount of space. Now, the hiring manager seeing his resume will be intrigued, and look for evidence of his claims further in the resume, and later on in the portfolio.

2. Target your Education, Professional Experience, Exhibitions, Bibliography, etc.

An artist resume is different from a standard resume in that it should also include any exhibitions, awards, and published references.

Below, we’ve chosen the three strongest points from the above sample resume for you to consider. We’ve also bolded the strongest parts of each bullet point:

• Top prize in university’s art competition, 2013

The above bullet point proves that the candidate has enough talent and artistic vision. Winning an art competition shows that he is innovative and fresh.

• Two-Person Exhibition: Moore Contemporary, New York, NY (with industrial artist Lisa Meyer)

As shown above, the artist collaborated with another artist on an exhibition. This shows that he is able to work with others, and most likely capable of communicating to ensure symbiotic relationships.

• Catalogued a total of 1,200 items according to different categories, completing project 30 days ahead of schedule

Here, the candidate showed that he worked within a more related “office” environment, and was still able to do so with efficiency. If the artist finds employment with an organization that has deadlines or expectations, this candidate will be able to meet them.

When writing your artist resume, consider that it will have quite a bit of crossover with a graphic design resume. Both fields require expertise in design and basic drawing and sketching skills, so you could possibly create a hybrid that would appeal to both kinds of employers. As both art jobs and design work demand plenty of creativity and are creative fields, make sure you play up your design skills.

Finally, writing an artist resume or design resume is not like not like writing one for most other fields. Artist resumes require you to pay more attention to certain aspects – like awards, publications, exhibitions, and education – than you normally would for a traditional resume. Fortunately, their are tools like our Resume Genius software, which can guide you through the process of writing an industry-specific resume.