A CV is just as important in the art sector as it is in any other field. Just as a regular CV is a living document that highlights skills, work experience, and other professional accomplishments, an artist’s CV will highlight artistic skills, previous exhibitions, and career achievements.
Artists are often required to submit CVs for gallery representation, exhibition proposals, and grant, residency, or prize applications. It is recommended that artists keep a detailed history of their artistic experience before narrowing it down to what is most relevant to the application. A good artist CV is simple and concise, with easy to read sections.
An ideal CV is 1–4 pages long. The layout should be simple. Use standard fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, and Garamond, in readable font sizes, preferably size 12. Proofread to avoid any spelling errors. The CV should be as current as possible. In listing your past exhibitions and achievements, start from your most recent artistic efforts.
What goes into your CV as an artist?
A good artist CV has important components like:
- Personal Information
This includes your name, primary state and country of residence, email, phone number, and website address, if any. You can decide to add your social profiles so it is easy to find you and your work.
- Education
This is where you can list the course you studied, where, and when. Contrary to the recommendation to only include formal art training, you don’t need to have a background in art education to be an artist.
- Selected Exhibitions
This is divided into two: solo and group exhibitions. Start with your most recent exhibition.
- Awards
Any awards received for your art or art-related work can be listed here.
Other components that go into an artist CV include grants, art residencies, publications, membership, collections, and commissions.
Iyanuoluwa Adenle is a Nigerian art writer, essayist, and poet based in Lagos. She is currently the head writer at Omenai. Adenle has contributed to a number of art publications, including Tender Photo, Art News Africa, Pavillon 54, and Omenai.
