68 Writing an Artist CV That Opens Doors

Collecting Art, take a look

Writing an Artist CV That Opens Doors You’ve created beautiful work. You’ve been in a few group shows. You’re ready to apply for opportunities that require a professional CV -but what exactly should you include? How do you format it? What if you haven’t had many exhibitions yet? An Artist CV is different from a job application CV. It focuses entirely on your artistic career: exhibitions, education, awards, and publications. It is a living document that grows with you. Let me walk you through exactly what to include, how to structure it, and how to present yourself professionally even when you’re just starting out. The Golden Rules of the Artist CV Keep it clean and simple. Use a standard font Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica at 11- or 12-point size. Use a standard font Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica at 11- or 12-point size. Your most recent experience comes first in each section. Your most recent experience comes first in each section. Do not include your date of birth, marital status, or a photo of yourself. Do not include your date of birth, marital status, or a photo of yourself. Keep it to two–three pages maximum. For emerging artists, one page is often sufficient. Essential Sections In This Order Contact Information Top of Page Your name larger font, bold, professional email address, website URL, and location town/city, country. Optional: phone number and Instagram handle. Education List any art-related qualifications, workshops, or courses. Include institution name, degree or certificate, and year completed. Example: BA Hons Fine Art, University of the Arts London, 2020 Solo Exhibitions if any If you haven’t had a solo show yet, simply omit this section. Do not create a separate heading for an empty list. Selected Group Exhibitions This is where most emerging artists will have the most content. List exhibition title, venue name, location, and year. Example: Winter Open, The Old Fire Station, Oxford, 2025 Awards, Grants, and Residencies Include any funding, prizes, or residency programmes you have received. Name of award, awarding body, year. Publications and Press Magazine features, newspaper articles, or notable blog mentions. Include publication name, article title if relevant, and date. Collections Public or Private If your work is held in a notable collection – public or private – list it here. For private collections, “Private Collection, London” is sufficient without naming the collector. Relevant Employment Optional If you have worked as an artist’s assistant, a workshop facilitator, or in a gallery, this demonstrates professional engagement with the art world. What NOT to Include Your primary school art prize keep it professional and recent. Unrelated employment waitressing, office work unless it demonstrates transferable skills. Hobbies or personal interests save those for your artist statement. References available on request this is assumed. Template for a Strong Emerging Artist CV text Your NameEmail | Website | LocationEDUCATION 2025 Watercolour Intensive, Royal Watercolour Society, London 2021-22; Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, City College, BristolSELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2025 Winter Open, Rye Creative Centre, East Sussex 2025; Small Works, The Biscuit Factory, London 2024; Emerging Artists, Gallery 46, online exhibitionAWARDS 2025 Shortlisted, Jackson’s Art Prize2024Winner, Local Open Studios People’s Choice AwardPUBLICATIONS 2025 Featured Artist, ArtMuse Magazine, Issue 12 COLLECTIONS 2025 Private Collection, Bath Updating Your CV Review your CV every six months. Add new exhibitions promptly. Remove very old or less relevant items as your career progresses. For example, once you have three solo shows, you can stop listing every single group show from five years ago. A Word on Confidence Many emerging artists hesitate to create a CV because they feel they “haven’t done enough”. Start where you are. Include that local library exhibition. Include that online group show. Everyone begins somewhere, and a concise, honest CV is far more impressive than an inflated or empty one. NB I do not get paid to endorse any people or brands mentioned in my blogs. If you enjoyed this post, please like, share and follow me. Sharing, liking and following raises the algorithms in my favour. Thank you for your support. If you are looking for more advice, you might find the following blogs worth reading: Blog 33: Record Keeping for managing exhibition records. Blog 44: Artist Statement and Bio as a companion document to your CV.,