This information was featured in the ninth edition of Creative Copy, a service of the Wisconsin Arts Board.
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As an artist, it can feel counterintuitive or even frustrating to summarize your entire work, practice, and intention in a short "artist statement". Yet, artist statements are incredibly useful for artists, and can initiate a bond between an artist and their work, and their audience. You might be asked for an artist statement when you apply for residencies, grants, and exhibition opportunities. It's important to clarify, an artist statement is
not an artist biography, and that there are a few general guidelines to follow, with regard to artist statements.
Good Artist Statements Usually...
- Are clear and concise
- In the third person
- Accurately reflects the artist and their work
- Refrains from pomposity, and using "art jargon"
Not every Artist Statement is the Same
Nor should every artist statement be the same! Sometimes it's helpful to have a
short version (aroudn 150 words) and a
longer version (around 500 words) to use in various ways. Sometimes, you'll need to tailor your artist statement in a submission, to reflect a particular body of work that you are submitting. Sometimes, you'll need a short artist statement to plug into a website or a magazine featuring your work. Try to approach artist statements as a holistic reflection of your work and practice, and less of a rigid mirror cast into stone.
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