Building your CV

[emkay]

As an artist, your CV shows galleries, collectors, and buyers that you are a serious artist - that you have been busy, have experience and (hopefully) are approaching your development seriously. It should show progression and should demonstrate your proactivity and dedication.

It's obviously preferable to have a glowing CV full of prizes, to be able to state that you are in important collections and have won grants and scholarships that prove your 'genius'.

For the rest of us, while we are starting out, it should be a list of the group and solo exhibitions we have held or been part of. This can be anything from a local Rotary show to the Archibald (if you're lucky).

There are lots of things you can do to boost your CV and get your work out there that don't rely on you being 'discovered':

Look through Art Almanac - there are lots of ads in there from galleries seeing applications.

Enter rotary, school or club shows.

Find other artists in your area and consider approaching cafes, clubs or other suitable venues for a group show (the busier the better - and don't be put off if they havn't done it before).

Contact small galleries to see if they would consider taking a few small works.

Anyone else got any ideas?

[V-Mak]

Thank you - thats great Michelle - 'cause my CV is blank at the moment - I might do that middle of the year and onwards, as I'm still trying to build a collection of works as yet, been really busy at work lately (crazy actually ) so had little or no time to pain, and unfortunatelly it doesn't look like its slowing down either, just pinching an hour or two every night adding on paint on a few works I started on timber !!!!

[PERUGINA]

emkay, what great information and advice here... it reaffirms what i believe is a great way about building on your art experiences however small...and i feel that in doing so am on the right path at least...narrow as it is!

[Helm]

great post Emkay, I have no credentials lol but I'm a bit nervous to approach galleries and stuff, and I keep going to enter shows then chicken out haha. I was going to enter the camberwell rotary show but it looks a little prestigious so meh I'm not going to heheh

[sweetmango]

Perugina, wow you have actually found the path? I'm still hacking my way through the forest looking for the dirt track!! LOL.
Thanks for the info emkay.
Helm I am like you....here chook chook chook!

[emkay]

Jade and Sweetmango - don't be chickens! Much more fun to have your work out there and maybe have a sale..... selling is fun......

[Helm]

lol sweetmango maybe we should aim for something higher than pellets

Emkay, yep I will soooooon, though that's what I keep saying lol, just practice a bit more just practice a bit more

[PERUGINA]

sweetmango... i should have elaborated...the so called "path" is so narrow that I keep getting pushed out of the way by those in the BiG Flashy Four Wheel Drives carting their many canvases off to the galleries! Note the plurals!
:blink: Dazed from being knocked about!

[Bojog]

Aw c'mon Perugina- fight dirty. It's a jungle out there and survival of the fittest - hide in the bushes and throw dirty great nails on the path, then run like hell in the direction they were headed!!:w00t::biggrin:

I love a good metaphor.

[PERUGINA]

Ha! I'm dirty alright... from the mud that's coming off the backwheels of those over inflated egos... oops... I meant tyres...they have!

Hey... perhaps if i shield myself with a "Blank Canvas"... I'm running off now... have a great idea!

[sweetmango]

LOL and LOL and still LOL!!!

[Bojog]

Behold... we have witnessed the birth of a superhero....

At the merest whiff of injustice (or 4WD diesel fumes) the meek, mild, passive Perugina dashes to the nearest artist's studio and changes into our newest superhero:
Super Painter!
Wearing her blank canvas as a fetching cape, she boldly slashes (in an environmentally friendly way) away the heavy undergrowth, forging pathways for downtrodden and overlooked artists who have lost their way. Bravely battling the over-priveliged by using ACME products to thwart their course to the best galleries, she is the protector of the talented, yet still undiscovered artists; a modern day Robin Hood. She wears her lingerie on the outside with style (albeit a little paint-splattered, and possibly from the op shop).

I believe I have mentioned in another post my penchant and great talent for procrastination? Sorry. I think I have a mutant form of Tourettes.

[Helm]

lol!

[emkay]

Ahahahahahaha Bogoj!

Love having you around. :)

[PERUGINA]

Bojog...I've just logged on and am having the best laugh of my life...

...so ditto Helm & emkay... I'm off to art class now... best take that "Blank Canvas as a fetching cape" God knows I have enough of them here! It's good that you've come up with a simpler way to use them creatively!
I just hope i can avoid those rather large tread marks from the tyres as they try & run me down... but don't worry guys...I plan on taking the keys!...

...and i don't mean to the cars!

[PERUGINA]

emkay... PLEASE EXPLAIN!
:laugh:

[PERUGINA]

Also this is meant to be SERIOUS!:w00t:

[sweetmango]

It is serious and seriously funny!! Perfect!

[emkay]

emkay... PLEASE EXPLAIN!
:laugh:

Explain?

I thought superheroes knew all......

[Bojog]

Charlene Chaplin - noice.

Don't be expecting too much of our newest superhero - she has only just been endowed with superpowers and the metamorphosis is not complete until the next full moon. After that time she will be an oracle.

No pressure of course.

[winnierose]

LOL, this has been funny. Now trying to remember the original post.........thanks emkay, very good advise and one I need to be reminded of constantly, like a good boot up the.....I too have no anything after my name..............so this post has been good for me too.

[PERUGINA]

Hi Girls... have been too busy to play... which is unfortunate... trying to build on my Ladies and the Instruments Series...
oh... and of course running about in my new sexy superhero suit! When duty calls!
But I know... "all work and no play...blah, blah, blah!"

Can't believe another week bites the dust... well almost!

It's been fun!

[Helm]

*cries* do I look like a man in avatar????

oh Perugina, you need a superhero war cry too, like buzz lightyears 'to oblivion and beyond!' or The Tick's "Spoooooon!" or even better, one like he-man so you can do the transformation from regular hero into superhero lol

[PERUGINA]

Helm... I apologise man... but with Helm as a name and your avatar being blurred well...I will change my entry!
Sorry.
:blush:

[PERUGINA]

There you go fixed!

[Helm]

heheh that's okay Perugina I thought it was funny, lol that's funny you've edited and now my post looks totaly random lol!

[PERUGINA]

I'm sure these intelligent people will understand and get that I'm totally "wacked" so don't worry about what you've said...

You weren't here on my end... you could've cooked a slice of bread near my face and called it TOAST!

[Bojog]

Tying all of this back to the title of the thread - I believe through synergy and brainstorming we have given one of our midst's CV's a thorough going over and to now add to the list 'Superhero' and Oracle' is pretty damn impressive!:biggrin:

Better than 'Archibald Winner' for sure.

We await updates of our superhero's super career trajectory with bated breath (or maybe just a tad stinky).

My work here is done. (My work in my studio however, is not!)

[PERUGINA]

Thanks Bojog... and now I will take a bow... and disappear after what transpired an hour ago!

Hey... they will probably be the only accolades I'll ever get... and from my peers here... I am truely touched and honoured... I'll try to keep it short as I'm afraid to suffer from that terrible affliction they call... "foot in mouth!" Again!

[inkgal8290]

i enter all the small local shows....actually when i was in australia i became aware of a whole circut of country exhabitions with prize money that....if one entered all the shows and won something ,could rack up a fair bit of cash.

[PERUGINA]

Hi inkgal...great that you are putting yourself out there!
I agree...There seems to be a whole heap of money out there to be won... which is great for those that actually win the prizes... I cannot count myself amoung the elite! "Just a small fish..." actually not even a small fish... more like "whitebait!" as the saying goes... oh, oops... I forgot and ...s u p e r hero!

Keep at it and most importantly enjoy!

[Filippo]

BU !!!!
Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah !
Ah Ah Ah Ah!:shades:

[Amanda]

As Emkay says, a CV is important (not as important as the work though!).

So what should be in a CV and how should it be formatted?

There are a few standard rules. If you are going to be approaching a gallery you can always have a look at their website for any artists CVs and tailor yours in a similar fashion.
Generally though...
Always list in reverse chronological order ie most recent first.
Include:

1) Your Name
2) Your website and email - but only for initial contact, these will always be removed in a version held by a gallery to discourage buyers contacting you directly.
3) Traditionally up the top you would also have Born: Place and year. But plenty of people leave this off.
Next your shows
4) Solo Exhibitions (if any)
5) Group Exhibitions (if any) this would include art prize shows like Camberwell, Linden Postcard show as well as any shows you are in with other people.
6) Studies (if any). University, private classes, workshops. Not high school though.
7) Awards (if any)
8)Collections (if any). TIP if anyone has bought your work you can at least claim to be in a 'private collection'.
9) Bibliography - any reviews or articles featuring you including your local paper.

You can also potentially include: Commissions, Art Related Employment, Memberships that might be relevant eg Nava, Viscopy....and maybe for some of you 'Superhero name' ;)

Space the lines well so it's not all cramped, double spacing or more depending on how little there is to fill the page. Ideally you will fit one A4 page for sometime.
As you get included into more shows and you start to run out of room on one page you can title the group shows as 'Selected Group Shows' and start dropping off the smaller less impressive shows. Alternatively change it to 'Recent Group Shows' downside of this though is that you might have to drop off something really good if it is too long ago to fit.
With your show listings include: Year, Show title, gallery name and location. For location nearest capital city or regional centre is fairly standard practice instead of suburb name.

Hope this helps and good luck getting out there.

[V-Mak]

Gee Amanda - you should pop in more often - that trully was a wonderful and clear explanation on CVs - especially for people like me who have many triple spaces between words, and many spaces between lines to make up an A4 page!!!!

[Helm]

aye that is good!

[Helm]

and I like your pictures Amanda - so different!

[Amanda]

Thanks guys. Glad you found it helpful. I fogrot to mention one of the best ways of getting a lot of space ont your CV when you don't have much experience is to keep quite deep margins on all sides.

I'm rather attached to my title of 'Ocassional Lurker' but happy pop in and post from time to time if I think I might be able to help.......I learnt everything the hard way (trial and error) and only wish these kinds of forums were around much earlier in my career!

[Amanda]

and I like your pictures Amanda - so different!
Thanks Helm:painting:

[emkay]

Great stuff Amanda! I love it when you drop by....

[Amanda]

Great stuff Amanda! I love it when you drop by....

:blushing:Aww shucks. :blushing:

I think it was good of you to start the topic in the first place...How are the PEBs going? (that's 'Post Exhibiton Blues in case you don't remember)

[emkay]

Doing fine thanks Amanda. I bounce back pretty quick. Onward and Upward - and it was a success after all - just not in financial terms.

[Amanda]

Doing fine thanks Amanda. I bounce back pretty quick. Onward and Upward - and it was a success after all - just not in financial terms.

Good for you. PEBs tend to hit whether a show is a success or not. It's just the natural anti-climax of losing your project once the goal is completed. Luckily you are such an action woman you're onto your next goal already. Happy painting :biggrin: