CV/Resume Of An Emerging Artist?

[Julianna]

Hi, folks!

I'm starting to put together packages to send out to galleries (ooh, the excitement and the nervousness!), and have come across a problem: what do I do with galleries that request a CV or resume when I've only had my sculpture shown at one place (and it wasn't a gallery)? Will they understand that being an emerging artist, I don't have much to put on a CV? Or by asking for a CV, are they expecting (and wanting) only artist who have shown somewhere before?

Also, my formal schooling has been purely academic because I wanted to keep theory and creativity separate...and what I studied has nothing to do with art. So I can't really make up for my lack of shows with in-school training.

Any suggestions on how to handle this?

Thanks.

J

[ALH]

Be realistic, evaluate the galleries you approach so your work is a good fit with what they do. Do public gallery shows. This will build your experience, confidence, network of supporters and inventory. Most places have group shows in public venues all the time and these are great places to start to build that 'all important CV'. The average success to failure ratio on opportunities you apply to is 50/1 so you have no right to feel down until you have had at least 50 rejections (I read this in some book and it really helped brace me when I started pursuing opportunities seriously).


No one starts at the top so just take it one step at a time and enjoy the climb.

[Araich]

I would just present a short biography instead, including your intentions. But is cold canvas like this the best approach?
Why not call a few of the galleries you like directly on the phone, and ask if you could come in. If not, could you send some images of your work instead... A personal approach has got to be better. You can ask them 'what should an emerging artist do?'.
And don't overlook competitions, you could build a CV with them in no time.
Also, being familiar with a galleries artists, and recognisable to the director ahead of time is helpful. You can get that by going to all their openings, and taking an active interests in their shows. Chances are you'll end up making friends first, which is the best start to a relationship with a dealer.
That, or having them chase you down themselves.

[JAZ]

In addition to ALH's and Araich's good advice (if you follow their suggestions you will also learn useful things and have some art fun), look back into your own experience. Have you ever received any mentoring from anyone? That could lead you to list "studied under so and so", if he or she is a professional artist. Did you learn to sculpt entirely on your own or did you take a class somewhere? Maybe you could list that venue, depending on what it is.You could also join a professional group for artists. For instance the Women's Caucus for Art or a local Art Association. The advantage there is that they will organize shows you can enter and when those shows are for members only, that scary ratio (50 to 1) is reduced quite a bit. Sometimes those groups have member events that could be useful, too. The nearest Art Association to where I am offers sessions where they provide a model and for $5 or whatever you can sculpt or draw from the model.

[sculptor]

First a question for everyone.
¿ What is the difference between a CV and a Resume? (I ask this because one possible venue has asked for both, and I had thought that they were just different terms for the same thing)

Julianna: welcome

Nobody likes to be rejected, but as/re JAZ's comment, it happens if you try.

When I started trying to get into galleries and shows, I had gotten so used to getting rejections, that I just assumed them. Then one day, I was working in the studio and, taking a break, grabbed the mail on my way up to get a cup of coffee------my wife, Carol, asked what the envelope addressed to me was, and I offhandedly said---"Just another f---ing rejection", left it unopened on the table, and coffee in hand headed back out to the studio (doggedly determined to keep on working even if not one single other person in the entire world saw any value in it)----------a few minutes later, she interrupted me with news of my first letter of acceptance--(major attitude shift)--within a year of that first success, my works were in 4 Chigago area galleries.

Keep heart, and keep at it.

I still want to believe that my work is alll that really matters, but keep finding that acceptance in one venue, leads to aceptance in simular venues. So, it seems, that the peer value of ongoing acceptance by some gallery operators and show organizers is as important as the work itself-------------make sense?

rod

[JAZ]

First a question for everyone.
¿ What is the difference between a CV and a Resume? (I ask this because one possible venue has asked for both, and I had thought that they were just different terms for the same thing).......
rod
I looked both up in our unabridged dictionary before I posted, to be sure I understood. The definitions sound similar. Could you just ask them?

[JAZ]

I looked both up in our unabridged dictionary before I posted, to be sure I understood. The definitions sound similar. Could you just ask them?
Actually, I'm thinking that what they mean is a resume and a bio.

[anne (bxl)]

First a question for everyone.
¿ What is the difference between a CV and a Resume? (I ask this because one possible venue has asked for both, and I had thought that they were just different terms for the same thing)

French translation of "resume" is "curriculum vitae" (shorted by the letters CV). In french we don't have a special word and everyone still use the latin word.

The word "CV" in french is used for professionnal purpose only. On the contrary, "bio" (biographie) is a more general word, books over someone or even a note at the end of a book are so called.
Is it the same in english?

[jwebb]

I believe C.V., short for the latin curiculum vitae, is literally a listing of the salient facts of your life: Where you were born, your bros and sisters, where you went to school, etc. A resume', on the other hand, is for an artist a listing of where you've shown, commissions, etc. I base this only on having seen both in books about famous artists, and that's how the two were distinuished from one another.

[fritchie]

I believe C.V., short for the latin curiculum vitae, is literally a listing of the salient facts of your life: Where you were born, your bros and sisters, where you went to school, etc. A resume', on the other hand, is for an artist a listing of where you've shown, commissions, etc. I base this only on having seen both in books about famous artists, and that's how the two were distinuished from one another.

From my experience, I’d say jwebb has it about right. The one thing I would add comes out of a artists’ professional development seminar held by our local arts agency a dozen years or so ago: Taylor your CV/resume to your purpose. For instance, you say your education was in a different field, so you probably want only to say something like “B. A. from xx university in 19xx with a major in xxx”, if you mention it at all. Probably date and place of birth couod be omitted, but I don’t think they would hurt.

Overall, I think the suggestions here are good. Visit galleries with work like your own; try to talk to the manager (some like this, some are too busy); go to openings; join artists’ groups, and so on. Good luck (and be prepared for quite a few rejections, but be persistent)!

[sculptor]

as/re C.V. vs Resume

agree as/re JAZ's dictionary-----they seem tha same

Carol(my wife the professor) said that C.V.s may run over 30 pages and contain everything from courses to recent professional activities, while a resume focuses on the work (job related) and typically runs 2 pages or so.

summing up:
it seems that the resume should answer the question _¿why hire this candidate, what can (s)he do, or has (s)he done that seems to fit our needs?

while the C.V. should answer the question-¿Who is (s)he what is her/his training-and background---(maybe a little namedropping?)

seems a fair analisys?

if so:
The res will tackle---who bought or rented which sculptures, and where are they located?
The C.V. will have info like-----after studying design with bucminster fuller, Rod was fortunate to have been able to study with figurative sculptors Rodger Akers, Dwight Kalb, John Kroll...........

rod

Back to Julianne as fritchie said..."Good luck (and be prepared for quite a few rejections, but be persistent)!"

[Julianna]

Wow! Thanks for all of the tips everyone! I guess I've got a lot of non-sculpting work to do :D