Writing

Back in 2004, I was lucky to be able to attend the annual College Art Association (CAA) conference in Seattle. Most people go to the conference to present papers or to interview for jobs. I just went to see what it was all about. I attended many of the sessions, hung out with friends, did a little sight-seeing, and saw some art while I was there.

In a cleaning frenzy yesterday, I came across some information that I had saved from the conference. At my professor's request, I had typed up my notes and presented them to my fellow grad students. I found the CD with the notes, so I thought I'd share some of the info with you, too.

Below are my notes from a session titled "Harnessing the Power of the Pen: Professional Writing Strategies for Future Artists, Art Historians, and Museum Professionals." I've previously posted my opinions and tips on writing an artist's statement, but the panelists also talked specifically about writing grants and writing as a curator and as a freelancer. I've listed the panelists and their specific advice:

Artist’s Statements
Madeline Djerejian, photographer
Stressed the importance of voice and consideration of audience.
There are no real rules for artist’s statements, but there are certain things that people want to read.
Introduces the reader to your work and to you
Supplement to visual information
Not so much a description but it should make people want to look at your work
Crystallizes your thoughts about the work
Should stand on its own and be clear

There are different kinds of statements for different situations
· Specific body of work
· Body of work as a whole (philosophy)
· 1 page - may accompany a show or a grant application
· 1 or 2 paragraph statement for a portfolio or application
· 25-word statement – central idea for a cover letter or bio

Keep notes while you’re working
Consider your audience – assume that the reader has never seen your work
Don’t be defensive – consider that the reader is interested
Use plain and direct language
4 or 5 points might be enough

Consider:
1. What kind of materials are you using and why?
2. Where did the initial inspiration for the work come from?
3. What is the central or guiding image in the work?
4. Are there elements such as sound or installation?
5. Any notable collaborators?
6. Where does the piece fit into your overall work or career?
7. Is the work a limited edition?
8. Is there a specific venue that the work is geared for?

People don’t want to struggle to read it – avoid flowery or pretentious language
Develop a strong first sentence and opening
Keep it as short as possible
Don’t explain everything
Don’t announce what you’re trying to do, just say what you’ve accomplished
Don’t use catch-phrases
Be specific
Not just a list of things you like and don’t like; tell us why
Use first person
Don’t use “we”
Don’t be ashamed of your obsessions or interests if it’s directly related to the work
Don’t be wishy-washy
Don’t brag
Be careful with poetic language
OK to be personable and fun
Remember that it’s your statement
Use 12-point font
If you are given guidelines for a specific application, follow them
Ask a non-artist to read it
Spell check
Be honest with yourself
It’s never finished for very long (revise it periodically)
Review your statement alongside the work
Be true to yourself and true to your work
Suggested looking at http://www.nyfa.org/ to see successful artist’s statements (ones that have received grants)

Curatorial Writing
Bruce Robertson, Center for American Art, LA
From object label to catalog essay:
· The voice is coming from inside the museum, heavily institutional
· There is a heavy editing process (editors, PR, education, marketing)
· Give up ownership – just something that is there to be used
· It’s more important for it to be out than to be perfect
· Audience is the public; consider that you’re writing for an educated public (college freshmen, not educated in art, no need for dumbing down; you’re just extending their knowledge base)
· You can’t tell the whole story
· Most is rhetorical – public speech aimed at a community
· You want to convince an audience of some point and that it’s important
· There’s a pressure in institutions for blandness
· Don’t use abstract or passive language; vary your sentence structure

Grant Writing:
· The audience is usually someone with a non-art degree
· Get their attention in the first paragraph
· Aimed generally
· Object and question first, theory second
· Say what it is first, in simple language
· Follow the guidelines
· Don’t parade your genius
· Foucault is not going to read it – nobody cares about your academic theories

Freelance Writing
Lorraine Karafel, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and Metropolitan Museum of Art
She is a writer trained as an art historian
Freelance writing is sometimes scholarly writing, sometimes exhibit reviews, articles, proposals, exhibition materials, audio guides, of film strips.
The structure, language, and length are specific to the type of material and different information is included
Consider that a book is read privately and a label is read publicly
You’re often reshaping long into short and re conceiving it and how it is used
Use words to make the subject compelling
Might need to bring a different viewpoint to the writing
Reveals the writer’s personal relationship to the work
Include the history and why it is a work of art
Choose what conveys understanding of the work
Audience may be peers
Determine audience and gear the writing to them
Thoughtful and intimate
Research and knowledge presented in a passionate form
Look at examples of similar items or publications, look at format, style
Read your text out loud; read it to someone who is not in the field
Must be clear to a wide audience
Reveal your love for the subject
Help the reader experience art in a new way

Writing an Artist’s Statement

If you’re an artist, chances are someone has said, “What is your painting about?” or, “Explain this photograph to me,” or, “What the hell is that brown thing?”

It’s human nature to try to make sense of what we see. Writing an artist’s statement is a great way to help your viewers understand what they’re seeing. Even if you never share your written statement with anyone, just taking the time to sit down and write it out will help you talk about your work more easily.

Keep it (fairly) short
Write enough so that you can get your ideas across, but keep it to one page or less. Nobody wants to read a multi-paged artist’s statement. That’s what manifestos are for. Conversely, you might think your one-sentence artist’s statement (“I paint landscapes that are pretty”) is funny and ironic, but you might also come across as a gi-normous smart-ass.

Keep it simple
Avoid academic or flowery language. Even if you’re in grad school, your viewers will most likely include some non-artists and non-academics, so you don’t want to alienate them with sentences like, “I find this work menacing because of the way the subaqueous qualities of the figurative-narrative line-space matrix threatens to penetrate the essentially transitional quality.”*

I know. I read New American Paintings. That’s the way everybody in grad school (or who’s been to grad school) writes artist’s statements. Well, it’s just wrong. Don’t do it. Save all those big words for your prospectus or the paper you're going to present at CAA. They live for that.

Where to start
Think about a painting, photograph, or exhibit that you’ve seen that you loved, hated, or didn’t understand. What did you want to know about it? Did you wonder what materials the artist used? Why did she paint clowns? Why were the clowns so scary? Was the artist traumatized by a clown? How did she decide to combine photographs and painting? What is her process? Etc…

Then think about a time when someone was viewing your work and asking you questions. What did they want to know? What were they most curious about?

When I wrote my very first artist’s statement, I sat down and just imagined that I was talking to a non-artist friend about my work.

It's also really helpful to collect artist's statements when you go to shows. Or surf the internet and read the statements on artists' websites. You'll see examples of both good and bad statements. Be inspired by the good ones and know that you can do much better than the bad ones.

Start with the “Why?”
Why did you choose your particular subject matter or imagery? You can mention influences (artistic or otherwise), inspirations, and past experiences that led you to your subject. Some artists often refer to the work of other artists that inspired them. Others might be influenced by media or popular culture. Still others might have been traumatized by clowns… It doesn’t really matter how you came to your subject matter, but the viewer will be interested in knowing why you chose it.

Then talk about the “How?”
Most viewers will want to know something about your materials or your process, especially if the materials or processes are unusual. It’s not necessary to write a step-by-step guide to the watercolor process, or list every chemical that you used to process your photographs. You might just mention that you use watercolors and that you were drawn to them for their unpredictable nature and their transparency. Or you could briefly describe the process used to create cyanotypes and what made you love it. And if there’s an unusual technique or material, mention that. And seriously, what is that brown thing?

Act like you know what you’re doing
Avoid phrases like, “I want to…” or, “I’m trying to…” or, “My intention is…” Just say what you’re doing: “I expose the gritty underbelly of urban life…” or, “These paintings explore the wonders of nature and the beauty of our world…” Don't be wishy-washy about it.

Not so much “me,” “my,” and “I”
It’s hard to do, but try to avoid using the words “me, my, and I,” repeatedly. It’s annoying to read a whole page of sentences that start with “I.”

Update it
If you’re a working artist (creating new work often) then you’ll need to look at your statement every now and then to make sure that it still reflects your current work. A good rule of thumb is to update it every time you ship work off to a show. This keeps the statement fresh and helps you to prepare to talk about your work.

Multiple statements
Most artists only have one statement that they update every few months or as their work changes. You might have multiple bodies of work that require different statements, especially if you work in different mediums.

It’s so useful
Once you have a good artist’s statement, it will come in so handy in so many different ways:
1. Writing it will prepare you to talk about your work in formal or informal settings.
2. Frame it and hang it on the wall near your artwork to explain the work when you’re not there.
3. Use it as a basis for a press release when you’re promoting your show.
4. A reporter might use it to write a story about your show (if that’s all they have to go by).
5. Send it along with slides when you approach galleries.
6. Post it on your website along with images of your work.
7. Make your mom read it so she will finally understand.

* generated using the CRAP Generator – a grad school “must-have”

Writing an Artist's Resume

Being an artist means not only making your art but of course promoting your art. But some would argue that you’re really promoting yourself. Regardless, you need to have a good resume.
Edward Winkleman’s blog recently had a great post about resumes/bios with some really valuable information (be sure to read the comments, too). I’ll just add to it by telling you how I deal with my resume.

I created a Word document titled, “current resume,” that I update frequently. This resume includes everything. I probably wouldn’t show this resume to anyone, but it’s nice to have it all documented in case it’s needed someday. I can edit this all inclusive resume and create an alternate resume for any given situation – applying for a teaching position, submitting a proposal to a gallery, applying for a job, etc.

The all inclusive resume is divided into categories and formatted appropriately. The categories include:
Name and contact information (I put this in the header and footer so it shows up on each page)
Forthcoming Exhibitions
Exhibitions (separated by year and then into categories - solo, juried, and group)
Publications (in which I’m mentioned or my work is reviewed)
Collections (public and private)
Teaching Experience
Lectures
Education
Employment
Related Experience (volunteer positions, committees, boards, serving as a juror, etc.)
Awards

I edit down this information to create a resume to send to a gallery. I don’t include employment, lectures, teaching, or related experience because it’s not relevant. I also don’t include collections because I’m not in any major collections (sorry Mom).

In the gallery resume, I will include:

Name and Contact Information

Forthcoming Solo Exhibitions
Venue, Location, Date

Example:
Shelbyville Community College, Shelbyville, Missouri, 2007

Selected Exhibitions
I edit the exhibitions and title it, “Selected Exhibitions.” I don’t usually include open shows or member shows, as they aren’t all that impressive (everybody usually gets in, so it’s not considered prestigious). There’s a local exhibition that I enter frequently, so I won’t usually list that unless there was a particularly well-known juror or I won an award in the show. And I do usually include the juror. Some are more well-known than others, but I think it’s good to be consistent (if you list one, you might as well list them all).

Example:
2005
Solo
"Freezing," Springfield Center for the Arts, Springfield, ME
Group
"Big Time Invitational," The Palomino Gallery, Arlington, CA
"Super Cool Art Exhibition," Johnstown University, Johnstown, TX
Juried
"Simple Things 2005," Sprightly Art Center, Baltimore, OK
(Juror: Stacy Smith, Executive Director, Eagle Mountain Art Center, Chicago, IL)

Publications
Use a consistent, standard formatting method (such as MLA or APA).

Example:
Johnson, John. "Paintings fill art center with life." The Springfield Times 15 Oct. 2005: 7.

Education
Example:
MFA, Studio Painting - Springfield University, Springfield, TX, 2005
Minor: Art History

This gallery resume focuses on exhibitions, collections, and education. If I were to apply for a teaching job, I would probably have a much longer resume, as more and varied activity is important for that type of position.

I don’t usually include a bio unless it is requested. I do have a short bio that I wrote myself, but I’m considering having a writer friend do a more extensive one for me.

Here are a few resources for writing an artist’s bio (some music and dance-related, but still relevant):
Durable Goods
Music Biz Academy
This Business of Dance and Music

And some resources for resumes:
The Artist's Trust
U Magazine
NYFA Interactive

An example of a CV (curriculum vitae) for teaching jobs:
Art UW

Brochure

When I graduated, a friend gave me a copy of How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist by Caroll Michels. I read it from cover to cover and still reference it often. She goes into detail about a lot of really important topics - starting a career, pricing your work, creating presentation packets, dealing with galleries, working another job to support your art, etc.

One of the main things that I got out of this book was the way she suggests approaching galleries. Traditionally, you would visit a gallery, talk to the owner or director, and then send them slides of your work later. They would review your slides and then contact you to either say, "No, thanks," or to get more information and possibly represent you.

Michels' approach is a bit different. She suggests creating a brochure that includes information about you and some images of your work. You send this brochure, along with a cover letter, to galleries that you think your work fits into.

I was attracted to this approach because I have a background in graphic design and creating a brochure myself was fairly easy. A brochure is small and easy to mail. The main reason, though is that slides are expensive to duplicate and often galleries will hold your information for months before reviewing and returning it. I didn't want my slides to be damaged or lost or buried under a pile on someone's desk for 6 months.

So I created a small brochure. Folded, it measures 3.5" x 3.5". My work is mostly square, so I wanted to carry the square format through to the brochure. I included my name on the front, over a detail from one of my paintings. Inside, I included images of five more paintings, an exceprt from my artist's statement, my email address and website. On the back, I included an exceprt from my resume that includes my education and a few exhibitions.


I had 2,000 copies professionally printed a little over a year ago. In hindsight, I probably should have only done 1,000, but I think they're general enough to last for another year or so.


So what do I do with them? First of all, I give them to practically everyone I meet. But mostly I send them to galleries.

I mentioned in my post on calls for proposals that I use the Art in America museum and gallery guide issue to find university galleries and art centers to which I send proposals. It's also a great resource for finding galleries.

I started at the beginning (they're listed alphabetically by state and city) - I read the description and if it sounds like they exhibit contemporary art, I'll check to see if they have a website. If so, I'll visit the website and look at the work of the artists that the gallery represents. If I can picture my artwork there, I'll then look for any submission guidelines.

Sometimes galleries will post their submission guidelines on their websites. Sometimes they'll say,"We're not taking on any new artists at this time, please don't send us anything." Sometimes they'll have very specific guidelines, "Send 20 slides, resume, and statement. Do not send additional information. Submissions without SASE will be immediately discarded." Seriously. They can get picky.

Follow the guidelines. Galleries get hundreds of submissions and if you don't follow their rules, they won't even consider you.

So I look for galleries that will accept CDs or allow you to email them jpg images of your work or a link to your website.

And if they don't have any guidelines, I'll send them a cover letter and my brochure.

Often I wouldn't hear back, so I started to include a SASE as well. I don't know why, but I'd rather get a rejection letter than not hear from them at all. (I'll rant about rejection letters another time.)

I've gotten a few positive responses from the brochure mailings. I need to count how many I've mailed out and the responses I've gotten back and do some analysis... Anyway, I'm sure there are some old school, traditional gallery types that get my brochure and think, "Why, she's not following the rules!" or "This is stupid." Well, I don't want to deal with those snobby people, anyway, do I?

Proposals

My work deals with a definite theme - tornadoes. I've had dreams about tornadoes since I was little and we lived in Kansas. I've never been in one or seen one, but I guess living there during that time made a big impression on me.

When I had my MFA exhibition, one of my professors suggested that I document it and send out proposals to art centers and university galleries all over tornado alley. I think it was a great idea.

Here's what my packet looks like:


I bought some standard black pocket folders and cut a little slit in the right pocket for my CD. I tuck my little brochure into the business card slit on the left side. In the left pocket, I put copies of press clippings, my resume, and some postcards from shows (the cards that feature images of my work). In the right pocket, I put a sheet that has thumbnail images of what's on the CD (the equivalent of a slide list) and my artist's statement.

I print some nice labels to adhere to the CD and I also print out a little label to put on the front of the folder. I have a coordinating envelope (mine happens to be red) that everything goes into. I usually put the cover letter on top of the folder and put a piece of cardboard behind the folder.


I also include a large SASE for the return of my materials. I used to not include that - it's more expensive to mail it than to just make a new one and I figured they could throw it away if they weren't interested. But some people would send it back anyway at their expense and I felt bad about that. Some gallery submission guidelines indicate that they will throw away anything that they get without an SASE. So I started including one, just in case...

I also print my resume, artist's statement, and the cover letter on the same paper (I use French Speckletone in Kraft). I come from a graphic design background, so packaging is really important to me. I think having a professional, cohesive, well-designed packet will help you stand out in the crowd. I have been warned not to make it look "too designed." Whatever that means. I guess you don't want the packaging to overwhelm the work.

Tomorrow I'll talk more about the process of finding the places to send the proposals to.