How to Write an Artist CV: A Step-by-Step Guide [2025]

Whether you're applying for an exhibition, residency, grant, or job in the arts, your artist CV needs to showcase your talent and professionalism at a glance. From listing exhibitions and commissions to crafting a compelling personal statement, each section should showcase your unique voice and creative journey. 

Let me walk you through every part of the process, helping you tailor your art CV to different opportunities and present your work clearly and convincingly. 

In this guide, you’ll see:

• Best artist CV examples.
• How to structure a CV for an artist (UK edition).
• Expert tips on how to write an artist CV.

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Artist CV template

That’s a quick sketch of an art CV and how your CV should look. Here's how to write your own CV for an artist:

1. Create an art CV personal statement

Your personal statement is the first thing a gallery owner, curator, or hiring manager will read, so it must make an impact. Whether you're applying for an exhibition, a residency, or a position in an arts institution, this CV introduction sets the tone for the rest of your document. Consider it your artistic slogan: concise, focused, and persuasive.

To craft a strong personal statement, answer these key questions:

• Who are you, and what is your experience? Briefly introduce yourself by including your role (e.g., visual artist, curator, teacher) and how long you have been practicing. 
• What are you applying for? Clearly state the position, residency, exhibition, or opportunity you are seeking. 
• What is your most impressive or unique achievement? Highlight one award, exhibition, or milestone that demonstrates your calibre. 
• What is your most relevant argument for this application? Explain why you are a good fit, whether it's your thematic focus, past work, or connection to the opportunity. 
• What do you hope to achieve by being selected? Share a clear, forward-looking statement about your intention or creative goal.

While doing so, make sure to follow these tips:

• Keep it brief: aim for 3–4 sentences or around 100–150 words. Focus on your artistic identity and the value you bring.
• Tailor your application: whether you’re applying for a residency, teaching position, grant, or exhibition, shape your statement to reflect the expectations of that specific role or institution.
• State your artistic focus or medium. Mention your primary discipline (e.g. painting, sculpture, digital art), style, or themes you explore in your work.
• Mention a notable achievement: a recent exhibition, award, publication, or collaboration.
• Include relevant professional strengths. If you're applying for teaching or arts admin work, briefly mention relevant skills like curriculum planning, community engagement, or public speaking.
• Write in plain English. Avoid jargon and focus on what’s most relevant to the reader or panel reviewing your art CV.

Write this part of your CV last, once all the other sections are in place. That will make it all much easier. Below, see a sample artist CV summary:

A strong CV summary will convince the recruiter you’re the perfect candidate. Save time and choose a ready-made personal statement written by career experts and adjust it to your needs in the LiveCareer CV builder.

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2. Prioritise the most relevant section of your artist CV 

In our artist CV example, Ellis is attempting to get his work exhibited in a gallery exhibition.

Therefore, it’s natural to prioritise the ‘Exhibitions’ section, listing some similar in status and subject. Then it follows with ‘Commissions’, to show that there is interest.

Depending on the kind of job or artist opportunity you’re pursuing, you should adjust the focus of your CV accordingly:

• If you are applying for a gallery exhibition, lead with your exhibitions section to show your past involvement in similar showcases, particularly solo or group shows of a similar theme, scale, or location.
• If you're applying for a commission-based opportunity, prioritise your commissions section to demonstrate demand and experience working to a brief.
• If you're applying for a museum role or academic post, highlight your education and work experience, especially teaching roles, residencies, or curatorial work.
• If you’re applying for a multidisciplinary or digital role, foreground your technical skills and any relevant projects or media experience.
• If your work has been published, particularly in exhibition catalogues, journals, or books, include a publications section to enhance your scholarly and professional appeal.
• If your practice focuses on community or socially engaged work, be sure to highlight projects, collaborations, or community engagement, as this can be key to securing public or council-funded opportunities.

You may also adapt additional CV sections, such as volunteer work, to demonstrate your commitment and broader contribution to the arts. Plus, mention memberships in art organisations, especially if it’s one of the UK’s nine national art societies.

Here’s how to list your artistic experiences on a CV:

• Include all the necessary details, such as year, organiser, location of the exhibition, the purchaser, etc.
• List years in reverse-chronological order, with the most recent ones at the top.
• Include solo and group exhibitions that demonstrate your active engagement with the gallery scene.
• Tailor the list to focus on exhibitions, commissions, or events that best match the opportunity you are applying for. 
• Avoid overwhelming the reader with too many entries; choose quality and relevance over quantity.

Artist CV example: main section template

3. Put education in your artist CV template

You must always present your educational background on a CV. For formal employment and teaching positions, consider repositioning the education section to the end of the personal statement. 

To show your educational credentials on your artist CV:

• Organise this list in reverse chronological order.
• Make sure to include the following details:
• Year of completion (or anticipated graduation if you are still pursuing your studies)
• Earned degree
• Department and institution
• Honours
• Thesis title and advisor

• Consider including 3–5 bullet points that discuss coursework or key aspects of your education relevant to the application, especially if you are applying for a teaching position.

Artist CV example: education section template

4. Show work experience on an artist's CV

Your work experience should highlight your practical skills, creative contributions, and professional development. For teaching roles, place this section after your statement and focus on the impact you've made in each position. If your experience isn’t directly related, keep it concise and emphasise transferable skills.

Here’s how to create a good work experience section on an artist CV:

• Use 3 to 7 bullet points per role to showcase accomplishments, using action verbs like "developed", "curated", or "delivered".
• Tailor each entry to the role you're applying for, focusing on relevant exhibitions, collaborations, or teaching moments.
• For unrelated roles, summarise briefly in one line to maintain flow without distracting from your core strengths.

Artist CV example: work experience template

5. Highlight artist skills on a CV

Even if you are early in your artistic career or have limited formal work experience, your skills are a crucial part of your CV. Employers, galleries, and commissioners want to see not only your creativity but also your practical and professional abilities. Highlighting the right mix of soft skills and hard skills can set you apart and show how you can contribute effectively to a project or role.

Here’s how to build a strong skills section for your artist CV:

• Review the job or exhibition listing carefully to identify key skills they value, such as creative techniques, project management, or community engagement.
• List 5–10 relevant skills, blending technical artistic abilities with soft skills like communication or adaptability.
• Support each skill with examples from your education, commissions, volunteering, exhibitions, or personal projects.
• Be specific and avoid vague claims; describe how you applied your skills to achieve results or overcome challenges.
• Tailor your skills section for each application, using keywords from the opportunity to help your CV stand out and pass Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
• Focus on universally valuable skills in the arts, such as creativity, collaboration, attention to detail, and time management.
• Keep the skills section concise but impactful, especially if your CV needs to fit on one or two pages.

Some of the most valuable and relevant skills for an artist’s CV include:

• Drawing and painting techniques (e.g., oil, acrylic, watercolour)
• Digital art and design software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Procreate)
• Sculpting and installation skills
• Visual storytelling and concept development
• Project and time management
• Communication and presentation skills
• Collaboration and teamwork
• Adaptability and problem solving
• Exhibition planning and curation
• Networking and client relations
• Marketing and social media promotion
• Critical thinking and artistic research

Artist CV example: skills section 

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• Oil painting: Created a series of landscape paintings commissioned by private clients, demonstrating mastery of light and colour.
• Digital design: Proficient in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to produce promotional materials and digital art for gallery shows.
• Project management: Organised a community mural project involving local volunteers, managing timelines and materials efficiently.
• Communication: Presented artwork concepts and progress effectively to gallery curators and exhibition panels.
• Social media marketing: Developed and managed an Instagram account to showcase new works, growing followers by 40% in six months.

By clearly presenting your skills with real examples, you help employers and galleries understand not only what you do, but how well you do it, and why you’re the right artist for the opportunity.

6. Splash additional sections onto your artist CV

Whether you’re applying for a residency or an exhibition, you can include other valuable sections on your artist CV to make it stand out even more. 

There are many sections to choose from, such as:

• Residencies: the year and name of residency, the type of research carried out
• Publications: papers, books, articles, with standard referencing rules
• Lectures
• Awards and grants
• Gallery education
• Projects
• Affiliations
• Radio or TV appearances
• CV references
• Professional membership
• Certifications
• Foreign languages

The order of those is up to you and should be adjusted accordingly. Even if you don't need this CV for a few years, it's time to start thinking about adding to it. The Royal Society of British Artists opens an annual call for entries to apply to join its ranks.

Artist CV example: additional sections template

7. Make your artist CV template shine

I’m not about to tell an artist how to design their calling card. That’s up to you. All I can offer is the traditional advice on a general CV format, which may serve as a good starting point.

Here’s what we do:

• Use legible CV fonts like Times New Roman, Calibri, or Garamond. 
• Include all the necessary personal details on your CV, such as your name, job title, contact information and website.
• Apply even margins of at least 1 inch on all sides for a neat CV layout.
• Keep your CV structure clean. Use simple headings for each section, and space the sections out.
• Limit your CV to one page. Unless specified otherwise, save your artist CV in a PDF format.
• Make sure your creative CV template is ATS-scannable. Browse the best CV templates for inspiration.

8. Add a cover letter to your artist CV

There are approximately 53,700 artists in the United Kingdom. That means you need to make your application stand out even more. Do it with two additional pieces of application art, and your recruiter can marvel. Let’s start with a cover letter.

The optimal cover letter structure has following parts:

• 1st paragraph (60–80 words): Your relevant experience, and the reason why you are a unique candidate for this exhibition/residency. 

• 2nd (main) paragraph (120–200 words): Your key 2 or 3 achievements that prove you are the real deal.

• 3rd paragraph (40–60 words): State your motivation for applying for this opening.

• Call to action (single sentence): Confidently ask for a chat.

Ensure you craft a targeted CV for each application you submit. That may seem obvious for exhibitions, but it should be obvious when applying for any kind of formal job.

9. Include a portfolio

A well-curated portfolio is essential for any artist applying for exhibitions, residencies, commissions, or jobs. It provides tangible evidence of your skills, style, and artistic journey. When submitting a portfolio, whether as part of your art CV or alongside your application, clarity and relevance are crucial. Your portfolio should showcase your best work and demonstrate the range and depth of your practice, tailored specifically to the opportunity you are pursuing.

How to include your portfolio:

• Choose your strongest and most relevant pieces that align with the theme or requirements of the application.
• Keep the portfolio concise; 10 to 15 images or works are usually sufficient to make an impact.
• Include clear, professional-quality images with consistent formatting and good lighting.
• Provide brief captions for each piece, including the title, medium, size, and year completed.
• Organise the portfolio in a logical order, such as chronological, thematic, or by medium, depending on what best showcases your work.
• If submitting digitally, ensure your file sizes are manageable and use widely accepted formats, such as PDF or JPEG.
• Label your portfolio files clearly with your name and the purpose of the submission (e.g., Ellis_Thomas_Portfolio_2025.pdf).
• Include a link to an online portfolio or website if you have one, ensuring it is up-to-date and professional.
• Tailor the portfolio specifically for each application to highlight the most relevant work.
• Avoid including too much work or unrelated pieces that might dilute your key strengths.

A portfolio for a creative role stands out when it's visually appealing and well-organised, letting the work speak for itself without overwhelming the viewer. While creativity matters, clarity and specificity are crucial—highlight relevant projects that show a strong understanding of the brand, audience, and campaign goals. A well-structured CV that ties your creative work to measurable results is often more impactful than a purely artistic presentation.

You don’t have to be a CV writing expert. In the LiveCareer CV builder you’ll find ready-made content for every industry and position, which you can then add with a single click.

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How we review the content at LiveCareer

Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.

Sources

• Mall Galleries, Our Story: The story of the FBA
• The Royal Society of British Artists
• Statista: Estimated number of artists in the United Kingdom from the 4th quarter of 2021 to the 4th quarter of 2024