How to Write an Artist Biography: 6 Tips for Crafting Artist Bios

An artist biography summarizes an artist's life and career leading up to the present moment. A person working in fine arts, music, theatre, film, poetry, and literature may be asked to submit an artist bio for a printed program, book jacket, or a press release. Solo artists may choose to include an artist bio page on their personal website.

An artist bio should adhere to an appropriate format depending on the context. For instance, an artist’s bio on a personal website may be simplified and tailored for search engine optimization (SEO). A biography in a museum program may emphasize the current work on display.

Artists are often required to submit an artist bio and artist statement for exhibitions, performances, and publicity tours.

• Artist bio: This is a biography of the artist covering career highlights, education, and a summary of their work to the present day.
• Artist statement: An artist's statement is a piece of writing that accompanies a selection of new art and explains the artist's process and motivation as they created those artworks.

Be mindful of the format your bio will appear in and know that you may need different bios for different contexts. A biography for a website might be 100 words, and a gallery showing may feature a lengthier bio with multiple paragraphs. Consider the following tips as you write:

1. 1. Use short paragraphs. People reading your artist bio in a program for an exhibit or live performance are there to see your work. Focus on communicating your biography efficiently and succinctly so they can enjoy the art.
2. 2. Use first-person voice on your website. In most cases, using the first-person point of view on a personal website can help to create an intimate connection with the reader.
3. 3. Adhere to the style format of other publications. For museum program biographies and press releases, follow the rules of the institution. The museum's curators may prefer that you describe yourself in the third person.
4. 4. Select a simple font. When drafting, choose a neutral font like Arial or Times New Roman, and use 11 or 12 point font size.
5. 5. Have someone else proofread your work. Ask someone else—a friend, a family member, or an agent if you have one—to proofread your work and check for typos before you submit.
6. 6. Always be mindful of context. The length and breadth of your artist bio should match the context in which it appears. If your work is at a New York art gallery, you may choose to employ some of the artspeak and jargon common in the professional art business. If you are entering a high school art competition, keep your word count shorter.

A visual or performing artist does not need to be an experienced writer to craft a compelling artist’s bio. If writing is not your primary expression, consider using this template when writing your artist bio:

1. 1. Career summary: Begin your artist bio with a broad overview of your life and career. This opening paragraph can feature your most discussed artworks and projects, significant honors, education and training, and a brief statement that summarizes how you view your overall output.
2. 2. Early biography: The second paragraph of your artist bio can highlight moments from your early career and education. In most cases, you should not delve into specific long-ago events unless they’re directly related to the artwork presented.
3. 3. Middle and late-career highlights: Use the third paragraph to discuss highlights from your middle and more recent career. If you have won awards, list them alongside the winning projects. This section does not have to be a comprehensive list; pick specific works you wish to highlight.
4. 4. Notable collaborations: Use the fourth paragraph to highlight any professional partnerships. Musicians who have performed on other people's records may wish to list them here. Painters, sculptors, and photographers might list joint exhibitions in this section.
5. 5. The final statement of purpose: Conclude your artist bio with a statement about how you view your current and future work. If the biography is for a new art piece on display, phrase this paragraph in the context of that work. This paragraph will be easiest to write in first-person voice.

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