A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is your opportunity to market your arts successfully and list all of the shows in which your work has appeared, as well as to reference private collectors and museums that have purchased your work. A resume and a CV are often very similar, but a resume tends to be one or two pages, while a CV is comprehensive.
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There are various guidelines you can follow for formatting your CV, but the most important rule to follow is to be consistent in the way that you list your educational background and shows. Always list items with the most recent listing first and the oldest last.
I remember one of the strongest lessons that was instilled to me during my time at the Victorian College of the arts, was the importance of keeping a clear record of my activities as an artist for use in my CV. This included meticulously documenting all exhibitions, media, etc and also fully documenting all of your artwork.
Documenting your artwork cannot be understated, once the work is gone, whether it’s sold or whatever, it can be sometimes very difficult to find once again if you haven’t noted down the exact size and materials of the work as well as taken a good quality photograph of that work.
The basic headings for a resume or CV are:
Name and Contact Information: (This should include your email address and website address where possible.)
Education:
If you have 5 or more years of experience outside of school, move this item to the end of your resume.
Exhibitions:
List the title of the show, venue, city, state and country. Group them by year and begin with the most recent, working backwards. No need to include the month or day – it only clutters the page.
If you don’t have a lot of shows, combine group, two-person, and solo shows and together and highlight solo shows with an asterisk. Once you’ve had three or more of each, break them out separately. If information about a show is still live online, include the URL link.
Awards/Grants/Residencies:
Again, always list items with the most recent listing first and the oldest last. (Even if one of the oldest was the most prestigious!)
Bibliography:
This category includes exhibition reviews and catalogues that discuss your work. Both print and online media count.
If a group show that you are in is reviewed but you are not mentioned, do not include this. The format for listing media is as follows:
- Books and catalogues: Last name of author, first name, full title of book in italics, city, publisher, date.?Periodicals (reviews or features in magazines, newspapers, online):author last name, first name, “article title in quotations,” periodical name in italics, volume or issue number or date, pages or URL.
Collections:
Public and well-known private collections. (If applicable).
Major Mediums:
Only include those mediums you specialise in and have examples of in your image bank. Begin with the most important first.
Teaching & Lecturing:
List all positions held, including untenured or visiting roles.
