holiday SHOPPERS! Free shipping on all orders over $50
Looking at an exhibition application and uncertain of what to share? Read on for clarity, and get tips on how to submit the best version of your CV ... or résumé.
So, you would like to submit your work to an art gallery, upcoming exhibition, fellowship … the list goes on.
One part of that application will be preparing a CV to send, and it’s unclear to you what the difference is between a CV and a résumé. So, here is the black and white different between the two. You will (hopefully) never be confused again.
Curriculum vitae (cur·ric·u·lum vi·tae)
Origin: Curriculum Vitae (CV) means course of life in Latin. First Known Use: 1902
: a record of all professional activities
: a summary of one’s education, professional history, and job qualifications, as for a prospective employer
Think of your CV document as a framework to build on.
It will serve as your book, and the résumé will be more like a couple chapters, and will be used to build the best résumé appropriate for the opportunity you are applying for.
Note: A ‘short CV’ highlights your most significant academic achievements on three to four pages.
résumé (ré·su·mé)
: a short document describing your education, work history, etc., that you give an employer when you are applying for a job
: a short description of things that have happened
: no longer than one page
Origin: French résumé, from past participle of résumer to resume, summarize, from Middle French resumer. First Known Use: 1804
Artist résumé: tailored to fit specific expertise
: used when applying for commercial and non-profit galleries, the search for exhibition opportunities, residency and grant applications, public art proposals etc.
: a shortened document about 1–4 pages long.
Don't fall into common design traps such as: over complicated, poor layout design, or being too fancy. Avoid this by using simple fonts, and 8becoming friendly with white space.
Before you submit your document: save and submit as a PDF so spacing, margins and your tasteful formatting will be retained across computers.
Keep a word version of your document for easy updating.
Play your strengths! List your best looking category first.
Go lookup your favorite artists on the interwebs, and gain inspiration from their CVs. Remember, that will be you in a few years!
Add everything you are a part of to your master CV document. No show is too small! Galleries want to see that you are an active artist.
If your "short CV" exceeds four pages, nix the exhibitions that do not apply — this should be tailored to fit whatever it is you are applying for.
