What is an artist biography?
An artist biography is a short, third-person summary of significant facts about you as an artist. It is mainly used for promotional purposes.
Contrasting an artist statement, an artist biography should not contain a personal element. It should accompany an artist statement without duplicating content.
An artist biography will generally be between 100-250 words, but some opportunities may have different parameters. Your biography should be kept up to date and tailored to the specific project or opportunity where it will appear. For example, someone crafting an artist biography for a music project may leave out their work as a ceramic artist, because it is not relevant. If you work in multiple disciplines, you may find you need multiple different artist biographies in your toolkit.
Consider including:
- Your name
- Any art form(s) you work with
- Your relevant training and education (including being self taught)
- Your history & past projects
- Any relevant groups, or partnerships you’re associated with
- General influences
- Any relevant awards, professional achievements, or other major milestones
Example:
Jane Doe is a nationally-recognized documentary and fine art photographer based in Fort McMurray, AB. Creating images of the natural world, her work allows her to constantly explore new places and image-making techniques, inviting the viewer to see nature in diverse ways. Doe actively participates in our local photographic community. She is a member of Women Photojournalists of Alberta, and serves as the Co-President of the Fort McMurray chapter of the Albertan Society of Media Photographers. She earned her BFA in Photographic Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
