Artist Resume Template & Examples for 2025
Written By Ida PetterssonCareer Coach and Resume Expert
Reviewed By Samuel JohnsSenior Content Editor & Certified Professional Resume Writer
Ida Pettersson
Career Coach and Resume Expert
Committed to empowering job seekers of all experience levels to take the next step in their careers, Ida helps professionals navigate the job hunt from start to finish. After graduating...
Read and download our artist resume samples below to see how artists with different backgrounds and experience levels write their resumes.
Then, check out our artist cover letter to help you set your application apart.
Artist resume examples by experience level
Check out our huge collection of resume templates for more designs.
Artist resume template (text format)
- Group Exhibition, Return to the Earth, Sky, Water, 46th Annual Taos Fall Arts Festival, Taos, NM, 20XX
- Solo Exhibition, Movement of Light, Anee Ward & Co., Taos, NM, 20XX
- Solo Exhibition, Falling, Charles Collins Gallery, Taos, NM, 20XX
- Two-person Exhibition, Fall Skies, Copper Moon Gallery, Taos, NM, 20XX
- Two-person Exhibition, Forgetting Our Future, Crookedman Studio, Taos, NM, 20XX
- City Arts Council, Taos Pueblo Life, 6’x18’ acrylic latex mural on the wall of the Taos Visitor Center, Taos, NM, 20XX
- Chokola, Bean to Bar, a 5’x8’ acrylic latex mural on the outside wall of the business, Taos, NM, 20XX
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Create a variety of fine art pieces for exhibition including paintings, charcoal compositions, graphic designs, and sculptures
- Continually grow a network of clients and connections, resulting in sales of over 400 pieces of art
- Winner of the Visionary Award at the 46th Annual Taos Fall Arts Festival, 20XX
- Recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, 20XX
Artist resume samples (by specialization)
Looking for a specific type of artist resume? Take a look at these examples:
3D artist resume
This 3D artist resume highlights specific hard skills and experience essential for this type of artist:
Example highlight
- Technical skills: Soft skills are less important than hard skills for a 3D artist, which is why this applicant focuses on showing off their many technical skills in the skills section of this resume.
Animation artist resume
Writing an animation resume? Use this example for inspiration:
Example highlight
- Skills bars: When you want to demonstrate your level of proficiency with various skills, use a resume template with skill bars, like this one. It’s a good way to give employers a better idea of your abilities.
Freelance artist resume
Demonstrate your freelance achievements on your resume like this:
Example highlight
- Highlights soft skills: It’s important for freelance artists to effectively communicate with a diverse range of clients. So, in this candidate’s resume bullet points, they focus on their collaboration skills and responsiveness to feedback.
How to write an artist resume
Whether you’re applying for exhibitions, artist residencies, or art gallery positions, our tips will help you get a handle on best practices and show you how to highlight your relevant experience and expertise in a way that is sure to impress any curator or juror.
If you’re applying for work in the arts, your portfolio is just as important as your resume. If you don’t already have an online artist portfolio, consider setting one up on adobe’s free platform behance.net and including a link to it on your resume.
1. Decide whether to use an artist resume or CV
While in other industries the difference between using resumes or CVs is pretty cut and dry, it gets more complicated when you’re an artist.
An artist resume should be used when applying to professional venues such as museums, galleries, or art centers, as well as for opportunities like exhibitions, residencies, and proposals.
An artist resume should:
- Be 1 page in length
- Highlight details of your relevant experience, like exhibitions, residencies, or publications
An artist CV, on the other hand, should be used when applying to an academic artist position. A CV is a much longer, more comprehensive document that should include all of your work experience. The only other time you should submit an artist CV is if it is specifically requested in a job posting.
2. Start off with a convincing resume summary
To make a strong first impression, start off with a resume summary that summarizes your experience as an artist, your most notable achievements, and your top skills.
Here are three examples of strong artist resume summaries:
Visual artist
Versatile visual artist with 10+ years of experience in creating captivating illustrations and intricate designs. Specialize in watercolor and ink mediums, using a unique blend of traditional and modern techniques. Keen eye for detail and vibrant storytelling through art, with works exhibited in numerous galleries across the country.
Digital media artist
Digital media artist with a focus on interactive installations and immersive experiences. Hold a degree in Digital Arts from the University of California, Irvine. Passionate about combining technology and creativity to create engaging art pieces that invite audience participation. Proficient in multimedia, coding, and visual storytelling.
Sculptor
Renowned sculptor known for large-scale public installations and intricate sculptures. Familiar with a variety of materials, including metal, stone, and wood, with sculptures featured in public spaces, corporate collections, and galleries. Committed to continuing to transform raw materials into thought-provoking art pieces.
3. Format your resume correctly
The best resume format for an artist differs from standard formats. In addition to the usual resume sections, it should include any exhibitions, awards, publications, or other notable artistic achievements.
To accommodate the extra information you need to include, the standard resume length for artists is generally longer than the one page expected in most other professions.
Here are examples showing how to format each category on your artist resume:
Exhibitions
To list exhibitions on your resume, include the date, type of exhibition, title of the exhibition, gallery name, and location, like this:
20XX | Solo Exhibition | Calm Before the Storm | Sage Gallery | Taos, NM
If you have several different exhibitions to list, you can omit the type of exhibition and instead list them under subheadings for solo exhibitions, collaborations, or group exhibitions.
Make sure to list any collaborators, curators, or jurors (these can go in parenthesis at the end).
Awards
Include the year the award was received, the name of the award, the name of the entity granting the award, and the location. Here’s an example:
20XX | Visionary Award | 20XX Annual Taos Fall Arts Festival | Taos, NM
Residencies
To list an artist residency on your resume, include the year, the program, and the location.
20XX | Residency | Wurlitzer Artist Foundation Residency Program | Taos, NM
Residencies can be listed along with any awards and fellowships.
Publications
You can list publications using CMOS formatting. The only difference is that you will list the publications chronologically rather than alphabetically, so it’s preferred to use the author’s first name before their last name.
You can also skip the headache and use an online citation generator to format publications for you.
List the author’s name, the title of the piece, the publication title and issue, and the date, like this:
Sarah Larkin. “Now You See Me.” Art Now 8, no. 56, August 8, 20XX.
Commissions
If you were commissioned to create a piece of art for a public or private client, this can be a great way to show that you are a trusted and sought-after artist.
To list a commission in your resume, include the year, the entity that commissioned a piece from you, the name of the piece, the scale, and the method, like so:
20XX | City Public Library | Explore Through Literature, 6’ × 6’, spray painted mural | Taos, NM
Collections
If high-profile clients have included your work in a collection, this is worth mentioning as it boosts your reputation as an artist and increases the desirability of your work. Here’s how to do it the right way:
Taos Art Museum at Fechin House | Taos, NM
Name the collection, the entity holding the collection (a museum or institution, for example), and the location. However, you should seek permission from private clients before listing them in your resume.
Workshops
If you’ve taken a workshop and want to include this on your resume, you can list it in your education section. Including such achievements displays your authority as an artist and your expertise in a given area, like in this example:
20XX | “Imitating Light”, Techniques in Art | Annual Taos Arts Conference | Taos, NM | June 18–20
If you’ve run a workshop, then you should list this separately. Any lectures or presentations you have given can also be included along with workshops.
Average artist salaries in the US
After you’ve written your resume, make sure you use it to apply for jobs within a fair salary range.
The following table includes information from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report for 2025. Here are the ten states with the highest salaries for artists, as well as the national average for your reference when applying for work.
Top 10 states by average artist salary
| State | Salary / Year |
|---|---|
| Maryland | $111,750 |
| Georgia | $109,120 |
| Virginia | $101,980 |
| Connecticut | $101,630 |
| Massachusetts | $87,960 |
| California | $87,180 |
| Washington | $84,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,110 |
| Kentucky | $79,630 |
| Hawaii | $78,440 |
| National Average | $79,490 |
Business advice for artists
Are you an artist looking for tips on how to make your business thrive? Check out this video by Tammy Dinh where she offers advice based on her own experience:
Resume examples for different industries
Not sure what your resume should look like? The best way to learn is by taking inspiration from resume examples written by other candidates in your industry.
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