The Artist Statement

Does Your Artist Statement Help to Close the Sale?

Learn To Write With Heart, Clarity and Sales Power.

This concise step-by-step eBook shows artists like you how to:

• Break the artist statement down into essential contents, paragraph by paragraph.
• Sift out gems from the raw, organic soil of your creative “voice.”
• Choose what (and what not) to include in your artist statement.
• Distill the essence of your work. Recast your visual language into engaging verbal form.
• Elevate your artist statement to reach your current level of accomplishment.
• Craft each paragraph of your artist statement to be sharp, concise, and dynamically alive.
• Imbue your phrases with authentic personality.
• Engage your potential buyers, bring them close, and sell your work!

 

Responses:
“Barbara, thank you so much for sharing your eBook with us! You’re an inspiring writer! Your work is VERY valuable to artists and photographers.” –Craft and Vision Publishers.

“I clarified myself as an artist, and what my work means to me. As a result, my artist statement is vastly improved.” ––Celia, Filmmaker/Video Artist

“Excellent work. I love how you tackle the artist statement. Thanks for your expertise, patience and professionalism.” –Rudolf, Artist

Read more Client Quotes about Barbara’s writing, portfolio and coaching services.

Questions to ask about your artist statement:

• Does my artist statement reach the level of my current body of work?
• Does it prompt action on the part of gallery directors, journalists, collectors and buyers?
• Does it underperform in competitions?
• Read aloud, does my current statement compel intimacy or simply fall flat on the ear?
• Does it lack authenticity or personality?
• Do I dread the act of distilling the essence of my visual work into words?
• Do if feel unprepared to speak in front of groups or industry professionals?
• Do I feel at a loss for what to write (or say) about my work without rambling on?
• Is my artist statement “stuck in the mud” because it pains me even to start?
• Does the writing process itself send my thoughts into a tangle of confusion?

Is writing, for you, like drinking castor oil?

Barbara has mastered the art of interviewing and writing statements that capture the artist’s authentic vision. You may choose to add coaching or writing services to your order and receive your eBook free of charge! Just keep it tucked away, where it will continue to guide your statement beautifully as your career evolves. More on optional writing services here:

Writing Services: Artist Statements / Bios / Resumes / Proposals.

 

Craft Your Powerful Artist Statement Now:

PURCHASING OPTIONS:

*Order E-Book:
Receive step-by-step instructions and write a brilliant artist statement on your own.
*Order FREE E-Book + Coaching:
Follow the guide, and use me as your sounding board and editor!
*Order FREE E-Book + Artist Statement Writing Services:
I will interview you, write and edit the statement with you according to the guide, and
capture your authentic voice in highly professional form.

Orders include a *free podcast and monthly tips for creative careers via Gateways Action Updates. Your email address will *never be shared, and you may unsubscribe easily at any time.

Sample from The Artist Statement by Barbara Bowen

The well-crafted artist statement invites a special intimacy with your viewers that the rest of your presentation is not designed to achieve. Written in the first person, the artist statement is a uniquely personal narrative about your work, and why and how you create it.  It has a story-like rhythm and spine, and is the primary instrument for communicating your true artistic voice.  It differs from the resume, which lists your career trajectory in a standardized form.  It differs also from the biography, which highlights the strengths of your resume, most often written in third person format.  The artist statement is an essential tool in your presentation to gallery directors, collectors, museum curators, the press, and buyers attending your pubic exhibitions.

The actual writing of the artist statement can send ripples of dread, or at least tangles of confusion, up the artist’s spine.  It can seem daunting to cram an entire career into a concise, one-page snapshot. However, when guiding artists through the completion of an outline, I notice that even the most apprehensive artists begin to enjoy the process…

…Far too many masterpieces are tucked away, hidden on shelves in shadows, with no proper introduction. Like the apex of an iceberg, our presentation shows first, above the water line.  It introduces our work, secures credibility and mirrors how far we’ve traveled along the arc of our goals.  The artist statement is the part of our presentation that allows us to connect with our target audience in a uniquely personal way.  Whether you write your own, seek guidance or hire a writer to tackle it, be sure your artist statement expresses your true creative “voice.” Polish your last draft until its sheen is not only bright, but also genuine. Keep the tone professional, succinct and inviting. This is the kind of artist statement that fosters the confidence of those in authority, and helps to secure commissions and sales.