ARTIST STATEMENT

What is an artist (or personal) statement?

A concise and straight forward statement by an artist about

themselves as an artist or her/ his work. Sometimes the statement
defines the artist themselves and other times it describes a
particular work or concept for a proposed work.
In short, an artist's statement is a brief summary of what an artist
would say if they could describe themselves or explain their own
work in person.
It focuses on the present while providing as much information
from the past as is relevant.
 Why would an artist need to have an artist statement?

For making application to institutions of higher learning such as

graduate or doctorial programs; for grants and funding; fellowships;
many art festivals from theatre to cinema and for many contests,
such as playwriting.
 If the statement is about the artist ….

• The statement clearly states the influences which have helped to

shape the artist and their creative voice
• The statement addresses the primary goals of the artist’s career and
work.
 Example of a Personal Artist Statement

I received my BA in Speech and Drama from Trinity University where I discovered

my passion for directing plays. I continued my training at the Wisconsin- Madison
where I received my BFA with an emphasis in directing. Since that time I have
experienced a wide diversity of theatrical opportunities, from commercial comedy
to opera, from musicals to classical drama. Fire on the Bayou, the production of my
current focus, allows me to experience collaboration in all aspects of production:
working with the composer to establish an authentic musical score, establishing
period and culturally- specific dances with the choreographer, coaching actors on
the development of their characters, and sharing ideas and research with designers
in creating the world of this play.
 Tips
• TIP 1: If the statement is for an application - read what it asks you to
do. Many people forget this. If there’s no instructions.
• TIP 2: Grab the reader’s interest with the first sentence
• Tip 3: Introduce the your personality and enthusiasm
• Tip 4: Use the first person (I, me, mine — this is not a strict rule, but it
does seem to help the author write a more straightforward, readable
statement)
• Tip 5: If making application, say why you are interested in applying.
• TIP 6: Keep it SIMPLE! Don’t use big words and don’t sound
pretentious.
• TIP 7: EVERYONE is passionate and EVERYONE has been doing this since
they were a kid. There is no place in a Artist Statement for this info.
• TIP 8: If you don’t have tons of experience, don’t pad it. Be honest but
positive.
• TIP 9: Say WHY you want to do this for a living. Think of an intelligent,
simple answer. It has to be the truth.
• TIP 10: Say what you would gain from having a place in the course, job,
contest, internship or festival.
• TIP 9: Say why you would make a good student; talk briefly and without too
much self-aggrandizement about your best qualities.
• TIP 10: Don’t talk about your talent.
• TIP 11: Say something about your weaknesses, and why you think the
course would help you to address them. Say it near the beginning and be
willing to answer questions about it. It has been proven in psychological
testing that admitting your faults early and then bolstering your profile
later in an application or an interview helps the reader/panel to see past
your limitations
• TIP 12: Put it away, even for an hour or two, then go back and read it aloud.
Does it represent you?
• TIP 13: Do you sound like the kind of artist you are, student who would be
wanted, project to be produced?
• TIP 14: Proofread it! Get someone else to proofread it! Spell check it! Make
sure if you talk about an institution that your information is correct!
Some good questions to ask yourself …
• What keeps you coming back to perform, direct or create your art day
after day?
• What are some of the best ways people have responded to your
work?
• What’s your artist story? (as opposed to your biography and CV)
• Who do you perform/direct/dance/play/sing for and why?
• What do you want an audience to experience at the end of
experiencing your work?