How to Write a Better Artist Statement (and Why You Should)

Alyson Stanfield (right) helps artists with their self-promotion efforts

in her workshops, like the one she'll lead in Laramie on June 23. 

Photo by John J. Pitman.

How to Write a Better Artist Statement (and Why You Should)

Guest blogger: Alyson B. Stanfield

An artist statement, which is often required to enter shows and competitions, is an opportunity for you to connect on a deeper level with viewers.

Don’t miss this opportunity!

Your statement has the potential to be one of your strongest promotional tools. You use it on exhibit entries, brochures, websites, and more.

A well-written statement empowers you. It helps you define your art before someone else does that for you. It gives you control over how your art is perceived. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of this?

The process of writing or perfecting your statement is a chance to clarify your thoughts. And it is a process. A good artist statement takes time to develop.

Here are six tips for writing a better artist statement.

1. Your statement should reflect the current direction of your art, particularly what is unique about the methods and materials you use to create your artwork. Do not include anything about your influences or past lives in your statement. Discuss where you’re going and what you want viewers to take away.

You want readers to focus on the future and where you’re headed, not the long story about how you got to where you are.

2. Allow time between your draft and editing of the draft. Step away from your writing for a few hours (or days) to see it with fresh eyes. It’s too easy to get bogged down in the language and miss the message.

3. Seek the right words that describe your very special creative contribution. The biggest mistake you could make with your artist statement is to have it sound like it could be about any other artist’s work.

4. Whittle down your statement to a maximum of two paragraphs. Our attention spans are much shorter these days. Don’t keep anything that isn’t absolutely necessary.

5.  Your statement should be organic. Allow it to grow and change. You wouldn’t allow your artwork to stagnate, would you? Likewise, using old words to describe new ideas doesn’t make sense.

6. Above all, your statement should compel readers to look at your art. If it doesn’t do this, it hasn’t done its job. Your statement has failed if people read the words you’ve written, and then they go on to the next artist without being intrigued enough to take another look at your work.

Join Alyson in Laramie!

Alyson B. Stanfield is the founder of Art Biz Coach and the Art Biz Blog and the author of I’d Rather Be in the Studio: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion.

Alyson will be leading a 1-day only self-promotion workshop in Laramie on June 23 and would love for you to attend. In addition to artist statements, the workshop covers mailing lists, websites, blogs, and more. Read all about it here.