Tag: artist storytelling

They say your work should speak for itself, but in reality, the words that accompany it often decide who actually listens. The exhibition text, that small paragraph on the wall, the label beside your piece, or the short description on a gallery website, carries far more weight than most artists imagine. It doesn’t just explain your work, it shapes how people approach it. Before a viewer has even looked long enough to feel something, those few lines have already told them how to see. Think about it, two artists might create…

Most artists assume residencies are decided by the strength of their portfolio. And in a way, that’s true  your work gets you through the first door. But once you’re inside, the conversation changes. Selection panels rarely debate whether someone can paint, sculpt, or conceptualize well. What they discuss instead are the subtler things that don’t always show up on a slide deck: clarity of thought, curiosity, adaptability, and whether your proposal feels grounded enough to actually come to life. Panels receive hundreds of strong applications, and by the time they sit…

If you’ve ever tried explaining your art practice in an email and felt it came out all wrong, you already know why a press kit matters. It’s not about being fancy or looking “professional,” it’s about helping people understand your work without making them dig for it. A good press kit isn’t something you make once you’re established, it’s something that helps you get established. It’s what makes it easier for curators, editors, or collaborators to say yes because they can actually see who you are, what you make, and where…

At small shows, you can always spot the collectors. They move slowly, eyes lingering, heads tilting just slightly. They’re not rushing toward a sale, they’re trying to understand. They’ll glance from the painting to the artist, then back again, as if looking for a quiet match between what’s seen and what’s felt. Before they buy anything, they want to sense that the person behind the work is real, steady, and creating from somewhere honest. For women artists still finding their place, that kind of presence matters more than people realize. Collectors…

You ever notice how some artists seem to get seen everywhere ,  not because they’re rich or famous, but because their work somehow travels? It pops up in group shows, zines, someone’s Pinterest board, even in a random café post. And then there’s you, scrolling, wondering how your work that feels just as good, maybe even better, seems to vanish into thin air after you hit upload. Here’s the truth no one admits: being seen isn’t about being lucky, or loud, or backed by cash. It’s about being findable. And findable…

You ever notice how sometimes you spend an hour crafting the perfect Instagram post ,  picking just the right filter, writing a caption that feels casual but deep, tagging every possible account ,  and then… 74 likes. No new inquiries. No new collectors. Just a few fire emojis from other artists who also know the grind. It’s not that your art isn’t strong. It’s that the platform isn’t designed to hold it. Instagram is built to keep people scrolling, not stopping. And your work? It deserves a place where people actually…

Ever catch yourself thinking, “Maybe my ideas are too loud for the gallery?” If so, welcome to the club, but here’s the twist: your bold ideas are exactly why you belong. For women artists, the art world can feel like a room full of invisible “Do’s and Don’ts,” mostly written by someone else. But those rules? They don’t apply to your voice. Finding your voice isn’t about matching someone else’s idea of success. It’s about noticing the patterns in your thoughts, the sparks that make you uncomfortable and excited at the…

Picture this: two identical paintings on the wall, but one is marked “open edition” and the other “limited edition of 10.” Which one do you think collectors will gravitate toward? You guessed it, the one that feels rarer. Exclusivity makes people lean in. It tells them, “If you don’t grab this now, it might be gone forever.” And in the art world, that’s a powerful pull. Collectors love knowing they own something that not everyone else can get. It becomes part of the story they tell when friends see it hanging…

When you hear the phrase “artist bio,” it might sound like one of those formal, box-checking tasks that galleries or websites make you submit. But in reality, your bio is often the very first doorway through which people encounter your art. Before someone dives into your portfolio or takes the time to stand in front of your work, they usually glance at the words you’ve written about yourself. This small paragraph can either intrigue them or make them scroll past. That is why treating it as an afterthought sells your work…

When most artists sit down to update their portfolio, the images take center stage. The paintings, sculptures, or digital works naturally shine brightest, so the text is often treated like an afterthought. But here’s the thing: the words you choose to sit alongside your visuals can either pull people in or quietly push them away. Think about the last time you visited an artist’s page online. Did the words feel like they matched the energy of the work? Or did you skim because they sounded stiff or overly formal? Those little…