Category Your Art Career

Check out all the current art competitions you can enter right now and learn how to submit your work for a chance for cash prizes, publicity, and more!Here, our distinguished judges explain their judgments for our 2014 Annual Competition. Buy a copy of the December issue to see each of the winners in our five categories, and an article about each.

If you’re ready to take the leap into establishing a career as an artist, then you need consider some essential steps first. These include defining your artist statement, establishing your brand and searching for gallery representation, just to name a few.All of these factors can help you build your artist resume, which is crucial for showing off your experience, awards and accolades.

How to Write An Artist StatementAn artist statement is an ever-evolving text. Many artists struggle with it; some hope to avoid it altogether. They may make grandiose claims that art speaks for itself.Whether that is or is not true, an artist statement is an integral part of a public presence. It cannot reasonably be avoided.

How to Make a Living as an ArtistScary idea, huh? Of letting go of the full-time “other” job or side gigs or part-time freelancing you do to pay the bills and put food on the table to living solely off the sales of your art? But we talk with Polish artist Magdalena Morey, who made that leap. Via email Magdalena tells us how she discovered that the secret to learning how to make a living as an artist for her was all about not going it alone.

Thrive In Your Art Classes with Guidance from Four Seasoned InstructorsArt classes and painting workshops aren’t inexpensive—a two-day session will cost about $175 to $200, and a weeklong workshop typically starts in the $500 range, not including food and lodging—but they’re an investment in your fine art future, whether you are looking to grow your skills as an extension of your creative passion or you’ve got an eye on turning your artistic skills into a career pursuit.

Why Less Is MoreThe first and most important rule of a great art portfolio is to use as few images as possible to show the best work you can do. A common mistake beginners make is putting all of their work into their portfolio.At the beginning, this might be because you only have enough completed work to make a small portfolio, but as your body of work grows, it’s important to make your portfolio concise.

Got goals? If winning an art contest is one of them, here’s all the advice you need to know in order to get your work in the spotlight. Frank Eber, who co-juried the 99th National Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition, shares his best insights on how to bring attention to your work.Critical RecognitionIn workshops, I often get asked this question: What should I paint to get into a national exhibition?

Art Commissions: General Rules to Sell Your ArtHave you ever wondered what it would be like to sell your art and earn money? Have you already taken some commissioned work, but aren’t sure how it should really be done? I am asked repeatedly about how to sell art for a living.Many of my students make extra money by creating custom artwork for people.

If you are a working artist, you know how much time and effort goes into keeping track of all the info on your pieces. In this article by Daniel Grant, learn the ins and outs of collections management databases for artists, and start managing your studio like a boss.21st Century BookkeepingThe 17th century Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer only produced 30 or so paintings during his entire career.

Fellow artists and gallery owners share 12 tips for holding your ground during a recession. There is no question that the economy has taken a punch to the gut from the COVID-19 crisis, leaving artists and gallery owners wondering how to pivot. But taking some lessons from our last recession in 2008-2009 (when this article was originally written), there is always a way forward.