Artist Toolkit - Notes to accompany seminar
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*These notes are ©Dazed and Confucius and are for the exclusive use of those who have attended the Artist Toolkit seminar.
Not for distribution to third parties or sharing in any manner or format : )
important Tools for the working artist:
1. Website : a showroom, not an inventory
2. CV: one to two pages
3. Take-Away Card: glorified business card
4. Artist’s Statement: your concept and process
5. Work or Editions Inventory: record of works
6. Price list: different for each medium/series
7. Client Database: contact list
8. Instagram Account: for your art practice
9. The Pitch: 3 sentences
Website
Everything on one page
Use the visual “real estate” well
Direct the work – show placement
Show process
Show range of applications
Show scale
Show detail
Show multiple room views
Arrange with viewer in mind
Make sure you have a smooth sales process and make all details clear
CV
Important categories for your CV:
• Education
• Exhibitions (eventually separate into Solo and Group)
• Awards
• Bibliography
• Press
• Books + Catalogues
• Collections
• Related Experience
• Contact information
And: date of birth, city of birth, current geographic location
Takeaway Cards
Encourage action from the viewer, to investigate your work further and hopefully engage with it in some manner.
Use in-person, electronically AND as a mailer.
At a minimum include image(s) of artwork, captioned with details about it, and contact information
Artist statement
Who you are
What
How
Why
Who else (historical connections?)
Inventory records
Keep track of all your works
Single page
Spreadsheet
Or something like Artwork Archive
Price List
Have 2 versions of your price list; one private version that includes details like a defined discounting structure, costs of materials, when and why you raise prices, etc. and one, “clean” version for public use for galleries, direct clients, etc.
Look to the marketplace to decide upon or confirm your prices.
Client database or Contact List
However you track your clients, be sure to include the following at a minimum:
1. Name
2. Position and business
3. Website
4. Email
5. Phone
6. Mailing address
7. Professional social media accounts
The Pitch
The 3 – 5 sentences that answer “What do you do?” and “Why do you do that?”.
Consider the following as you build the pitch:
1. Medium
2. Materials and process
3. Reasons/subjects
4. Good use of adjectives
What does success on social media look like for you? What is/are the most important goals?
• Critical reception
• Sales
• Issue driven
• etc
Who is your audience and where do they get their information?
Successful Instagram accounts are:
• Carefully curated
• Visually appealing
• Each post is considered and shared with a purpose
• Imagery is consistently of good-to-high quality
• Captions add context and value
• Action is inspired
• Clear and consistent branding