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WRITING ABOUT ART

Writing about your work, other people’s work, and events in the art world is a great way to add your voice to the global art community.  Writing is one of the most valuable skills an artist - or anyone for that matter - can have. Being able to write convincingly and understandably can lead to employment opportunities, grant awards, and respect from colleagues. Like a muscle, writing takes dedication and practice, and if you don’t exercise your writing skills, you are bound to find yourself floundering and frustrated when you do have to submit a piece of writing for a publication or proposal. Often galleries rely on artists to help write press releases and marketing materials. Being prepared with a well-written artist statement can make this task easier and assure you that your work is properly contextualized and discussed.
 
Perhaps the most valuable reason to start writing is that when you publish your work, you can actively participate in the larger dialogue surrounding a particular set of ideas, or shift the way an artist’s work is perceived. 
 
Your writing practice can take many forms. Many artists supplement their income by writing critical essays or reviews in local/international publications.  Artist writers can also simultaneously curate exhibitions and exhibit their work.
 
You can build your writing skills by keeping a journal or sketchbook. Use this format to clarify thoughts about your work. You can also build your writing skills by constantly updating your artist statement and applying for grants. Keeping up with these writing exercises will help you better understand your work and make you better prepared to talk with an interested curator or collector. 
 
WRITERS
 
What Arts Writers Do
 
The world of arts writing is as vast as the art world itself. Arts writers can find avenues to publish their work in many places. An arts writer can:

·       Write reviews of shows
·       Interview artists
·       Write catalog essays
·       Write museum exhibition texts
·       Write art theory essays
·       Write informational texts for artist handbooks
 
Writers communicate to a variety of readers in newspapers, magazines, catalogs and publications, web sites, gallery handouts and books.  Some writers freelance and keep their own schedule. Other writers are staff at large publications and write exclusively for their employer. Some writers choose what they want to write about and others get assignments from editors.
 
If you freelance and choose your own publications, you can usually write for a number of different venues. This typically means you are self-employed and should develop sound business skills and have a business license.  If you are employed full time as a staff writer, you may get health insurance and other benefits.

Some publications will take outside submissions from writers they have never worked with, and others will not.  In order to find out which publications will accept new writers, do a bit of research. Visit their web sites and take note of their submission guidelines and deadlines. Be sure to ask your writer friends about various publications they have written for and ask for a referral.
 
Job Skills Needed
 
·       Interest in art and a background in art history
 
·       A strong point of view
 
·       Ability to write clearly so that readers understand what you are talking about
 
·       Ability to understand publication guidelines and writing formats
 
·       Ability to write for target audiences
 
·       Thorough knowledge of the subject matter at hand and the ability to research on the fly
 
·       Ability to pay close attention to details
 
·       Ability to write clearly for a variety of readers
 
·       Ability to use word-processing software
 
·       Ability to understand complex or challenging ideas and concepts
 
·       Willingness to stand by your opinions and ideas in a public forum
 
·       Ability to work alone much of the time
 
·       Ability to be flexible and adjust to changes in project scheduling
 
·       Ability to function as a self-employed writer and a willingness to always be looking for new writing jobs
 
How to Find a Job
 
The first thing potential employers and editors will look for when considering a writer is a collection of writing samples. This can come in the form of published works or unpublished works. You will be in a better position to get the job if you have published some of your writings. Don’t worry if you haven’t published yet. The best way to get published is to keep submitting work again and again to receptive publications. Start in your local community. Consider writing a review of an exhibit for a community newspaper, a small newsletter, or community-focused web publication. Consider writing for one of the hundreds of art blogs currently in circulation on the internet. Or you can start your own art blog. You can get your start just about anywhere.
 
Once you have written a few pieces, select some of your best works demonstrating your personal viewpoint and your ability to write various length articles on different subjects. Assemble these work samples in a word processing document and make sure to insert page numbers. Your future editor will let you know how he or she wants to receive your work samples. Follow their instructions very carefully. Sometimes editors or educational publications want to see actual hard-copies of published works. This is why it is very important to always save at least three copies of every work of yours appearing in print. One copy is for your archives, the other is for your immediately-available writing portfolio, and the third is a backup. You will also want to include a letter of introduction and maybe a writer’s statement about your viewpoint as a writer and what you intend your writings to accomplish. Often a prospective editor will be more than happy to look at a web-based portfolio of your work, so consider publishing your writings on the web.
 
New writers may receive very little pay for their work. A five-hundred word review of a show which took a dozen hours to write can fetch $70 or less. Some writers are paid by the hour, some by the piece, and some by the number of words in a project. Your experience and demand as a writer will also determine your rates.
 
Most writers write small reviews for little pay not because it pays the bills, but because they love to write and because the more their work is published, the more they can charge down the line and the more in-demand they will be for lucrative projects, like catalog essays, curatorial gigs, and longer essays.