Writing an Artist Statement - Wednesday May 8th and Wednesday May 15th

An artist statement is an important marketing and educational tool that can deepen viewers’ understanding about your work. A clear, thoughtful artist statement acts as a crucial bridge between your work and your target audiences, helping you to stand out from the crowd. 

Writing an artist statement can be a daunting task for many. This two-part workshop aims to create a supportive environment where you can develop your statement – whether it be for your website, a submission to an editor, curator, gallerist, grant or juried event.

We will begin with a series of creative writing exercises to help you develop your focus and writing style. In collaboration, we will locate key points specific to your practice and body of work. In the second session, you will build your statement’s structure and content. Writing styles, approaches and audiences will be discussed as well as artist statement tips and pitfalls.

The goal of the workshop is for you to leave with a solid draft of your artist statement that offers your audiences a fresh perspective on your work. 

Please have a notebook or laptop and body of your work in electronic form for both sessions. 

Bio: Madeline Yale Preston is a photography specialist, independent curator and arts advisor with 16+ years’ experience in the field. She is a seasoned photography portfolio reviewer and advises artists on developing, editing, sequencing and promoting their work. She has curated 35+ exhibitions on photography and related media in the US, UK and the UAE has authored numerous monographic and catalogue essays on artists and photographers. A recent sample of Madeline’s writing can be found in her chapter “Building Images, Building Spaces” in The Focal Press Companion to the Constructed Image in Contemporary Photography (Routledge 2018). www.madelinepreston.com