In general…

An artist bio is a selective narrative of your resume. The focus is on who you are as an artist.

An artist statement includes, potentially, the ideas, techniques, and concepts behind your work, plus some of the same information you might include in a bio.

A bio is typically no longer than a paragraph. It might include a website or online store or gallery at the end to direct readers to where they can find out more about the artist and their work.

The artist statement is typically somewhere between a paragraph and a page. The length of the artist statement might depend greatly on where the statement is going and who might be reading it.

Here are some examples of where you might need a bio, a statement, or both:

• Gallery shows
• Contests
• Sending art to online or print publications for consideration
• Magazine submissions (example: you're writing an article about how to do a specific method)
• Teacher/Guest instructor materials
• Fellowships
• Individual, local, state, and national grants
• Residency applications
• Your artist website
• Social media accounts relating to your artist identity
• Online presence
• Public talks
• Events to promote yourself (example: your bio is on a pamphlet that gets handed out)

What is coming up next for you and your art? Make a short list of confirmed and potential opportunities, and make notes about what written materials you might need for each opportunity.