Call it your bio, “about blurb,” or statement: Every creative professional needs a paragraph (or two) that sums up their practice. Posted on their website, read aloud by moderators at panels and conferences, sent to the press and included in applications for just about anything, the bio is an essential component of the artist’s toolkit. In this class, Robin Cembalest, a longtime coach, mentor, and former editor of ARTnews, breaks down the structure of the artist bio and shares a template for moving forward. Participants will be empowered to explain who they are and what they do in just a few sentences.

In the first half of the class, Cembalest will review sample artist bios to showcase various approaches. She’ll list the main elements of the artist bio, explain how to craft a message, and look at different ways to interweave the elements into a compelling whole. In the second half, she will review brief bios of class participants and suggest ways to enliven and improve each text.