ABOUT THE CLASS

Writing an artist statement is often a perplexing and challenging task. It’s never easy to describe one’s own work, especially since so much of project-making is simply responding to intuitions and following hunches. Many of us embrace the mysterious nature of the creative process, and prefer to let our images speak for themselves. As Saul Leiter once remarked, “I have avoided profound explanations of what I do.”

However, in today’s art world,competition submissions, grant and funding applications, book proposals, exhibitions, and personal websites, all require photographers to have a written artist statement which clearly explains their work. As part of the creative process, it can be very useful to articulate the process and goals of one’s work, but it's also easy to get overwhelmed or derailed by the questions which arise while doing so, including: “What kind of language do I use?” “Is ‘artspeak’ necessary?” “How personal or political should I get?” “How do I connect my work to current events?” “What if this is a work-in-progress?” “What is this juror looking for?”

This online workshop will demystify the process of writing both general and specific project artist statements by providing a structured set of simple questions that you can use to craft statements for any context. This framework, combined with writing assignments, in-class discussions and personalized feedback, will help you organize your thoughts more effectively and respond to these questions with confidence. You’ll also gain a clearer understanding of your concept and how that manifests in the creative choices that define your work. By the end of the workshop, you'll have a clear, concise, and informative artist statement that authentically reflects your work’s intention and concept.

COURSE OUTLINE

Wednesday, March 19

7-9pm ET 

• Overview of what an artist statement is and why they are necessary 
• Overcoming common stumbling blocks 
• Review of successful and unsuccessful artist statement examples 
• Developing a structure for your artist statement 
• Homework Assignment #1 - Your first draft 

Wednesday, March 26

7-9pm ET 

• Review of three participants’ homework assignment #1
• Group discussion of relevant topics and Q&A session 
• Homework Assignment #2 - Refine & Develop

Wednesday, April 2

7-9pm ET 

• Review of three remaining participants’ homework assignment #1
• Group discussion of relevant topics and Q&A session 
• HW Assignment #2 - Refine & Develop

Wednesday & Thursday, April 9 & 10

7-9pm ET 

• 30-minute one-to-one meetings with Peter 
• Feedback on your final draft 
• Individual meeting times to be scheduled with Peter