An artist cover letter perfectly encapsulates your competence and experience while simultaneously highlighting your passion for the craft.
Think of the following scenario: you have a blank canvas in front of you, and you’re about to create a masterpiece. Sounds familiar, right? But instead of art composition, you’re going to craft a compelling artist cover letter to impress hiring managers and increase your chances of landing the job of your dreams.
Your cover letter is like a personal art exhibition featuring one piece. It’s a highly curated document that’s meant to illustrate your skills, qualifications, and experiences. On top of that, it should convey your drive and passion, creating a unique blend of personal and professional.
In this step-by-step guide, you’ll find out how to write this intricate document by going through detailed instructions and real-life examples. Let’s get started!
The ideal format to use for an artist cover letter is the business letter format. It’s a well-established way of crafting written communication in the professional world.
First, let’s see how you should structure the writing. Here’s how to optimally arrange the sections of your cover letter:
This is the typical composition that hiring managers are used to. It has a strong elevator-pitch-style opening to grab attention, an information-packed middle portion, and a call to action toward the end to capitalize on the momentum that you built up.
Now, let’s see how you can supplement the contents of your document with a stylish cover letter layout. Here are the guidelines to follow:
Now that we have laid a foundation for future learning, let’s find out how to write your cover letter by examining each of the specific sections. To help you follow along, here’s a quick visual guide:
Contact information and date should be in the header of your cover letter. Here are the details to include:
Date the letter after including these details, and then continue by listing the recipient’s contact information.
Here’s an example:
Naoma Campos Digital Artist 4940 Kimberly Way Portage, MI 49002 616-879-4122 naoma.campos@example.com linkedin.com/ln/naomacampos
Denise Childress Hiring Manager Creative Line Studios. 670 Poplar Lane Miami, FL 33142
Salutations should be brief and courteous. It’s enough to write a simple “Dear,” followed by the addressee’s name.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Dear Ms. Childress,
The key here is to avoid generic greetings like “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern.” A personalized salutation will have a much bigger impact on the reader, as it builds rapport right from the get-go and shows that you went the extra mile to address them properly.
To achieve that, you want to address the hiring manager by their name. Research the company and check the job ad to find out who will read your artist cover letter. Ultimately, you can use their title if you tried everything and couldn’t find the name.
The primary purpose of the opening paragraph is to instantly impress the hiring manager and convince them to keep reading. That’s why you want to start your cover letter by mentioning some of your most prominent advantages, like how much experience you have and what your biggest accomplishments are.
Let’s see that in an example:
I am writing to express my strong interest in the lead artist position at Creative Line Studios, as advertised on your website. I’ve been in the field for more than 11 years, combining traditional and digital art. As a result, I have had the privilege of organizing more than 25 international galleries to showcase my work and selling more than 450 unique art pieces to collectors.
The main section of your cover letter should be all about your hard and soft skills, qualifications, and experiences relevant to the job you’re applying for. A painter cover letter, for instance, will differ vastly from an artist cover letter for a gallery submission.
Your goal is to demonstrate that you’re the best person for the role. That’s why you want to focus on those accomplishments and capabilities that will show hiring managers how you can perform while working in their organization. To make them truly pop, you should use numbers to add measurable value.
Let’s see that in an example:
Among many technical skills, I am adept at Adobe Creative Suite and several 3D modeling software programs, including Maya and 3DS Max. During my previous tenure as a studio artist in the animation company, I led a cross-functional team of 7 professionals to design 35+ character sketches and 15+ landscape sketches weekly.
Specifying your motivation for applying for the role in a particular organization is one of the best ways to get ahead of the competition. It indicates that you’re already invested in the work and culture of the company that you’re looking to join. To achieve this, highlight something precise about their work or team that aligns with your goals and interests.
I am particularly drawn to Creative Line Studios due to your commitment to using art to convey meaningful messages. Your methods of leveraging creativity to provoke social dialogue and encourage change resonate with me on both professional and personal levels.
After you’ve emphasized your skills and experience, you should take advantage of the impression left on hiring managers by including a call to action with a thank-you note. That will increase your chances of getting a response or enticing them to take a look at your artist resume, portfolio, etc.
Check out the following example to see how you can do that:
I want to thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I’d be thrilled to discuss in an interview how my unique blend of skills and experience could contribute to your esteemed organization.
The best way to finish your artist cover letter is to politely close it in the same manner that you opened it. Simply include one of the typical letter closings followed by your name.
Here’s an example:
Kind regards, Naoma Campos
Let’s put everything that we’ve learned so far into practice and see a complete artist cover letter example:
Before we wrap things up, here are a couple of expert strategies on how to polish your artist cover letter to perfection:
As we conclude our detailed guide, let’s remember that an artist cover letter is more than a simple checklist of your skills and accomplishments. It’s a personalized document that should convey passion and drive while connecting you with the hiring manager.
Still, there are established rules and guidelines to follow, which, once you’re acquainted with them, will make the writing process much easier. Moreover, they stay the same whether you’re writing an artist cover letter for an exhibition or looking to send a sample of your artist cover letter to a gallery.
Now, it’s time to sit down and create a new kind of masterpiece armed with newfound knowledge and never-ending inspiration. Best of luck landing the job of your dreams!
Sheila Kravitz Content Writer & Head EditorBy day, Sheila Kravitz writes stellar content and works as a head editor. At night, she spends her time winning at trivia nights or playing Dungeons & Dragons with her friends. Whether she’s writing or editing, she gives her maximum effort and ensures no error gets past her watchful eyes. When she’s doing none of the above, Sheila likes to spend time with her cats and her partner, endlessly watching crime documentaries on Netflix.
