College of Liberal Arts – Visual Arts Resume Samples
Get Started: Instead of using resume templates from the internet, use these free samples created by Career Center staff
and edited by College of Liberal Arts faculty tailored with industry tips to get inspired, see different ways to share your
story, and stand out to employers or graduate admissions. As a liberal arts student, there are so many ways you can tell your
story. Tailor your documents to showcase your relevant accomplishments so you’ll be selected for an interview.
How to Use: You’ll find two examples of this industry’s resume below; a “gallery/exhibition” sample and a “graphic
design” sample, and a list of other skills and experiences to consider including. If you’re interested in museum work or
research, see “Field Work/Museums Resume Samples." Non-profit work? See the Social Justice resume samples.
Click “File → Make a Copy,” then customize to your style and experiences, feel free to mix and match. Look for
highlights to see options for sharing your story: Yellow = ideas for showcasing your identities OR Blue = ideas to protect
from bias. If you have more questions about this, come to the Career Center for support!
Looking for more help?: Bring your draft to a quick Career Center Drop-In to get personalized help, or look at
our standard resume example here with more information on formatting and content than what’s below.
Resume Tips & Checklist
Applicant Tracking Systems are often used in online portals and
determine your likelihood to get an interview. Tailor every
submission using keywords from the posting, and scan here.
FORMATTING
● 1 – 2 pages max (unless Federal)
● Typical margins are no less than .5” all around
● Within each section, order it by starting with most
recent or current experience, to least recent
● Save final draft as PDF titled: First & Last Name
Resume
● Content Font Size = 11 – 13, Header = <16
● Common fonts: Avenir, Times, Garamond, Bell MT,
Cambria, Georgia (easy to read)
CONTENT
● No photos
● Use 2-5 mostly one-line bullet points per experience
you want to highlight
● Bullet Point Formula: Action Verb + Skills +
Project/Accomplishments (keywords from job posting)
Navigating Bias in Applications
Levels and types of bias can be influenced by individual
recruiters or organizations, different industry trends, technology,
and more. While we work with our employers to help address
bias during the hiring process, we want to provide strategies for
our students on how to potentially navigate this process.
In our resume samples and industry specific tips, you’ll see
different ideas for sharing your story. You have agency to decide
how you want to demonstrate the value of your identities and
protect yourself from bias at different stages of the application
process (i.e., including pronouns, how to pronounce your name,
political experience, controversial research, religious groups,
when/if to disclose a disability).
If you have any questions or want to discuss this more, we
highly recommend a Career Center drop-in or appointment
if you don’t want to do this alone. These identity/population
resources in the Resource Center could inform your search or
application process:
LGBTQIA+ | Students with Disabilities | International Students
Undocumented/DACA | Students of Color | Veterans | Criminal Record
Tips Specifically for Visual Arts Resumes
❖ Do not use a designer resume template you didn’t create. If you make a designer version, make sure the formatting is easy to
follow and not overwhelming – often a logo will do, and no photos of you.
❖ Work with faculty to brush up your best portfolio examples. Still building your experience and portfolio? Add a “Projects”
section, make a Google Doc with a table of contents organizing links to samples.
❖ If you have 15 or fewer exhibits, call it “Exhibit History.” If you have 15+ exhibits, choose 15 or less and designate them as
“Selected Exhibits,” or use sub-categories to break up the content.
❖ Visual Arts Jobs/Internships: Start with Handshake, then use 2 from this list of websites.
Visual Artist Galleries Resume Sample – See first page to interpret highlighting:
First [or First Initial] & Last Name
Pronouns: (She/Hers) | Fort Collins, CO | 555-555-5555 | youremail@rams.colostate.edu
Portfolio: http://www.myportfolio.com
EDUCATION
Colorado State University (CSU), Fort Collins, CO
Studio Bachelor of Fine Arts, Concentration in Pottery Expected Month 20XX
● GPA: 2.9 [GPA is optional, especially below 3.0]
● Awards: Key Community of Excellence Award (20XX); Art Department Scholarship (20XX)
● Extended Workshops: Rowland Ricketts Natural Dye & Block Printing, CSU (Spring 20XX)
Study Abroad: Art in Italy Course, Florence, Italy Summer 20XX
EXHIBITION HISTORY
When There Was Light, Solo Senior Thesis, Visual Arts Center Gallery, CSU Month 20XX
Queering the Margins,Curator, The Lyric - Local Queer Artist Festival, Fort Collins, CO Month 20XX
Not Alone But At Home,Group Exhibition, White Cube Gallery, New Orleans, LA Month 20XX
Technology and the Earth, Site-Specific Work, Global Village Museum, Fort Collins, CO Month 20XX
PROJECTS
Carbondale Clay Center Artist Residency |Carbondale, CO Summer 20XX
● Assisted with glaze mixings, kiln firings, supply inventory, studio scheduling, and studio volunteers.
● Produced a series of vessels centered on the theme of globalization and colonization.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Hatton Art Gallery | Exhibit Intern | CSU Month 20XX - Present
● Carefully photographed print collection for digital archives, employing both photography software
and the collection management system (TMS-The Museum System)
● Utilized proper art handling techniques for fragile works
Starbucks | Barista | Fort Collins, CO Month 20XX – Present
● Collaborated with team members to quickly process detailed orders in a fast-paced environment
● Delivered items efficiently and safely to customers, adapting to sudden chang es
INVOLVEMENT
Pottery Guild| Member | CSU Art & Art History Department 20XX – Present
CERAMICS SKILLS
● Familiar with gas, electric, wood fire kilns; atmospheric firings
● Experience with mixing glazes and clay and slip casting
● Completed projects with wheel throwing, slip casting, hand building, & digital fabrication techniques
● Studio maintenance and safe handling of toxic materials, following ventilation protocols
Graphic Design Resume Sample – See first page to interpret highlighting:
First [or First Initial] & Last Name
Portfolio: http://www.myportfolio.com
EDUCATION
Colorado State University (CSU), Fort Collins, CO
B.F.A. in Graphic Design Expected Month 20XX
● GPA: 2.9 [GPA is optional, especially below 3.0]
● Academic Awards: Dean’s List (# semesters);
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Graphic Design Intern | Faceted Media | Lakewood, CO Month 20XX - Present
● Employed digital marketing tactics, like SEO, maximizing rankings and website engagement
● Produced and edited well-crafted, meaningful storytelling for both static and motion-based
designs for blog posts, company websites, and social media networks, such as Facebook
Freelance Photographer | Mountain Lifestyle Blog | Denver, CO Month 20XX – Month 20XX
● Orchestrated photo shoots with models to highlight fashion trends for local businesses
● Created engaging content via WordPress and increased blog followers by 20% in 3 months
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Marketing Chair | Black Student Alliance (BSA) | CSU 20XX – Present
● Created attractive flyers and social media campaigns to advocate for Black students
OR
Marketing Chair | Student Leadership Organization | CSU 20XX – Present
● Created attractive flyers and social media campaigns to support diverse students
PROJECTS
Branding for Lucky Market | Advanced Typography and Design Systems, CSU Fall 20XX
● Designed marketing, packaging, and print materials for a local business client
● Utilized Adobe Illustrator to create a seasonal marketing campaign tailored to client needs
OTHER EMPLOYMENT
Starbucks | Barista | Fort Collins, CO Month 20XX – Present
● Collaborated with team members to quickly process orders in a fast-paced environment
● Delivered items efficiently and safely to customers, adapting to sudden changes
GRAPHIC DESIGN SKILLS
● Adobe Creative Suite: Proficient in Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign; Experience with
Lightroom, After Effects, and Animate
● Graphic Design: Experience with Motion Graphic Design, Kinetic Typography, creating print
and online advertisements, publications, logos, & email design, preparing media for printing
● Web Design: Squarespace and basic HTML coding
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCES & SKILLS FOR VISUAL ARTISTS (tailor to the posting)
As you’re building a resume or CV, here are other experiences you can consider including:
● Community art shows, festivals, and fairs
● Any type of teaching (summer camp, community workshops, volunteer, skill sharing)
● Assisting other artists (even for informal shows, helping a friend organize a studio)
● Running any type of social media pag e
FIBER ART SKILLS
● Lume weaving, sewing and pattern making, quilting, embroidery, knitting, crochet, needle felting,
and hand sewing techniques
● Creating and utilizing natural dyes
● Block printing and screen printing on fabric
● Studio maintenance and safe handling of materials
PAINTING SKILLS
● Experience with acrylic and oil paints
● Murals and site-specific work
● Plein air painting and drawing
● Studio maintenance and safe handling of toxic materials
PRINTMAKING SKILLS
● Screen printing, lithography, relief printing (wood cut, linoleum cut, and intaglio), monotype, and
paper making
● Printing on fabric, re peat pattern printing, and CMYK process printing
● Utilizing Adobe for stencil preparation and color separations
● Studio maintenance and safe handling of toxic materials
SCULPTURE SKILLS
● Woodworking and carpentry
● Welding and metal fabrication
● Casting and molding
● 3-D printing, laser cutting, and other digital fabrication techniques
● Repurposing found objects
● Studio maintenance and safe handling of materials
