Sculpting the Artist Statement

“When making the ceramic- get the clay and start molding… the center is the most important. Once you have a grasp of the center, then everything falls into place.”ceramics instructor at Los Angeles Art League carefully instructs her students as she throws the clay on the wheel while forming the shape of the dish using her thumb and index fingers.

Each of the classes taught at the Los Angeles Art League follows a syllabus laid out by the founders of the art academy that challenges the students to practice their artwork introspectively before continuing their portfolio. In the studio art class, instructor and also founder of academy David Shin, leads his class by example with the essential drawing processes where the techniques of drawing the shapes, lines, coloring, textures, perspectives are provided in an accessible format. She then encourages her students to utilize their artwork to portray their own message. In addition to therapeutic effects these classes hold with their reflective components, students are equipped with what they need for their next step in either enhancing their artwork or furthering their educational endeavors. The result is inspirational artwork- and an 100% acceptance rate into the art universities these students applied for.

So, what is an artist statement?

The artist statement is a briefly written description (2-3 paragraph form) to provide an introduction to you as an artist. It is encouraged to include in your artist statement, your intent behind your artwork, describe your concentration, and explain the medium used that contributes to the theme.

Why is it important?

Think of the artist statement as a cover letter to your resume. It is your way of explaining to your viewers who you are as an artist and what your portfolio consists of.

When writing an artist statement as an applicant to an art university, what questions should be answered?

·      What are your artistic endeavors?

·      What issues and concerns inform your art-making practice and how does your artwork address these concerns?

·      Why are you applying to the program?

As a slight deviation from solely academic institutions, the admissions committee at art universities tend to look for more authenticated personal expressions by the student as expressed in their portfolio. It may at first seem daunting to have to verbalize what your portfolio entails in a 300 word format and have that be reviewed by the admissions committee. However, the artist statement can be easily broken down into a format tangible for our students to write their essay. At the academy, we strive to ensure that our students are aided in each step in achieving their goals-whether that is helping improve drawing techniques or even writing the artist statement. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to schedule a consultation, or even if you have any questions at all-email us!

Email: laartleague@gmail.com

Call: (213) 232-1143