Artist Press Kit Checklist
What this helps you do
Send a compact, publication-ready set of images and details.
A press kit makes it easy for someone else to write about you accurately. Galleries, writers, curators, podcasters, fair organisers, and local press all need the same basic materials. If those materials are ready, opportunities move faster and errors become less likely.
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Build a small, accurate package that lets someone publish or announce your work without chasing basic details.
- Match every artwork image to a checked caption and image credit before sharing it.
- Keep print-ready and web-ready files separate, and confirm you have permission to share every supplied image.
What a press kit is
A press kit is a small package of accurate materials about your practice. It should help someone publish, announce, introduce, or research your work without chasing basic facts.
It is not a portfolio dump. It is a curated reference folder.
Core press kit contents
- Short biography around 100 words
- Longer biography around 250 to 400 words
- Current artist statement
- Artist CV or selected CV
- High-resolution artwork images
- Image captions with title, year, medium, dimensions, and credit line
- Portrait or studio image if appropriate
- Press links or selected reviews
- Contact details
- Website and social links
Captions are not optional
Every artwork image should have a matching caption. Writers should not have to guess title, date, medium, dimensions, or image credit.
Use a consistent caption format and include inventory numbers internally if they help you match files to records. Public captions do not always need the inventory code, but your working folder benefits from it.
Prepare image sizes
Keep both high-resolution images for print and smaller web-ready images for quick sharing. Label them clearly. Sending a 40MB file when someone needs a web image slows everyone down.
Also make sure you have permission to share installation images, photographer credits, and any images that include other people's work.
When to send a press kit
Send a press kit when someone asks for materials, when a gallery is preparing an announcement, when you are pitching a feature, when a fair needs assets, or when a curator requests information.
Do not attach a huge folder without warning. A simple link with a short note is usually better.
Keep it current
Review your press kit before each major exhibition or announcement. Update the biography, CV, statement, image selection, links, and contact details.
A stale press kit can quietly undo good work by sending old images, outdated statements, or missing credits into the world.
Worked example
A press-kit folder
Create one folder with a short biography, longer biography, statement, selected CV, six labelled artwork images, a matching caption sheet, contact details, and a text file with image credits. A writer can understand the package in minutes.
Sources and further reading
Build press materials from your artwork records
Artwork Codex keeps images, artwork details, statements, CV context, and portfolio selections organized so press kits are easier to assemble.
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