Kind Regards, or Whatever: An Artist’s Guide to Professional Emails
The below is an excerpt from NMCC BME program graduate and artist Lauren Kelly’s book, From Canvas to Career: An Artist’s No-Sh*t Guide to Going Pro. After attending the BME program, Kelly says she was inspired to write this book and made the decision to go full-time as an artist.
“During the program, I realized I didn’t lack preparation,” she said in a talk with Program Director Henry Jake Foreman. “I just lacked a spine. Being surrounded by inspired community and hearing from accomplished Native artists and entrepreneurs is what gave me my spine. I want to pay that forward with this book.”
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It’s a drag, but you must know how to email people. Professionally. Like someone who knows how to write a business email. Not like six raccoons in a trench coat with a laptop.
Emails hopefully won’t usually be the first impression you make on galleries, art organizations, or potential collaborators, but they will set the tone for your business dealings. These days, nobody just rolls up with a crate of art and demands someone make time for them. And kiss your chances goodbye if you have the audacity to mail a portfolio via the postal service unsolicited. Emails will be your ticket.
When you can write competent, savvy-sounding emails, you position yourself as someone professional, polished, and easy to work with. Poorly written emails, on the other hand, can lead to misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and a negative perception of your professionalism. All things we definitely don’t want… so, we need to get nice and comfy with emails.
Let’s go over the key components of a strong email:
Subject Line: Keep it clear, concise, and searchable (in case someone needs to pull up this email again to refer back to it). Subject lines that state the purpose of outreach, your name, and the topic are great. Think things like “Inquiry: Exhibition Submission - [Your Name]” or “Artist Submission - [Upcoming Show Name] - [Your Name].”
Salutation: Open with a greeting; in today’s business world, a “Hi” or “Hello” is good. Address the recipient by first name if you can. If you don’t know who you’re addressing, it’s okay to say the name of the organization and address the team. So, a few examples might look like: “Hi Dr. Jekyll–” “Hello Jane–” and “Hi, XYZ Gallery team–”.
Introduction: Introduce yourself briefly, stating your background as an artist and why you are reaching out. Give them the quick explanation of who you are and the purpose of your email. If you really dig something about their business or a recent show, say so. An example might look like: “I’m John Doe, a local fiber artist. During the last Art Walk I was so impressed by your recent exhibition, [Insert Exhibition Title]. As an artist working with similar themes, I’m reaching out today to inquire about your submissions process and exhibit calendar.”
Main Body: Get into the meat– pitch what you’re pitching or ask what you’re asking. Be direct yet polite, providing any necessary details or context. Articulate.
Closing: End your email with something indicating appreciation for their time and consideration. Include your name and contact information, along with links to your website or social media profiles if relevant, in case they’d like to view your work.
Professional Signature: A professional email signature includes your name, artistic title (typically just “Artist,” “Visual Artist,” “Ceramicist,” or whatever moniker you prefer), contact information, and links to your portfolio or social media. Typically, you can set this up in your email account’s settings so you don’t need to manually type it every time.
Attachments: These typically won’t be relevant on your first email, but if they are, be sure to include a reference to them somewhere in the body of your email wherever relevant and state the file name. For example, “Please see attached file ‘my_art.jpg’ for an example of my work.” (Obviously don’t use that garbage file name ever. I’ve taught you better. Just use that kind of sentence-writing formula in your email.)
Easy as Copy+Paste
I trust you to refer back to the above information when you’re freewriting, but would I really be a former tech industry girly if I didn’t provide you with some usable email templates? Keep these bookmarked for the next time you need them.
Email for Art Call Submission Guidelines: Use this for art calls you’re following up on that don’t have requirements listed somewhere.
Subject Line: Inquiry - Submission Guidelines - [Insert Show/Call Name]
Hi [Recipient Name],
I hope this email finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I am an artist based in [Your Location]. I am interested in submitting my work for consideration for the upcoming [Call/Show Name].
Would you please provide me with the submission guidelines for this call and any specific requirements I should keep in mind? I would greatly appreciate any information you can share.
Thanks so much for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Email Signature]
Email for Gallery or Art Retail Space Submission Guidelines: Use this for art retail opportunities or galleries.
Subject: Inquiry - [Gallery/Space Name] Art Submission Guidelines
Hi [Recipient Name],
I hope this message finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I am an artist based in [Your Location]. [Insert one concise sentence about why this gallery or space is meaningful or relevant to you.] Given our aligned values, I am interested in submitting my work for your consideration.
Could you please provide me with the current submission guidelines and any specific requirements for artists? I would greatly appreciate any information you can share.
Thanks so much for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Email Signature]
Email for Inquiring about Grant or Fellowship Opportunities: Use this for contacting arts organizations to see if they’ve got these opportunities. Note, however, that you should at least check their websites first. Alternatively, tailor this email to ask a specific question about an opportunity.
Subject: Inquiry - Grant/Fellowship Opportunities
Hi [Recipient Name],
I hope you are doing well. My name is [Your Name], and I am an artist specializing in [Your Specialty/Medium]. I am reaching out to inquire about any current or upcoming grant or fellowship opportunities offered by [Organization Name].
I am particularly interested in opportunities that support [state specific area(s) of interest, e.g., emerging artists, community projects, etc.]. Does [Organization Name] offer anything like this, or if not, would you be able to point me in the direction of an organization that might? I would be extremely grateful for any information you can provide.
Thanks so much for your assistance, and I look forward to your response.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Email Signature]
Email for an Exhibit Pitch: Use this for pitching your exhibition proposal, but be careful with it– unless they’re openly calling for pitches on their website and email list, they may not like a cold exhibit proposal email, so try to shake someone’s hand in person before sending it if you can. Or at least be prepared to name drop someone they know and like as a reference.
Subject: Exhibition Proposal - [Exhibit Name] - [Your Name]
Hi [Recipient Name],
I hope this email finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I am an artist working in [Your Medium/Style]. I am writing to propose a solo exhibition titled “[Exhibition Title]” at [Gallery Name].
This exhibition explores [briefly describe your theme/concept], and I believe it aligns well with the mission of your gallery. I have included a short artist statement and a selection of images from the proposed works for your review.
I would love the opportunity to discuss this proposal further and explore the possibility of exhibiting with you. Thanks so much for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Email Signature]
Email for Following Up (After Meeting/Event): If you chatted at an event or made an introduction you want to follow up on, use this. Remember, this is the art world. The individual might have been wine-drunk and in social mode when you met, so don’t hesitate to sprinkle in some details about who you are to jog their memory.
Subject: Following Up - [Event/Meeting]
Hi [Recipient Name],
I hope this message finds you well. It was so good to chat with you at [Event/Meeting Name] on [Date].
I am very interested in the possibility of collaborating or exploring opportunities within [specific context, e.g., your gallery, organization]. When would be a good time to talk more, and do you prefer in-person or by call?
Again, thanks so much. I look forward to staying in touch.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Email Signature]
Obviously, use these wisely, and when in doubt only cold-email when you have no other choice. A handshake and a conversation first is always preferable. If you can’t get that– or even if you can– some knowledge about the business/organization, similar exhibitions they’ve done in the past, and why your work fits their vibe will serve you well. Be sure you’ve done adequate research on the folks you’re reaching out to and be specific and thoughtful in your responses when they ask you clarifying questions.
Additionally, if you’re not used to professional emailing, I can’t impress enough how critical it is that you remember that directness is good. We like directness. In writing, directness protects all parties and keeps everything crystal clear. Emails are often both communication and a paper trail we can refer back to should any issues arise in the future. This is not the same as texting your friends or subtweeting. Obviously we should be polite, but direct language is very, very good, and it’s not the opposite of polite. If anything, directness in emailing enhances politeness, since clarity is the most polite thing you can have in any business dealings.
And hey, overall I encourage you to just remember that your artistic career isn’t supposed to be a speedrun. It is normal and, frankly, sustainable for your career to take several years for a full liftoff. I sold my first painting dirt cheap at seventeen years old, gave up for a while, took my year off for painting at twenty-seven, didn’t get anything over a one-thousand dollar sale on any piece until I was twenty-nine, and broke three thousand dollars on the sale of one piece at thirty. The point isn’t my age; it’s the amount of time invested. This is a long game if you’re really a fine artist at heart, and skipping steps or moving according to a trend will only cause early demise. Don’t get down on yourself when it takes several seasons to start seeing results. You must stay faithful over your art. You’re the only advocate your own art really has. You owe it your consistency and dedication.
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Lauren Kelly is a Citizen Potawatomi visual artist and arts advocate based in Oklahoma. Her book, From Canvas to Career: An Artist’s No-Sh*t Guide to Going Pro, is now available at IndigiExchange in the Resilience Hub in downtown Albuquerque. For more information about the book, head to: www.laurenkelly.art/from-canvas-to-career
