1. Resume examples
  2. Art Gallery Manager
Written by Rolf BaxRolf Bax
Certified Professional Resume Writer
CPRW

Art Gallery Manager resume examples & templates

To convince hiring managers you’ve got what it takes to run a thriving art gallery — from both business and artistic perspectives — broad brushstrokes aren’t enough to paint your complete picture of success. This step-by-step resume writing guide is designed to help you display every nuanced angle in the best light. It’s backed by an art gallery manager resume example you can adapt for your own use.
4.9
Average rating
people’ve already rated it
Art Gallery Manager resume examples & templates
Edit This Resume

You are ready for your next move as an art gallery manager. Your eye for quality, combined with retail business and sales savvy, gives you a great advantage when it comes to creating the perfect art gallery manager resume.

Let Resume.io help you paint the picture of success you need to grab that job interview!

 Let Resume.io help you paint the picture of success you need to grab that interview! With resources that include 350+ occupation-specific resume examples and writing guides, we can help you frame yourself as a fabulous candidate.

Using this writing guide, backed by an art gallery manager resume example, you will learn how to:

  • Assess your strengths in the role of art gallery manager
  • Apply the universal framework of resume components
  • Choose the best format for your art gallery manager resume
  • Optimize the impact of each resume section: header, profile, employment history, education and skills
  • Make layout and design choices for a resume that shines.

Art gallery managers are responsible for the proper functioning of an art gallery, which requires a diverse set of skills. Specific roles can vary widely depending upon the size and specific nature of the gallery. 

You might be responsible for communicating with artists, planning gallery exhibitions and art fair representation, networking with clients, and working to ensure a pleasant experience for gallery visitors. You will probably manage daily operations and direct other staff members as necessary. In addition, you may provide information to visitors, liaise with artists and clients, and direct press and listings. 

According to climbtheladder.com, art gallery director salaries vary depending on education, experience, and gallery size and location. The median annual salary is $70,500, while gallery managers in the top 10% salary range earn $137,000.

Employment growth for art gallery directors is expected to keep pace with the occupational average rate over the next decade.

An impressive art gallery manager resume should always be geared to the specific position you are seeking. Before elaborating on that later on, let’s first look at what all resumes have in common, across all occupations — the structure. Your art gallery manager resume should include these components, all fitting on a single page:

  • Resume header
  • Profile
  • Employment history section
  • Education section
  • Skills section

The resume format you choose depends on your background and desired career path as an art gallery manager. If you have worked mostly as an employee — whether in art gallery roles or perhaps in a different field of fine arts, if not in business, sales or marketing — the chronological resume format is recommended. Your professional experience is organized under employer headings in reverse chronological order, from most recent to earliest. This is the most commonly used resume format, and generally preferred by hiring managers.

If you have been self-employed as an artist or in consulting positions, your preference may be to emphasize specialized skills, or even clients or projects, rather than employers. A functional resume format will enable you to do so.

A hybrid (combination) resume format offers even more versatility by including both chronological and functional elements. 

Resume header

A striking header design will help ensure your art gallery manager resume gets more than a passing glance, for all the right reasons. Distinctively original, in a tastefully creative way, is   likely the first impression you want to make on employers before they even read a word of your resume. That’s the obvious esthetic reason for putting enough thought and effort into an eye-pleasing header. Ideally, the design should align with your cover letter, so both job application documents look like a matching pair. 

The practical purpose of a header is to draw the reader’s eyes to the most easily noticed and remembered information on the page: your name, occupation and contact information. And the surrounding white space makes everything else look more inviting to read.

The profile of your art gallery manager resume, also known as a summary or personal statement, offers recruiters a glimpse of your professional personality. Part of your job is sales, and gallery directors will want to know you can sell. Show them you can by selling your candidacy first! Since some gallery managers write press releases and the gallery website and social media presence, it is important that you exhibit your talent for writing. This is the best place within your resume to do so. You may also use this ability in your cover letter. 

Here you have about 100 words to showcase your biggest successes. Consider highlighting the gallery sales you have facilitated using relevant sales numbers. The bottom line for this job is sales, although it encompasses much more. Use strong descriptive words to show your communication style as well. Because there are so many different styles and media within the art world, you should call attention to your enthusiasm for the type of art sold in the gallery, as well as your ability to cultivate friendships and partnerships that will benefit the gallery.

Many art gallery positions are in major cities such as New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, so if you do not live in one of those places and are willing to move, make sure you mention that.

Below is an art gallery resume sample summary you can customize.

Adaptable resume profile summary sample

Dedicated Art Gallery Manager with 13 years of experience effectively managing galleries and overseeing their day-to-day operations. Adept in networking with artists, planning exhibitions, and organizing social and promotional events. A lifelong passion for art and creative expression drives the delivery of unwavering leadership, organization, and valuable analytical thinking skills necessary to run a successful gallery. 

Copied!

Employment history sample

Because few art gallery manager positions are exactly the same, you be as specific as possible as you begin your resume writing. You should always personalize your resume based on the individual job for which you are applying. This is partly because it will help you include the keywords and phrases that Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scan for, but also because it shows gallery directors that you really want the job and understand their requirements.

Your employment history section should be an overview of all you have accomplished and your growth throughout your career. Perhaps you started out as a gallery assistant and have worked your way up or learned higher-level skills while on the job. Make that clear here. If you are looking for a promotion, you must prove you are ready for the added challenge by describing the parts of the job you have already done and emphasizing that you are a quick study. 

Touch on as wide a variety of skills as you can without turning this section into a list of responsibilities. Use strong action verbs in each bullet item as you talk about a process you improved and how, a problem you solved and the results you achieved, or an artist acquisition you are proud of. Remember that data such as sales figures strengthen your case. 

Below is an art gallery manager employment history resume sample you can modify.

Adaptable resume employment history sample

Art Gallery Manager at Little Silver Gallery, Seattle
January 2013 — September 2022

  • Promoted the gallery via social media and community outreach platforms, along with website and blog management, contributing to  86% visitor growth increase over eight years.
  • Hired and managed gallery staff, and managed payroll and budgets.
  • Developed thoughtful exhibition plans congruent with the gallery mission and theme.
  • Constantly networked to improve new client growth by 32%, while  maintaining relations with former clients helped double retention.
  • Educated visitors about gallery works and sold pieces worth over $500k.
  • Helped install exhibitions from conception to physical configuration.

Art Gallery Manager at Kai Kayne Gallery, Seattle
April 2009 — December 2012

  • Handled all curatorial functions on a day-to-day basis.
  • Greeted and assisted visitors and conducted outreach practices to attract new visitors, attaining a 46% increase over three years.
  • Handled all gallery inquiries and aimed to educate the public on gallery  happenings, boosting awareness by 53% according to poll results.
  • Created and distributed detailed exhibition catalogs.
  • Maintained a clean and inviting gallery with an excellent atmosphere at all times.
  • Created powerful marketing strategies resulting in a 38% sales increase.
Copied!

An ideal candidate holds a bachelor of arts degree in fine arts, art history, business, or a related field. In addition to your bachelor’s degree, you may have taken art, business, or even Adobe Photoshop or other software classes to boost your skills. List any classes or certificates you have earned that relate to the position you seek. Any honors or distinctions should be noted here as well. If you hold a degree higher than a bachelor's degree, you may leave out your high school. 

Below is the education section from an art gallery resume example you can adapt to your job application.

Adaptable resume education section sample

Bachelor of Fine Art, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle
August 2005 — May 2009

Copied!

CV skills example

Because your job requires a wide range of skills and all galleries function a bit differently, you will have to curate this section of your CV carefully for each job. First, analyze the job description. Then, match as best you can the requirements listed with your skillset. Try to include a mix of interpersonal skills, also known as soft skills, and the specific skills necessary for your job, or hard skills. These include office management, art knowledge, and the ability to orchestrate art exhibitions.

Choose five to 10 skills from the job listing. When deciding which skills to pick, always focus on higher-level abilities that will elevate your candidacy.

Check out an art gallery manager CV sample for the skills section below.

Adaptable resume skills section sample
  • Strong Organizational Skills
  • Multitasking
  • Project Management
  • Networking
  • Fine Art Knowledge
Copied!

Layout, design and formatting

Here is your opportunity to show off your eye for design. Although you are probably an excellent designer, we suggest using one of Resume.io’s field-tested resume templates from the creative category as a starting point. Then when you're ready to customize with your own replacement text, it couldn't be easier using our resume builder tool.

While you are well versed in art, some specific rules apply to resume design. Here are some important tips: 

  • Find a balance between your creative urge and the reality that recruiters need to scan your resume quickly to find what they are looking for
  • Keep all your personal data such as contact information out of headers and footers than ATS may not be able to read correctly
  • Ask a friend or colleague to proofread and edit your resume. A second set of eyes is always helpful.

Key takeaways

  1. An outstanding art gallery manager resume is essential to showcase your unique combination of artistic talent and business experience.
  2. Always custom-tailor your resume specifically to what the job requires and the gallery’s distinctiveness.
  3. Pay close attention to the posted job ad to determine what should be emphasized in your art gallery manager resume, also being mindful of keywords to avoid ATS rejection.
  4. A ready-made resume template — just like the one used for our adaptable art gallery manager resume example featured here — eliminates the hassle that comes with layout, design and formatting details, without sacrificing your creativity.

We hope you've found these resume writing tips helpful, on your way to finding the art gallery manager position you are looking for!

Build your resume in 15 minutes
Build your resume in 15 minutes
Use professional field-tested resume templates that follow the exact ‘resume rules’ employers look for.
Create my resume
4.9
Edit This Resume
Share this article

Beautiful ready-to-use resume templates

Win over employers and recruiters by using one of our 25+ elegant, professionally-designed resume templates. Download to word or PDF.
4.5 out of 5
based on 52,071 reviews on Trustpilot
Use this templateStockholm resume template
Stockholm
9,500,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateNew York resume template
New York
4,300,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateVienna resume template
Vienna
2,400,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateSydney resume template
Sydney
2,100,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateLondon resume template
London
4,200,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateDublin resume template
Dublin
4,500,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateMoscow resume template
Moscow
780,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateAmsterdam resume template
Amsterdam
1,900,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateMadrid resume template
Madrid
1,600,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateSantiago resume template
Santiago
1,400,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateSingapore resume template
Singapore
780,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateOslo resume template
Oslo
630,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateCape Town resume template
Cape Town
65,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateParis resume template
Paris
610,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateBerlin resume template
Berlin
1,600,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateGeneva resume template
Geneva
39,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateVancouver resume template
Vancouver
540,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateTokyo resume template
Tokyo
380,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateMilan resume template
Milan
970,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateLisbon resume template
Lisbon
260,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateBarcelona resume template
Barcelona
510,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateCopenhagen resume template
Copenhagen
110,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateChicago resume template
Chicago
170,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateRio resume template
Rio
220,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateRome resume template
Rome
220,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateBoston resume template
Boston
130,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateRirekisho resume template
Rirekisho
82,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateShokumukeirekisho resume template
Shokumukeirekisho
7,600+ users chose this template
Use this templateAthens resume template
Athens
220,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateBrussels resume template
Brussels
110,000+ users chose this template
Use this templatePrague resume template
Prague
52,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateShanghai resume template
Shanghai
98,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateToronto resume template
Toronto
2,400,000+ users chose this template
This website uses cookies to improve user experience and perform analytics and marketing. By using our website, you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
Accept Cookies