It’s officially summer. Your inbox is a sea of OOO replies, your Slack has gone eerily quiet (they’re all at Les Rencontres d’Arles), and the only signs of life in the office are you, a wilting vase of peonies, and the gallery cat, who may or may not count as your last remaining colleague. Welcome to the cultural phenomenon known as Art World Summer Shutdown, where galleries close, fairs pause, auctions take an hiatus, and everyone, it seems, evaporates into Aperol spritz.
But if you, dear art professional, are still chained to your laptop while the rest of the art world is uploading sun-drenched selfies captioned “out of office x”, fear not. Here are some career-affirming things to do while your phone isn’t ringing and no one is watching:
Update Your LinkedIn (But Make It Cryptic and Cool)
Now is the perfect time to finally update your bio from “passionate about visual culture” to something with bite. Bonus points for adding a new headshot in natural light and a humble-brag post about a recent project that ends with “More soon 👀”.
Create a Fake Calendar Invite Called “Strategy” and Go for a Walk
Block out 90 minutes. Put on your sunglasses. Walk to get an iced coffee. You are now “deep in Q3 planning”. If anyone asks, you’re “aligning touchpoints across brand pillars”. If no one asks, better.
Read Every Artist Statement and Business Pitch Lurking in Your Downloads Folder
You’ve been meaning to. Now is the time. You’ll find some gems, a few existential crises, and one that’s clearly written by ChatGPT. (Hi!)
Plot a Micro-Career Pivot
Art PR not doing it for you anymore? Maybe you’re a curator now. Or a strategist. Or a “digital storyteller focused on the intersection of image, identity and interactivity”. Go on. It’s Brat summer still – for your CV.
Research Your Competitors (aka ‘Stalk Other Art Folks on Instagram’)
Call it market research. See what other curators, galleries, or advisors are up to. Who’s rebranded? Who’s launched a Substack? Who’s suddenly doing ceramics? Make notes. Get ideas. Muted them ages ago? Time to quietly unmute.
Enrol in That Course You’ve Had Open in a Tab Since 2022
The one on curatorial writing, digital strategy, or “AI for cultural workers”. Whatever it is – do the intro module, screenshot the certificate, and add “lifelong learner” to your bio. You might even learn something.
Take Yourself on a “Field Research” Trip
Go to a museum. Wander through a new gallery district. Sit in a café near an art school and absorb the vibes. Buy a tote bag. Post a story captioned “visual nourishment”. It’s not skiving – it’s professional development.
Write That Pitch / Proposal / Manifesto You’ve Been Avoiding
You know the one. The exhibition idea, the book proposal, the big “what if?” project. No better time to start it than now, when there are no meetings and only mild existential dread. Channel it. Make it poetic.
Remember It’s Just a Phase
September is coming. The fairs will return. The installs will overrun. The DMs will pile up. You’ll be nostalgic for these quiet days soon – even if you did spend most of them wondering what your job actually is.
So, whether you’re still stuck in the office or working from your parent’s house with questionable Wi-Fi, know this: you are not alone. Somewhere out there, someone else is out there also scrolling endlessly, wondering if now is the time to launch that newsletter.
