Contained within the covers of your portfolio is a treasures trove: the record of your artistic life, the footprint of your personality and work habits, and your own crystal ball image of potential. Your portfolio is, quite simply, the single record that not only foretells but also essentially produces your future.

During my career as a gallery director I reviewed hundreds and hundreds of portfolios from all over the country. In one month alone I looked at more than 50 of them, and I remember distinctly that of those 50, not one caught my attention until I came to the last one. As I started turning its pages, I saw that here was an artist who was different from the rest. Here was an artist who had an understanding of how to present her artwork. It was, in fact, the excellent organization of this artist's portfolio that convinced me to spend more time reviewing her work. What her notebook said to me was this: "Here is a well-organized, ambitious, mature, and professional artist."

Your portfolio is the most important tool you have in front of you. Remember that many people will get their first view--and first impression--of your artwork through your portfolio. This means that the presentation must be so good that people will want to continuing looking at your art. A good portfolio is always well organized; gallery dealers look at hundreds of portfolios a year and they will immediately discard yours if it is disorganized or sloppy.

Some Do's and Don'ts

The best way to organize your support material is by keeping it on file in your computer. This includes your cover letters, resume, artist's statement, and biography, along with an accurate inventory list. Once you have all of the material in your computer it will be easy to update.

You do not need to buy the most expensive supplies for your portfolio. Consider this: about 15 percent of the portfolios you send out will not be returned to you. Also keep in mind that you will be creating dozens and dozens of them through the years, so unless you are a millionaire plan to keep your portfolios cost effective.

However, it is probably worth the splurge to have your work photographed professionally. At least three-quarters of all portfolios gallery owners review contain bad photography-- here is your first chance to rise above the rest. Invest in a good slide photographer; it will pay off. Slides are fine for most of your needs, such as making color copies, entering juried shows, and sending visuals to the press.

Next, have all of the material in your portfolio clearly presented. Remember to keep plenty of white space on each page; everyone in the art world is highly developed visually, so keep your presentation clean. Have at least five portfolios ready to go at all times. You never know when that big break may come along in the form of a request to send out your portfolio by overnight mail, and you want to be ready for any and every opportunity.

Finally, don't use visuals from many different series or work that spans several years. Most gallery want to see 8 to 12 slides from one series. Therefore you need to have a strong body of work to use in your portfolio and believe in it 100 percent.

How to Use Your Portfolio

A well-organized portfolio can be presented to a variety of people, including your collectors. It is a great sales tool for you; in fact, it becomes literally a sales catalog.

Use it to present your work to galleries. If the portfolio is effective in interesting a gallery to handle your art, the next step is for them to look at some original pieces, either in your studio or at the gallery.

You may also want to show your portfolio to museum directors and curators. They regularly review artists' portfolios for exhibition, purchase, or donation inquiries. Curators are particularly interested in the written work of your portfolio--several have told me that the resume and biography are the first things they look at in an artists' notebook--so make sure your writing is as professional as your artwork. Enlist an editor if necessary, and remember that your portfolio should have all the information needed to write a comprehensive story or review about you and your artwork.

You can also show your portfolio to other artists who want to know about your work, or to people interested in commissioning you, or to-the list goes on and on. If your portfolio is effectively organized and the artwork is properly presented to the viewer, it becomes one more tool for you to use to sell your work, to get a variety of exhibition opportunities, and to network with other arts professionals.

Geoffrey Gorman, a former gallery director, attended the Maryland Institute of Art and the Boston Museum School. Five years ago he founded GG+A, an artist career development firm that works with artists individually and through workshops.

This article was originally created for TheArtBiz.com. It appears on NYFA Interactive courtesy of the Abigail Rebecca Cohen Library.