“In Canada, most public art galleries and artist-run centres are funded primarily through arts councils. Since 1975, the Canada Council has made it a requirement that the galleries they fund must pay artists’ fees.
CARFAC introduced a new set of fees five years ago, that are much higher and more sophisticated than in the past. We did a lot of consultations with the museum community, and in 2007 went through a mediation process with museum and gallery associations to negotiate the new fees. We are now evaluating whether or not they are being respected.
Similarly, the Artist-Run Centre association has adopted those fees. We are now going through the process of establishing a set of best practices guidelines, or code of practice, for the sector, via the new Visual Arts Alliance.”
The minimum fees agreed are designed to reflect the scope and financing of the gallery as well as whether a show is solo or group. For example, a gallery with an operating budget of up to CAN $500,000 would pay a fee of CAN $1,545 for a solo show. Rates increase by annual inflation.
Read CARFAC’s 2009 fees guide link at www.carfac.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/section-1-2009-exhibition-fees.pdf
Although Arts Council of Great Britain, English regional arts boards and Scottish Arts Council operated Exhibition Payment Right (EPR) schemes through publicly-funded galleries that paid
a-n.co.uk March 2009
