New research highlights low pay for exhibiting artists

First published on Wed, June 19, 2013.

A UK-wide survey exploring artists' experiences of exhibiting in publicly-funded venues in the UK reveals that the majority of artists receive no income from exhibiting work, and only 29% earn more than £10,000 per annum from their practice.

The research, conducted by Artists' Interaction & Representation drew on the views of over a 1000 UK-based artists, and is part of a wider campaign to highlight the need for fair pay and support for artists. The survey revealed that:

• Artists cite 'sharing their work with the public' as the most important reason for exhibiting;
• Sales, teaching and commissions are the most important sources of income for artists;
• Nearly half of all artists reported that exhibiting their work is prohibitively expensive; 
• 63% have turned down an offer to exhibit for reasons including unsuitability of venue, lack of fees, or non-payment of expenses;
• 71% of artists surveyed had not received any fee at all for exhibiting, and of those who did, over a third received a fee of less than £200.