National Association for the Visual Arts
National Association for the Visual Arts
National Association for the Visual Arts
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Recognition of professional statusAs a group, artists are better educated than <strong>the</strong> general community andcould be better remunerated by choosing different professional careerpaths. However, <strong>the</strong>ir commitment to <strong>the</strong>ir artistic practice is usuallygreater than <strong>the</strong>ir desire <strong>for</strong> wealth. This does not mean that <strong>the</strong>y do notwish to be well paid <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir artwork. On <strong>the</strong> contrary, most greatlydesire <strong>the</strong> recognition that high prices <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir artwork would imply.Over <strong>the</strong>ir lifetimes, artists dedicate <strong>the</strong>mselves to <strong>the</strong> building of <strong>the</strong>irartistic reputations. The payment of resale royalties would be one muchvalued <strong>for</strong>m of recognition of <strong>the</strong>ir professional status.Long term financial viabilitySince <strong>the</strong> earnings of most artists from first sale of <strong>the</strong>ir works arerelatively small, particularly in <strong>the</strong>ir early establishment years, <strong>the</strong>y areoften not in a position to contribute to superannuation schemes. Resaleroyalty earnings paid later in <strong>the</strong>ir lives are one way in which <strong>the</strong>y cangain value from <strong>the</strong>ir earlier ef<strong>for</strong>ts and financial sacrifices.The recently published Throsby and Hollister 2 report has revealed thatmany artists live below <strong>the</strong> poverty line. While it is probable that <strong>the</strong>rewould be great variation in <strong>the</strong> level of income support received by artistsfrom this source, <strong>for</strong> people on limited incomes, even relatively smallamounts of money can make a very welcome contribution to <strong>the</strong>irwellbeing and that of <strong>the</strong>ir families.It seems grossly unfair that everyone else involved in trading andexhibiting <strong>the</strong> work of artists gains benefits, while <strong>the</strong> creators of <strong>the</strong>work stay at <strong>the</strong> bottom of <strong>the</strong> food chain. This resale right would giveartists some small proportion of <strong>the</strong>se benefits.2. What should be <strong>the</strong> primary objectives of a resale royaltyarrangement in <strong>the</strong> Australian environment?The primary objective is to provide a new income stream <strong>for</strong> artists whichis a direct product of <strong>the</strong>ir creative output, and respect <strong>for</strong> andacknowledgement of artists’ continuing interest in <strong>the</strong>ir work.NAVA asserts that this scheme alone does not provide <strong>the</strong> sole answer toartists need <strong>for</strong> professional respect and income, but it is both a powerfulsymbolic <strong>for</strong>m of recognition and provides a valuable income stream. It is2 Throsby D. and Hollister V. (2003) Don’t Give Up Your Day Job: an EconomicStudy of Professional Artists in Australia