Some replied to my initial query quite stridently about artists being paid
because they are professionals too.  This I understand and do not deny.
But I have worked for organizations whereby artists did indeed donate works
(for benefit auctions and for print editions) to benefit the organization
in order to support venues for the exhibition of their and others' work.  I
simply wanted to know what the usual practices are among museum
professionals.

My feeling is that artists, venues, dealers, etc. need to work together to
support each other, esp. in light of the difficulty in getting funding from
other sources these days.

Jennifer Riddell
Curatorial Fellow
MIT List Visual Arts Center, E15-109
617/253-4400