While I think no one has any theoretical arguments against paying artists,
for most smaller art museums the issue is one of balancing limited
resources.  My first priority in assembling an exhibition is to cover all
direct expenses--crating, shipping, bringing the artist(s) down; next to do
a printed piece of some kind and then if funds remain, paying a fee to the
artist.

There are a number of issues that should be considered re artists fees.
First, given a limited budget, what is of more benefit to the artist and the
institution, fees or a publication?  Second, and linking to the discussion
about the article in the New York Times, if a fee of $1000.00 or more is
expected for an artist to exhibit in a museum, will this not further
increase the tendency suggested in the article to move to better known
artists, particularly deceased artists, at the expense of younger and lesser
known artists.

In a better world, museum staff would be well paid and artists reimbursed
for their activities.  But then what would our volunteers say about their
work?


Frank E. Thomson, III
Curator, Asheville Art Museum
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-----Original Message-----
From: Jim O'Connor <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, October 10, 1997 8:11 AM
Subject: Re: Policy on paying artists to exhibit


>I’m curious—why are museum professionals astonished that an artist might
>want to be paid for the display of his/her work?  Does the museum agree not
>to charge an entrance fee when the artist is not paid?  The museum has
>expenses to meet, right?  The artist doesn’t?  Who pays his/the artist’s
>rent?  health insurance? for materials, research?  The museum gives the
>artist exposure?  Where would it be without artists? Needless to say
>(maybe) is that the exhibition of contemporary art (and the livelihood of
>its curators) depends entirely on the work product of artists.
>
>I’m in complete sympathy with the dilemma faced by museum professionals who
>read the dismal salary surveys, but those salaries normally come with
>health insurance, vacation, sick time—perhaps even a sabbatical.  The next
>time you’re thinking about telling artists—not Rauschenberg or Stella, but
>most of the rest—that they  should provide the content of your exhibition
>for free, you might consider asking them exactly how much THEY made last
>year. . . .
>Jim O'Connor
>