National Initiatives

“People think artists’ fees just happened but, no, in fact CARFAC fought for them.”

artist Karl Beveridge

From copyright to funding, censorship to artists’ fees, CARFAC is active on many issues of interest to visual and media artists.

The following pages offer information on various issues and how to make your voice heard.

The Artist’s Resale Right

Many people profit when an artwork is resold – but not the artist. The Artist’s Resale Right would allow visual artists to receive 5% when their work is resold – just as they do in at least 69 other countries. The full value of an artwork often isn’t seen on the first sale. It is common for visual art to increase in value over time, as the reputation of the artist grows. Learn More

National Gallery of Canada Agreement

In 2015, CARFAC and RAAV ratified their first scale agreement with the National Gallery of Canada. The agreement covers terms and conditions for the exhibition and reproduction of works of art, as well as the provision of professional services by living Canadian artists. It includes mandatory minimum fees and working conditions offered to artists by the gallery. Artists remain free to negotiate above these minimums, but they can never be offered less.

Learn more

Best Practices for Canadian Visual Art

Best practices guidelines outline for artists and the people they work with the best ways to establish professional relationships that are beneficial for everyone, regardless of the context. Learn More

The Senior Artists Research Project

The Senior Artists Research Project (SARP) is a group of artists’ associations with an interest in improving support for senior Canadian artists.

Tools for visual artists

With resources on artist’s fees, exporting, taxes, grants, copyright, insurance, marketing, and more – CARFAC has what you need! More

CARFAC Minimum Fee Schedule

Artists, like professionals in other fields, should be paid for their work. Since 1968 CARCC and CARFAC have issued schedules of royalties or fees for the use of the copyrights of visual/media artists.
Details

Copyright Collective

Administered by the Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective which negotiates, charges fees for uses, collects the money and pays their members Copyright in Canada is automatic upon creation of a work and usually lasts for the artist’s lifetime plus fifty years. Through its licensing services, CARCC can help an artist to protect copyright and to benefit from it.

Copyright fees are a necessary and prime source of income for visual artists. Even after the original work is sold, the copyrights remain with the artist (unless specifically assigned or separately sold).  Thus, an artist can continue to generate revenue from a work that has been sold.  Sold or not, a work may generate income through copyright use in exhibition, reproduction (in books or magazines & etc.), digital reproduction on CD ROM, publication on the internet, use in film or video, etc. The possibilities are endless.

www.carcc.ca

Certificate of Canadian Origin

Approved by Revenue Canada and Customs and Excise, this certificate identifies original works of art of Canadian origin, allowing them to be temporarily exported abroad without GST implications. Learn more

International Association of Artists Card

Cards to artists that grant free or discounted entry to many museums in Western Europe and elsewhere, and available to only for CARFAC members for $10.00. Learn more