EPISODE SEVENTEEN: How do artists make money?
10 Ways Artists Make Money
From my experience, here are ten ways I've supported myself as an artist:
1. Galleries: Establishing a relationship with a gallery can provide stable opportunities to exhibit and sell work.
2. Online Sales: An online store allows the sale of art with minimal fees compared to gallery commissions.
3. Grants: Funding has helped me purchase materials and provided a framework to explore larger projects.
4. Residencies: They offer the dual benefit of financial support and the chance to focus on research and creation.
5. Talks and Workshops: Paid engagements can be a reliable income source and a platform to share knowledge.
6. Competitions: Entering contests can lead to sales, prizes, and broader networking opportunities.
7. Merchandise: Art-inspired products offer an alternative for those who wish to support your work without purchasing major pieces.
8. Catalogs: Selling catalogs of your work can cover production costs and potentially turn a profit.
9. Volunteering: While initially unpaid, it can build networks and lead to paid opportunities.
10. Additional Services: Projecting art on buildings, giving studio talks, and offering skills like photography and web design to other artists and businesses have supplemented my income.
Making money as an artist requires wearing many hats and being open to new ventures. It's about creating a diverse income stream while valuing and sustaining your artistic identity. These methods, along with support from community networks, have helped me balance my artistic passions with financial needs. I’m always eager to learn new strategies for bringing money into my arts business, and I would love to hear from you on how you manage your artistic pursuits.
Thank you for joining me this week, and I look forward to sharing more insights and experiences in our next episode.
Welcome to The Art of Making Art Podcast, a space for artists and art lovers to explore the synergy between creativity and financial sustainability. I'm Christina Lowry, a visual artist based in Logan Brisbane, and today I want to delve into a pressing question: How do artists make money? Having completed my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Art and now pursuing a Master's, this topic has become quite personal and crucial in my journey.
Join me each week to be inspired as we build a community with artists who openly share their creative lives.
This week, I read an eye-opening article from Nava, the National Association of Visual Arts in Australia. It highlighted alarming statistics: almost half of surveyed artists had undertaken unpaid work in 2024, 63% struggle to afford essential goods, and there is a 47% gender pay gap. As Penelope Benton, Nava’s Executive Director, said, visual arts work remains some of the most underpaid and unrecognized labour in Australia.
The conversation around financial security for artists is gaining momentum. There are calls for national artist wage schemes and tax reforms that can provide a safety net. These changes would include stopping the taxation of government grants, fellowships, and art prizes and reforming superannuation so that artists receive consistent compensation for their work, from exhibitions to workshops.
DE MORTUARUM AVIUM BIBLIOTHECA (From the library of extinct birds)