The following fees are to be paid to the artist once contracted to execute the scope of work as outlined in the agreement determined between the artist and the commissioner. They are minimum guidelines; artists and commissioners are encouraged to negotiate appropriate fees specific to each project. For example, in certain circumstances where there are no material costs, etc., the artist might be paid up to 100% of the art production budget.
The following rates apply to new temporary and permanent public art projects, projects that are part of a festival, and the display of pre-existing works in the public realm. It does not include the cost of materials and supplies.
What does the Minimum Artist Fee include?
Minimum Artist Fee refers to the commissioning of a design only and may include the following items and duties to be supplied and executed by the artist:
- Signing of the contract or agreement for a fixed term
- Development of artwork and/or design
- Submission of artwork and/or design, design drawings in required format
- Design review, and revisions (recommended up to 3, additional fee for revisions can be negotiated based on the additional item menu below)
- Maximum of one consultation meeting. Any additional meetings to be negotiated
- Supplying an artist and project statement, bio, headshots and didactic text including review and edits (set amount, recommended up to 3 revisions; for further editing tasks, refer to Section C.5.0 of the CARFAC-RAAV Fee Schedule)
- Maintenance manual creation and submission (if required)
The above recommended requirements for the Minimum Artist Fee may be negotiated between the artist and commissioner during the contract phase if additional meetings or revisions are required by either party, within reason. This does not include any of the below additional items, which would require an increased percentage added to the artist fee.
Additional Fees and Items
If the scope of work the Artist is being contracted to execute by the Commissioner exceeds what is covered in the Minimum Artist Fee, the artist and commissioner should negotiate to ensure the additional duties and work is reflected in the Artist Fee.
The tasks itemized below are in addition to the minimum requirements and minimum fee percentage recommended in the chart above. The below items are project specific and should be negotiated based on the scope of work the artist is being contracted to execute.
An additional 20% – 40% of the overall project budget must be paid in artist fees depending on the project scope and contract requirements.
A. Project and Contract Administration Duties
Scope of work may or may not include:
- Ongoing project meetings with commissioners, staff, and stakeholders
- Site visits (determine the number required)
- Correspondence, updates, and status reports
- Subcontractor management, including:
- General Contractors
- Engineers
- Fabricators
- Installers
- Consultants
- Permit applications and management
- Provision of necessary information including insurance certificates, workplace safety coverage, schedule, budget, and subcontractor information
- Communications including providing copy and images for signage, web, and social media
B. Artwork Fabrication Duties
Scope of work may or may not include:
- Selection and contracting of fabricator, contractors, and subcontractors related to fabrication
- Selection of materials and suppliers
- Artwork fabrication
- Documentation and reporting to the commissioner based on schedule
C. Artwork Installation
Scope of work may or may not include:
- Delivery of artwork to site
- Installation, including coordination of rental of any equipment required
- Hiring of installers and sub contractor management
- Storage (if required)
- Site security (if required)
Travel and Accommodation
If travel is required, additional payment for travel, accommodations, and other stipends is required to cover the travel time and cost of an in-person site visit from the artist.
Artists may be required to submit an invoice and receipts for reimbursement in a timely manner, or the commissioner may pay for costs directly.
Guidelines for reimbursement of travel expenses may be locally, provincially, or federally regulated, and as such, commissioners should use rates that correspond to their specific requirements. If there are none, commissioners may use guidelines set by funders such as the Canada Council for the Arts or the Government of Canada as a reference point.
Presentations and Engagement
For solo public presentations by the artist, a fee of $500/presentation of 4 hours or less applies.
For group presentations or community stakeholder meetings of 4 hours or less, $375-400 should be paid to each artist presenter.
Budget
How a project’s budget is spent depends on a variety of factors including the duration of the project, the commissioning body, applicable procurement policies, and the scope of work being contracted for the artist to execute. It is recommended that both the Artist and Commissioner consider and discuss who will manage and spend each aspect of the budget, and adjust the contract accordingly if changes are required.
A comprehensive list of items that are commonly included in public art project budgets is provided:
- Art Selection Process, including selection panel fees and proposal fees
- Minimum Artist Fee + additional percentage based on scope of work
- Communications, including signage, documentation, plaques, etc.
- Site preparation, including foundation, utility locates, rentals
- Contingency, including artist and commissioner
- Accessibility considerations and inclusions
- Travel and Accommodation, including per diems
- Presentations and Engagements
- Contractors, including subcontractors, engineers, electricians, architects
- Artist Materials
- Fabrication
- Installation
- Permits
- Equipment and Rentals
- Transportation
- Maintenance
- Site security