CARFAC is pleased to announce that we will begin a consultation process to establish new payment standards and contract terms for public art projects.

Through this process, we will review current best practice standards already in place in Canada and abroad. We will also create new resources, including the development of sample requests for proposals and contract templates, as well as a new set of minimum recommended artist fees for tasks such as jury participation, proposal development, coordinating mural projects, etc.

It is vitally important that we develop consistent and fair guidelines that are agreed to by those working directly in the field of public art. We invited experts to participate in one of our three key stakeholder groups:

• visual artists who have participated in at least one public art commission;
• staff who work directly in municipal and regional public art programs; and
• private partner agencies who facilitate or present public art projects and festivals.

The stakeholder groups will meet throughout the process and offer feedback on our proposals. To ensure all interested parties may participate in the process, we also welcomed interested parties to participate in our survey, and we thank all who have participated.

When the new payment guidelines and templates are ready next spring, we will present them for community discussion, and they will be voted on at our next Annual General Meeting.

We are delighted to work with Taylor Norris, who will manage the project. As an artist, arts administrator, and cultural producer, Taylor has a strong understanding of public art and artists’ labour issues.

We are grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts for their support for this project, as well as our partners at the Creative City Network of Canada.