CARFAC National Annual Report 2026
Canadian Artists’ Representation / Le Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC National) is the national voice of Canada’s professional visual artists. Through advocacy, research, education, collective bargaining, and the development of professional standards and resources, we work to improve the socio-economic conditions of visual artists and ensure that artists are paid fairly for their work and labour.
2025-2026 was a big year for us at CARFAC National, marked by various significant milestones and transitions. Alongside continued advocacy on artists’ economic and legal rights, we advanced impactful long-term projects, released new resources, strengthened our governance practices, and continued working with partners across the country and internationally to respond to the changing needs of professional visual artists in Canada.
This year marked an important leadership transition for CARFAC National. After a 20-year tenure, April Britski stepped down as Executive Director in late 2025. April played a central role in CARFAC’s most significant achievements, and we are deeply grateful for her extraordinary contributions. Following April’s departure, Kirsten Piercey stepped in as Acting Executive Director to support the organization through the transition. In March, CARFAC hired Jenna Faye Powell as Interim Executive Director, and she formally joined the organization in April 2026. CARFAC will hold a national call for applications to fill the position of permanent Executive Director in late 2026. CARFAC also welcomed Daniel Rumbolt as National President and Board Chair. Daniel previously served on CARFAC National’s Board as the Newfoundland and Labrador representative and brings extensive experience as an artist, arts administrator, and advocate. Alongside these leadership changes, CARFAC reviewed and updated several organizational policies and governance documents to strengthen clarity, accountability, and transparency.
CARFAC continued to advance one of its longest-standing advocacy priorities: the Artist’s Resale Right (ARR)/Droit de Suite. After almost two decades of determined advocacy by CARFAC, RAAV, artists, sector partners, and international stakeholders, the Government of Canada included a commitment to implement ARR in Budget 2025. When enacted, ARR will enable visual artists to receive a royalty when their work is resold through commercial intermediaries such as auction houses and commercial galleries. In May, CARFAC and RAAV submitted recommendations to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance as part of the 2026 pre-budget consultation process, calling on the Government to fulfill its commitment to ARR by amending the Copyright Act.
However, the necessary amendments were not included in the subsequent Budget implementation legislation in Spring 2026. CARFAC and RAAV have continued to press the federal government for a clear path toward implementation. ARR is particularly important for senior and Indigenous artists, whose work may increase significantly in value over the course of their careers while they receive no compensation from subsequent sales. More than 90 countries already recognize an Artist’s Resale Right, and CARFAC will continue advocating for this legislation until ARR becomes law.
Advocacy for improved compensation remains paramount to us. This important work includes the CARFAC-RAAV Minimum Recommended Fee Schedule, one of CARFAC’s most widely used resources. This year we responded to a wide range of Fee Schedule inquiries from both artists and presenters. We also began planning for 2027, when the next three to four years of rates will be established and published. This process includes extensive national consultation with artists, presenters, and other stakeholders, and considers inflation, cost-of-living increases, granting limitations, and the changing economic environment, including possible new tariffs. Visual artists, presenters and organizations preparing budgets for 2028 and beyond can contact CARFAC for recommended forecasting information until future increases are formally ratified.
An important addition to fee-related work was the completion, in 2026, of a new advisory note on compensating Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and their Helpers, developed with the Indigenous Protocols Collective and the Indigenous Editors Association. The recommendations establish minimum rates and best practical guidance informed by consultation with Indigenous communities across Canada. CARFAC also supported a webinar introducing this work to the sector; a proposal to include it in the CARFAC-RAAV Minimum Recommended Fee Schedule will be presented to members at the 2026 AGM for ratification. Kinanâskomitin/ Miigwech/ Nakurmiik/ Marsii/ Mahsi to those who shaped this living document.
Our work to establish minimum standards also continued through collective bargaining. CARFAC and RAAV represent Canadian visual artists in collective bargaining with federal producers under the Status of the Artist Act. Our first Scale Agreement with the National Gallery of Canada was ratified in 2015 and updated in 2018, establishing mandatory minimum fees and working conditions for artists working with the Gallery. Negotiations for a renewed agreement began in August 2025 and continued throughout this year. Once a tentative agreement is reached, members will have an opportunity to review it and vote on its ratification virtually. We look forward to sharing more with you on this important campaign.
Beyond advocacy and bargaining, CARFAC continued developing practical resources for artists. This year we released the CARFAC Public Art Toolkit, developed through rigorous national consultation to support fair and consistent standards for public art commissions. The Toolkit includes contract recommendations, a glossary of terms, and the Public Art Minimum Recommended Fee Schedule, providing practical guidance for both artists and commissioners.
We also continued our work with the Indigenous Protocols Collective, building on the Indigenous Protocols for the Visual Arts released in 2022. CARFAC National will deliver 14 virtual workshops for artists in 2026, highlighting various professional development topics for Indigenous artists, including grants, contracts, galleries, copyright, marketing, and Indigenous protocols.
In a related project, CARFAC launched the Buy Authentic campaign to promote the ethical purchase of Indigenous art and raise awareness of inauthentic Indigenous-themed products. In collaboration with the Department of Canadian Heritage, this animated, bilingual campaign provides practical guidance to consumers and retailers while encouraging ethical purchasing that directly supports Indigenous artists and communities.
At the federal level, CARFAC continued advocating for broader measures to improve the economic conditions of professional artists. Through our 2026 pre-budget submission and participation in the Canadian Arts Coalition, including Arts Day on the Hill, we supported calls for increased federal arts investment, including a permanent, annual $140 million increase to the Canada Council for the Arts. We also continued to participate in dialogue supporting a Universal Basic Income and in other important conversations and campaigns that can improve artists’ economic security.
CARFAC continues to monitor the fast-moving developments in AI and supports the principles advanced by the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE). As technologies evolve, we continue to advocate for the protection of artists’ rights, creative work, and livelihoods, and strongly call for artists’ interests to be represented in the development of Canada’s AI policies.
Throughout all of this work, CARFAC National is strengthened by our provincial and regional affiliates, which continue to provide essential direct services, professional development, advocacy, and information to artists across Canada. Their local expertise and relationships help ensure that our national priorities reflect the experiences of artists across the country.
Looking to 2026-2027, CARFAC will continue to push for implementation of the Artist’s Resale Right, work toward a renewed National Gallery of Canada Scale Agreement, undertake national consultation on future Fee Schedule rates, expand Indigenous-led resources and professional development, monitor developments in artificial intelligence and copyright, and advocate for stronger federal investment and social supports for artists. Following a year of organizational transition, we will also continue strengthening CARFAC’s governance, policies, and operations while keeping artists at the centre of our work.
We are grateful to our members, Board, staff, affiliates, partners, funders, volunteers, committee members, and the many artists and arts workers who contribute to CARFAC’s work and strengthen our collective voice. We are proud to be artists for artists.