Membership with a visual arts organisation - is it really worth it?

OpinionPractitioners
Written By Paula Silbert

Hell, yes!!!

Ask yourself. Who are you going to call when you or someone else causes damage and you need legal advice? Not Ghostbusters.

Each not-for-profit arts organisation has collective wisdom and experience in areas you don’t. So, don’t wait till it ‘hits the fan’. 

Subscribing to arts organisations delivers services, expertise, and networks.

You can choose whether you join a state visual arts membership organisation like Artsource and FORM on the west coast, NAVA nationally, or a powerful mixture of state and national bodies and genre associations.

Some have membership packages, discounts and advantages which may be of a legal or technical nature.  And, unless you’re qualified in those complex fields, it’s best to invest in a membership rather than paying the normal commercial rates for your coverage.  

Let’s talk about accidents and mistakes.  Some of the following insurance offerings from the arts organisations listed below will be relevant to you, your peers, staff, subbies and helpers: 

  • Public Liability $ $20,000,000

  • Products Liability $20,000,000

  • Tenants Liability $10,000 to $20,000,000

  • Property in Custody or Control $100,000 to $250,000 (depending on the arts organisation you go with).

  • Professional Indemnity Extension $5,000,000

  • Personal Accident up to $1,000 per week

  • Broken Bones Benefit $2,000

  • Tenants Liability $10,000,000

  • Transit and exhibition insurance.

What happens if something becomes litigious? Do you really understand your legal rights as an artist? Arts Law of Australia does.

They offer highly researched legal information specific to the Creative Industries. Indigenous artists can gain excellent advice about Intellectual Property there. 

The Copyright Agency (which amalgamated with Viscopy) collects fees for the reuse of text and images and manages statutory licenses. They can help you with a license and ensure you are fairly rewarded for the use of your art.

Here are their links:

Artsource www.artsource.net.au

FORM www.form.net.au

NAVA https://visualarts.net.au/

Arts Law Centre of Australia www.artslaw.com.au

Australian Copyright Council www.copyright.org.au/

Remember: Arts organisations have researched what works for most of us; they’ve negotiated substantially lower fees than we can achieve by ourselves. 

I think we’re worth protecting. And, the arts orgs are, too.

Photo: Wang Shugang’s ‘Meeting’ in Cottesloe, WA.

Paula Silbert
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