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Asking artists for work
They give the most and get the least. Ask accordingly.
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Artists are asked for donated work constantly — by their own organization, by every other arts group in the region, by schools, hospitals and charities that have nothing to do with art. Saying yes to all of it is not sustainable and many do.
Explain the deduction before you ask
An artist donating their own work can generally deduct only the cost of materials rather than the market value. A collector donating the same piece is generally in a different position.
Say that plainly in the ask. It costs a sentence, it means the artist is deciding with accurate information, and a great many of them do not know.
- Do not imply a market-value deduction, on a form, a receipt or in conversation
- Do not tell an artist what they can claim — point them to their own adviser
- Acknowledge the piece accurately: what was received, from whom, on what date, with no value stated by the organization
- Where a collector rather than the maker is donating, the position differs and they should still take their own advice
Then offer what you actually can
The deduction is not the benefit, so the organization has to supply a real one. These cost little and matter:
- Exposure to buyers. Name the artist prominently, link their site and their sales, and share the lot to the organization's own audience
- The buyer's contact, with the buyer's permission — a collector who bought one piece is the artist's best prospect for the next
- Proper presentation. A good photograph, an accurate description, medium, dimensions, year and a short statement in the artist's own words
- A reserve, so the work does not sell below a level that damages them
- Tickets, membership or a table at the event
- A share of the proceeds, which some organizations offer and which is entirely legitimate if stated up front
The buyer contact is the most valuable and the most rarely offered. Ask the winner whether they are happy to be introduced, and most will be — collectors generally want the connection too.
Ask fewer artists for more, less often
The discipline that keeps an artistic community willing. An organization that asks the same fifteen artists every year is spending a relationship it needs for other things.
- Rotate. Keep a record of who gave what and when, and skip people who gave last year
- Ask emerging artists for smaller work and established ones less frequently
- Consider buying work outright at a fair price and auctioning it, which is a purchase rather than a favour
- Make declining genuinely easy, in writing, with no follow-up
- Never let a commission, a slot, a show or a residency appear connected to whether somebody donated
That last point is the one that matters most in a small arts community. An artist who suspects that donating affects programming decisions is in an impossible position, and the organization must be visibly clear that it does not.
Ask for the right work
Artists frequently offer what they have not sold, which is not always what will sell. A frank conversation helps both sides.
- Smaller pieces at accessible prices generally do better in a charity auction than a major work
- A work on paper, a print or a study sells without exposing the artist's headline pricing
- An edition or a print run lets several bidders buy and the artist give less
- A commission — the winner sits for a portrait, or chooses a subject — is frequently the strongest lot and costs the artist nothing until it sells
The commission is the item to build. The artist is paid by the buyer through the organization or donates the fee knowingly, the price is set by agreement rather than by a low bid, and no finished work is risked at a bad price.
Present the work properly
A donated piece photographed badly on a table under fluorescent light will sell for less and reflects on the artist. This is the cheapest thing an arts organization can get right and the one it most often does not.
Good light, plain background, the whole piece square to the camera, a detail shot, and the full catalogue information. If the organization cannot do that, ask the artist for their own images — most have them.
And thank them like donors, because they are
An artist who donated a piece worth a four-figure sum has given more than most people in the room, for the least return. Acknowledge them by name at the event, in the catalogue, in the follow-up, and tell them what their work achieved.
General information, not legal or tax advice. The treatment of an artist's donation of their own work differs from a collector's donation of the same piece, and appraisal and substantiation rules are technical — artists and donors should take their own advice.
More guides for Arts Organizations
Sizing against a subscriber base Pricing and reserves
A cheap sale sets a public comparable Gallery night formats
An opening you already hold Valuation and disclosure
Fair market value on art Item ideas that actually sell
Access, process and the work itself Getting items donated
Artists, galleries and patrons
Frequently asked questions
What should we tell an artist before asking?
That they can generally deduct only the cost of materials rather than the market value, unlike a collector donating the same piece. It costs a sentence, and a great many artists do not know.
What can we offer instead?
Exposure to buyers, the buyer's contact with their permission, proper presentation, a reserve, tickets or membership, and — legitimately, if stated up front — a share of the proceeds. The buyer contact is the most valuable and the most rarely offered.
What work should we ask for?
Smaller pieces, works on paper, prints or an edition — which sell without exposing the artist's headline pricing. And a commission, which is frequently the strongest lot and costs the artist nothing until it sells.
What must never be connected?
Donating and programming. An artist who suspects that giving work affects commissions, slots or shows is in an impossible position, and the organization must be visibly clear that it does not.
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