“Sculptors will be urged to boycott this year’s Sculpture by the Sea after the coastal art exhibition slashed the commission it pays to galleries for artworks sold via the event.
“More than $1 million worth of art typically sells at the annual Bondi-to-Tamarama exhibition. This year it is halving the sales commission it pays to the galleries representing featured artists and is increasing its sales commission from 20 to 30 per cent.
“The president of the Australian Commercial Galleries Association, Randi Linnegar, said galleries spent years developing their roster of artists, and offering them only 10 per cent instead of the usual 20 per cent was “totally ridiculous”.
“I am very unhappy with it. And so much so that … I will be asking my sculptors not to participate in Sculpture by the Sea.”
Boycott call after Sculpture by Sea cuts commission, Sydney Morning Herald
It’s ludicrous to ask sculptors to boycott one of the few sculpture competitions in Australia, for the sake of their gallerists’ 10% loss of commissions.Whilst gallerists undoubtedly raise their artists’ profiles, which of course helps to win prizes, the bottom line is that the work (what some undoubtedly see as ‘product’) comes from the artist. Ludicrous!!