Practitioners in the visual arts and craft sector are hindered by difficult conditions and poor salaries. Photo: Vincent Guth, Unsplash.
A four-year study by two Melbourne universities has delivered surprising – and alarming – insights into the incomes and career life cycles of Australia’s visual arts and craft workers.
Led by RMIT University with The University of Melbourne – and authored by Grace McQuilten, Jenny Lye, Catherine MacNeill, Chloë Powell and Marnie Badham, ‘Visual Arts Work: Key Research Findings, Implications and Proposed Actions‘ finds that “workers are abandoning the sector, largely because of unstable employment, below average salaries and lack of support”.
Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's Senior Contributor, after 12 years in the role as National Visual Arts Editor. She has worked for extended periods in America and Southeast Asia, as gallerist, arts administrator and regional contributing editor for a number of magazines, including Hong Kong based Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. She is an Art Tour leader for the AGNSW Members, and lectures regularly on the state of the arts. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW.
Instagram: fairleygina
