Exhibition Opening and Summer Party on Wednesday June 19, from 5–7 pm.
The 2024 members’ exhibition of The Espoo Visual Artists’ Association highlights the importance of visual art and the contribution of artists in enriching culture. The exhibition opens up a discussion about the appreciation and professionalism of the artist’s work, emphasizing the social importance of art.
The work of visual artists is long-term and intensive. The public may not know that artists work long hours, but unfortunately there is no defined minimum wage for the work. It is estimated that about half of visual artists’ income comes from making art. The exhibition emphasizes the need to recognize the economic value and impact of artistic work on society.
“Different types of work performed by artists “, the Arts and Culture Barometer, published by the Cultural Policy Research Center Cupore in 2024, reveals that as many as 77% of artists have to regularly do unpaid work. This speaks of the need to recognize the financial challenges of artists. The Artists’ Association of Finland has published “Guidelines for pricing visual artist’s work” on its website, which emphasize the special skills and demands of artistic work. The pricing of the work should correspond to the level of demanding expert tasks, and it includes many different costs such as material costs, studio costs, equipment and software, and fee-related expenses.
We hope that the exhibition will awaken the public to appreciate the work of visual artists and to understand its importance in society.
Sources:
https://www.cupore.fi/en/publications/different-types-of-work-performed-by-artists/
https://www.artists.fi/en/artists/making-living-visual-artist/guidance-fees-visual-artists
The exhibition is open Tue–Fri 12–18. Closed on weekends.