Visual Artists in Canada

According to 2006 Census data, there were 17,115 visual artists in Canada in 2005; 9,635 were women and 7,475 were men.

This is a dramatic increase since 1991, when there were 10,990 visual artists, and 15,250 in 2001. This is in addition to a reported 17,355 Artisans and Craftspeople. In 2005, there were 140,040 artists from various disciplines in Canada, accounting for 0.8% of the overall Canadian labour force and 23% of the cultural labour force. The number of artists is slightly larger than the number of Canadians directly employed in the automotive industry (135,000). The overall cultural sector has about 609,000 workers and comprises 3.3% of the overall labour force; one in 30 people have a cultural occupation. This is double the level of employment in the forestry sector (300,000), and more than double the level of employment in Canadian banks (257,000).

How do visual artists' income levels compare?

Incomes among visual artists are significantly lower than incomes in the cultural sector and the Canadian workforce. Average earnings for visual artists account for a mere $13,976, and artisans and craftspeople earn $15,187, on average. Only dancers earn less than visual artists, at $13,167; however, the difference is miniscule and there are nearly three times more visual artists than dancers, making the overall impact greater.  Of all artists who did not report earnings in 2005, visual artists have the highest numbers: 3600, or 17% of all visual artists.The average earnings of artists from all disciplines are $22,731.

Average earnings in the cultural sector are 9% lower than average earnings in the overall labour force, but 45% higher than artists' earnings: the average earnings of those in the cultural sector are $32,856 while the average earnings for the overall labour force are $36,301. Visual artists, by comparison, earn 61% less than the average Canadian worker, and their average earnings are much reduced from the $18,700 reported in 2001.

Even though there are slightly more women than men working as visual artists, the disparity between income levels is approximately 34%, with women earning an average of $11,421 and men earning an average of $17,271.

The median, or typical, income earned by visual artists is $7,899, representing a 71% earnings gap with the median income in the overall labour force. Their median earnings are less than half the low-income cut-off figure for a single person living in a community of 500,000 people or more ($20,800).

Visual artists are more likely to be self-employed than other artists, with 11,035 visual artists claiming self-employed status, or 65%. When visual artists are employed, they work in many different sectors of the economy: 13,515 work within Arts, Entertainment and Recreation; 1,680 work in Educational Services; 610 work in Information and Cultural Industries; 1,310 work in other fields.

View listings on map
This article is from the Artlaw Archive of Henry Lydiate's columns published in Art Monthly since 1976, and may contain out of date material.
The article is for information only, and not for the purpose of providing legal advice.
Readers should consult a solicitor for legal advice on specific matters, and artists in London can get free online legal advice from Artquest