In the cost of living crisis where the price of living (and simply existing) keeps rising, the affordability of art has quietly become a luxury. Whether it is materials, software or renting studios, much of the current art scene in the UK is operating on a system that is designed to be inaccessible to everyone apart from a privileged few. Yet, art at its core, has always been about connection, expression and community, so how do we keep art protected? How do we keep it affordable?
The UK’s art scene has faced a series of pressures since the pandemic. According to a study by Artquest, 80% of artists currently face a range of financial challenges, including material costs, low payment for their work and studio spaces. The truth is that the arts industry is directly affected by the economic downturn, impacting artists across the board and making it harder for them to sustain their practices. Iris wants to support the creative community, and has found ways to help artists control their costs.
First, we need to stop equating low cost with low value. In a time where artists are being told to “know their value” this is especially true, it too often becomes a way of pushing prices beyond the reach of everyday people. You can still honour your labour whilst creating work that is accessible. Try making prints or offering sliding scale commissions, it might not be your kind of gig right now, but it doesn’t mean you’re selling out as an artist.
Creating smaller distributions of art is you opening up, making room for new audiences rather than only cashing in on your present one. You can still have full creative freedom and your loyal customers, you could just shape it in a less time-consuming, replicable format to attract new ones. In a recent King’s College London survey, data revealed that 49% of the public feel that their attention span is shorter than it used to be. Therefore attaching a swipe-up link to an affordable print copy might not seem so bad if it keeps you afloat in commissions.
Offering tiered pricing is where you create multiple price points, for example, small prints, stickers or downloads can be products of this process. Putting these on Etsy, TikTok shop or even Instagram shop links can help reach wider audiences for more sales.
These platforms also sell to a direct audience, another financial bonus of self-promotion. Through this method of sales, you can avoid gallery, or third-party commission cuts, taking home every penny you earned.
Affordability is also about rethinking how we distribute and promote art. Social media is a blessing to upcoming artists, or artists trying to push their work to sales. Following trends, posting content regularly and connecting with others is all free, it’s just about utilising those resources. Adobe editing apps are free to download on app stores, tutorials are for anyone with a YouTube account. Try curating a routine, even if it’s 30 minutes per day, dedicated to building yourself a brand identity online.
Fun fact: According to a survey by ArtTactic, 87% of art buyers found new artists through social media. It can feel like a chore, but it saves you money and has endless opportunities for new customers buying into your refined online artist persona.
Up-cycling or recycling feels like an obvious yet ignored alternative. Material resources can exist free of cost just as much as social media options. Ask around family, friends or even on Facebook Marketplace, whether it be for clothing fabrics, paints or woods, reworking something you may deem ‘useless’ can feel more rewarding than you think. A survey conducted by WifiTalents confirmed that 72% of art buyers are willing to pay more for art created sustainably. Therefore, you may make a bit more profit than anticipated.
Keeping art affordable is also about community accountability. If you’re an artist, are you creating price points for a range of products and services? If you’re a buyer, are you lifting up artists’ work to their value, or only investing after they’ve been sanctioned by the economic crisis? This isn’t about devaluing art, it’s about redistributing its value.
Sometimes sharing this experience in forums or building friendships with those in the same industry as you, can lead the way for free accessibility in a world where nearly everything costs money. Tool-sharing creatives, public print studios and second hand supply swaps are out there already creating networks of mutual support, so we urge you to go join them.
Maybe you are already in this community, and have valuable knowledge you could share with others. Run online or in-person workshops, use social media to promote them, and offer your skills to give others access to making art without high fees.
Finally, we ask you to celebrate the ‘small’ sale. A £10 postcard can mean just as much to someone as a £500 painting, it’s about the connection and not the cost alone.
After all, art is about creating emotion, for you or for someone else, sometimes following tips like these can remind you that art is more than its physical value and reground you in the essence of honest art.