15 January

February competitions checked by Arts Law

Arts Law has checked the terms of 1 additional competition closing in January 2014 plus 16 competitions closing in February 2014.

3 competitions were awarded an encouraging 4 / 5 stars for fairness to artists. The Swan Hill Print & Drawing Acquisitive Awards 2014 asks for a licence to reproduce works in association with the promotion of the exhibition from finalists only, but does not limit the duration of this licence. If they had done so and clearly stated they would attribute the artists, this competition would have received a perfect 5 / 5 star rating. Similarly, the NAB Private Wealth Emerging Artist Award and the Art & Australia/Credit Suisse Private Banking Contemporary Art Award 2014 only ask the finalists/winner to provide a licence and assert a positive intention to protect the artist’s moral rights.  However, the duration of the licences is unlimited which means both competitions just miss out on a perfect score. 

WELL DONE:

  • Swan Hill Print & Drawing Acquisitive Awards 2014 – deadline 5 February 2014
  • Art & Australia/Credit Suisse Private Banking Contemporary Art Award 2014 – deadline 7 February 2014
  • NAB Private Wealth Emerging Artist Award – deadline 14 February 2014

1 competition obtained a positive 3.5 / 5 stars. We don’t usually give half stars, but The Art Prize in Food and Spirituality 2014 deserved more than 3 stars.  The competition asks all entrants to provide a licence to reproduce their artwork for publicity associated with the competition only and states it will positively attribute the artists.  An additional star and a half would have been obtained if the licence had been limited to finalists only and limited in duration.

NEARLY THERE:

  • Art Prize in Food and Spirituality 2014 – deadline 14 February 2014

6 competitions received a commendable 3 / 5 stars for fairness. Under these terms and conditions, all entrants are asked to provide a licence to the competition organisers to reproduce their works for purposes associated with the competition OR only exhibiting artists provide a licence which is slightly broader in the uses that it covers. None of the competitions set a limit to the duration of the licences requested from the entrants. If these competitions had done so, and respectively limited their licences to finalists or winners OR to uses associated with the competition only, plus each undertook to attribute the artists, they would have all received 5 / 5 stars.

NOT FAR OFF:

  • Toorak Village Sculpture Exhibition 2014 – deadline 1 February 2014
  • 2014 Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award – deadline 7 February 2014
  • My Song Awards – deadline 20 February 2014
  • International Women’s Day Art Competition and Exhibition – deadline 17 February 2014
  • John Villiers Waltzing Matilda Outback Art Show 2014 – deadline 28 February 2014
  • Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition 2014 – deadline 28 February 2014

7 competitions scored 2 / 5 stars for fairness to artists. The terms of these competitions ask that all entrants grant to the competition organisers a licence to reproduce entries for very broad purposes beyond the competition for an unlimited period of time. Arts Law considers that it would be best practice for these competitions to limit the licences to finalists or winners only, limit reproduction to that which is associated with the competition itself, set a limit to the duration of the licence and positively seek to enforce entrants’ moral rights.

SOME WORK TO DO:

  • Dreamtime at the ‘G guernsey design competition 2014 – deadline 31 January 2014
  • Maldon Portrait Prize 2014 – deadline 3 February 2014
  • Emma Hack Art Prize 2014 – deadline 14 February 2014
  • The Herald Safer Sydney Ad Challenge – deadline 21 February 2014
  • Postcodes from the Edge – deadline 21 February 2014
  • Benalla Nude 2014 Art Prize – deadline 21 February 2014
  • Hilltop Hoods Initiative 2014 – deadline 25 February 2014

If the Organiser of a prize or competition would like Arts Law to review its terms for fairness to artists and provide best practice advice, please contact [email protected].  

Please also email us to tell us about any competitions or prizes you think we should check. 

For more about Arts Law's campaign to improve competition terms and conditions, view our Prizes and Competitions section and Arts Law's competition star rating system.