28 June
Photo by Edouard TAMBA on Unsplash

Resources for Street Artists

Street art is becoming increasingly recognised as contributing to the vibrant urban culture of many Australian cities and towns. There can be a range of legal issues you need to be aware of as a practicing street artist. If you are an up and coming street artist still honing your craft then our new Street Art Information Sheet is for you.

This info sheet sets out important considerations if you are performing your art without the permission of the building owner. It also provides some practical tips on what you can do to help prevent your artwork from being used without your permission. 

Lastly, it touches on the different laws in each of the States and Territories that could result in your artwork being removed, even if you had the consent of the building owner to place the artwork on their building. 

Street artists are increasingly being commissioned by local councils, developers or business owners to create public artworks. Public art commissions create exciting opportunities for artists, allow Australians to enjoy aesthetically beautiful environments, and stimulate community engagement with the arts. If you have been commissioned to create a public artwork then our Public Art – Design and Commissioning Information Sheet explains some of the issues you need to be aware of.

Arts Law recently helped artist Leah Taylor better understand her contract after being commissioned to create a public mural. “Contacting Arts Law and then speaking with [my pro bono lawyer] at length gave me the confidence to communicate effectively and actually sound like I knew what I was talking about. I surprised myself with the awesome letter I wrote, which was enough to get their attention and reinstate me to do the job I had originally won.”  – Leah Taylor, artist.

Read more about Leah’s story here.