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Saturday, February 18, 2012

Insurance for Artists - can you help?

I'm developing a new website about Insurance for Artists.  It's one of those technical aspects of being an artist which is apt to catch us out from time to time - and it's always good to know what our options are!

Q. What's the value of your art space and its contents?
I've been doing and will be doing a lot of research for the website, however I've always found that crowd-sourcing is an excellent way of identifying options which are less obvious. So that's where I need your help!

By way of payback, I'll be producing a site which hopefully will be helpful to a lot of practising artists.

Artists Insurance - Resources for Artists is where I have got to so far.
[UPDATE MAY 2015: Insurance for Art and Artists is the NEW site which contains information of interest to ALL artists.]

It includes the links which I had already identified and any which are recommended in the comments.

Why do we need insurance?

The website will aim to explain all the different circumstances when we need to consider insurance.

For example, the insurance might cover:

  • The Artist's Studio 
    • at home (ie separate workspace at home and not residential - and hence not covered by a domestic policy) 
    • in a leased unit (with/without insurance in the rent)
  • Art materials and equipment
    • accidental damage to art materials and/or equipment
    • despatch of art materials to another country
  • Artwork 
    • on consignment in a gallery (ie gallery owner / exhibition organiser does not own artwork and accepts no responsibility for insurance)
    • despatch of artwork to/from client or exhibition (domestic or international)
  • Art Gallery (the space)
    • dedicated gallery
    • open studios / clients visiting studio
  • Artist run Workshops / Art Classes
    • insurance cover for host premises
    • third party liability for students in art workshops you're running
    • students' insurance (they bring their own!)
    • professional indemnity
  • Health Insurance for Artists (for those who don't have access to the NHS)
    • payment of bills for healthcare
    • indemnity if you are the main breadwinner and you are unable to work
Can anybody think of any other circumstances when an artist needs insurance?

Can you recommend an insurance policy for artists?

One of the main problems people have is in identifying the companies who specialise in providing the type of polices which artists need and/or who can offer prices appropriate to artists.

If you'd like to share any insurance arrangement that you have used AND can recommend I will then include it in the site - with a link back to your blog and a short note about your view of your experience

Insurance for Artists: This is what I need to know

If you have information you'd like to share, this is what I need to know
  • Please detail the URL of a web page with a statement about the offer in relation to insurance specifically for artists - and what it comprises.  Here's an example of what I mean The Artists Information Company - Artists' insurance policy (AIP)
  • Tell me what country you live in and whether the insurance is domestic or global
  • Please tell me what your experience has been (eg What are the things which pose difficulties in terms of  finding insurance at a reasonable cost?)
  • tell me what the URL is of your artist's website or blog (note I'm only taking recommendations from artists)
I'm going to sort entries on the website into
  • those who insure on a global basis (ie good for international despatch) and 
  • those who focus on a specific  country.  
That means you can all say who you use no matter where you live! :)

My only caveat is that I am looking for recommendations from artists about either brokers or insurance policies who deal specifically with artists - or are "friendly" to artists

In other words this is emphatically NOT an invite for sundry general insurance firms to land on this blog shouting their wares - please note your comments will NOT be published.

Do you have any interesting stories about art insurance claims?

I'm also looking here for tips and examples of what to do/ what not to do in relation to insuring art or an art business.  Cautionary tales are also useful if it helps others.

So - over to you - what can you tell us about 
  • what you think about when you're insuring your art / art space / art business?
  • your art insurance?

8 comments:

  1. Going to be watching this with interest, because I've yet to find something that covers all the aspects I need, without huge excess payments (e.g. £100 for a small painting is pointless) or covering only material costs of paintings.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It would be very helpful to find brokers who insure studio's of non-brick construction. I have an insulated log cabin construction studio and have found most usual artist insurers won't touch a wooden building.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great points - it would be very helpful to be able to identify all those aspects which artists have had difficulty with.

    You never know it might be possible to influence the insurers!

    ReplyDelete
  4. http://www.a-n.co.uk/air/topic/437352

    I use this from the AN website

    ReplyDelete
  5. The best and cheapest insurance i have found especially to cover taking work to and from exhibitions is to sign up to the society for all artist http://www.saa.co.uk and take out their gold membership for £80. GOLD members also benefit from:
    Free £5 million third party public liability insurance (UK)
    Free web pages on SAA website
    Free promotion
    Free £5000 insurance for your paintings at exhibitions (UK)
    Free Tax and VAT helpline.

    Vanessa

    ReplyDelete
  6. I too have the insurance that comes with Gold membership with the SAA I get that for £60 as I pay by direct debit.
    There's small print as with any policy and not all exhibitions are covered. If you have to claim they check that you have a track record of sales, there is an excess of about £30 and then they pay out half the asking price. (I might be out of date on those figures as I haven't checked lately. There are 4 levels of membership. Platinum offers cover for £20000 of paintings at an exhibition.It suits me but it depends what you need.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I too have the insurance that comes with Gold membership with the SAA I get that for £60 as I pay by direct debit.
    There's small print as with any policy and not all exhibitions are covered. If you have to claim they check that you have a track record of sales, there is an excess of about £30 and then they pay out half the asking price. (I might be out of date on those figures as I haven't checked lately. There are 4 levels of membership. Platinum offers cover for £20000 of paintings at an exhibition.It suits me but it depends what you need.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have a-n cover for PL but need it for transport and exhibitions and they are quite exhibitions for this
    SAA good but only for painters and I am a sculptor.My main need is for transport cover as I am sending work by courier who is not insured, so any help welcomed please

    ReplyDelete

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