Summary of Good Practice Recommendations

Commissioners/owners have a responsibility to:

• consult with Traditional Custodians and appoint a First Nations curator where appropriate, see First Nations and Racial Equity and Representation

• manage development approvals and compliance with public art policies

• provide a clear artist brief and management structure

• implement transparent and equitable selection processes, see Equitable Application Processes

• set realistic expectations for budgets and timelines, taking into account the administrative burden required of artists

• meet legal obligations in intellectual property and Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property, see Intellectual Property and First Nations 

• pay shortlisted artists for concept designs

• pay artist fees fairly and promptly, providing clarity and transparency of processes

• budget for access provisions for d/Deaf and Disabled artists, separate to artist fees, see Access Rights for d/Deaf and Disabled People

• maintain the material and artistic integrity of the artwork for its lifespan

• contact the artist if a work is to be relocated, decommissioned or destroyed, or if the work requires maintenance or conservation

Artists have a responsibility to:

• install the work in line with the artist brief

• communicate regularly with the commissioner

• manage community consultation related to the work 

• identify and manage risks and prepare a risk management plan, if required

• consider, communicate, plan and, where possible ensure the accessibility of installed work

• control the fabrication process at all stages

• manage subcontractors and include subcontractors in risk management

• arrange the structural certification of the work

• establish the reasonable lifespan of the artwork, in line with the brief

Contracts should outline:

• scope, roles and responsibilities

• clear brief in relation to size, scale, colour palette or materials, as required

• expectations and scope of community consultation

• process for changes, acceptance, rejection and variations 

• methods of attribution of the artist and community, as appropriate

• details of IP ownership and licence terms

• responsibility for workplace health safety (see Workplace Health and Safety), accessibility (see Access Rights for d/Deaf and Disabled People), insurance and public liability (see Insurance) requirements

• conflict resolution processes, see Grievance and Dispute Resolution

• payment program or schedule 

• key program dates or milestones 

• agreement in relation to notice periods if the artwork is to be moved, or (if the work is affixed to a building) notice about relocation, demolition or destruction of the building