Artists' earnings
$23,500: Average yearly earnings nationally – 26 per cent less than the average among other workers.
41: Percentage of artists with a university degree, certificate or diploma, compared to 22 per cent in the overall workforce.
29: Percentage growth in the number of artists between 1991 and 2001, compared to 10 per cent in the overall workforce.
67: Percentage of artists who work at other jobs to survive economically.
Sources: Artists in Large Canadian Cities, 2006, Hill Strategies Research Inc.; The Status of the Artist in Ontario Report
Actors' earnings
Income figures from Sept. 2007 to Sept. 2008 for the 20,000-plus members of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists:
54: Percentage of members who reported income from performing, with 46 per cent reporting zero income from performing.
$6,127: Average income for all members.
$11,269: Average income for members with performance income.
$5,850/$4,85: Average earnings for actors aged 21 to 30 (for women and men respectively).
Income figures for the most recent year for the 4,120 live performance and theatre artists in the Canadian Actors' Equity Association:
1,207: Number of members working across Canada in an average week.
$12,226: Average yearly income for all members.
$11,481: Average yearly income for members with less than three years of membership.
Sources: ACTRA, CAEA
This is all fine and good. It can be very difficult to work as an artist full time in Canada. That much we know. Unfortunately, very little is ever done to address the core reason for this problem: that is, that Canadian art is under-valued the world over.
And what is the reason for that? Simple, the "PR / promotion machines" for visual art in many other countries are miles ahead of Canada.
Although it's really nice to see artist interviews in the Toronto Star, this does not even scratch the surface.
Promotion of Canadian art needs to occur at the global level.
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