The Equity for Artists Pledge is a tool and a framework designed to empower artists’ thinking about their work and worth.

It is specifically a pledge, not a contract, to give space to artists to make their own decisions. Use this pledge as a way to empower and expand what you are inherently capable of. Thank you for standing with all of us. #EquityforArtists

1. I pledge not to work solely for exposure. “Exposure” in medical terms leads to bad health so we should stop using the term as though it’s a good deal for artists. No other field requires volunteerism to the degree of the art world and we need to stop normalizing it.

2. I pledge to do the homework needed to understand the value of my labor. I understand that by doing this work, I will become more confident in stating my value and less likely to undercut myself and the industry in the hopes of securing a gig.

3. I pledge not to undercut the value of my labor even when a client says that they cannot afford me, and even if I like the cause they represent. I understand that sometimes this means a project won’t happen, and that’s okay. I understand that when I undercut myself, I undercut my colleagues and the whole field. I understand that even if I can do something for free or cheap, someone with less privilege than me cannot, and this hurts who can participate in the field.

4. I pledge to always negotiate contracts to better favor my rights and my value. I will remind myself that I will not lose a job for being willing to assert my needs and rights. I will remind myself that people who will not honor my rights in a fair contract are not worth working with.

5. I pledge to ask organizational leaders for transparency and to uphold better standards, like paying artists hanging/rental fees for displaying art. If they don’t pay hanging fees, why not and are they working towards it? I understand that by asking these questions, I help give other artists permission to ask these questions, too.

6. I pledge to do the homework to understand the cultural context in which I’m getting representation and compensation. Who benefits from this work besides me? Am I the voice that needs to be heard? I understand that a system that pays artists but still exploits communities (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, the working class, women and femme-presenting individuals) is not equity, and that true equity uplifts everyone.

7. I pledge not to culturally appropriate or otherwise steal from other artists’ heritage. Equity for artists cannot rely on the inequity of others.

8. I pledge not to donate my artwork to a fundraiser intended to generate revenue for a cause unless the fundraiser pays the artists who participate.

9. I pledge to fight for diversity and fair pay. I understand that the arts industry is one of the least diverse fields, with women of color making up less than half of one percent of US arts representation. I understand that representation without compensation is tokenization. I understand that a more diverse art field cannot happen without arts professionals committing to all seven pledges, because of the relationship between diversity, pay, and other privileges. By committing to diversity, I am committing to the “big picture” of what we are all after: an art world that represents and values all of us.