Best Practices for Artists in the Visual Arts, Media and Crafts

In Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island

Meilleures pratiques

Updated October 2018

The Maritimes Canada Best Practices project identifies Industry Standards for the Visual Arts, Media and Crafts Sector. These guidelines serve as a model for practical and ethical practices within these sectors. As a result, this project facilitates fair and equitable dealings between creators and presenters across the region.

It is the ultimate aim of this project to develop a uniformity of standards and a common understanding of industry standards in the Maritime Provinces that are in agreement with Best Practices projects currently either established or in development across Canada. In turn, this will facilitate the ability of Maritime-Canadian artists to entertain business both within the Maritimes and across the country.

This project is based on that of the Saskatchewan Visual Arts Sector Best Practices Development Project (CARFAC Saskatchewan); as such The Maritimes Canada Best Practices for Artists adheres to the following goals:


Project Goals

Leadership and consultation
-to facilitate engagement of the Canadian Maritimes Visual Arts, Media, and Craft Sector to document, recognize and discuss current issues and priorities regarding the relationship between presenters and creators.

Sector capacity development
-to encourage sustainable working partnerships, collaboration and relationship building between many diverse stakeholders of the Visual Arts, Media and Craft Sector in the Maritime Provinces.

Education and advocacy
-to share research with the sector to support the community in making informed and strategic decisions as well as distribution and engagement of developed resources.

International research and networking
-to build evidence and understanding of international best practices and issues, building relationships in the international community, learning from expert experience.


Intended Outcomes

Industry Standards development: to research, develop, negotiate, and agree upon ethical standards for use in the Canadian Maritimes Visual Arts, Media and Craft Sector.

Best Practices application: to create several living documents that are in plain language, and are easily used and endorsed by all parties within the sector.

Best Practices support: to develop and implement education strategies to ensure parties are supported to implement and distribute “Best Practices” and electronic dissemination.

United Maritime Visual Arts Sector: to develop healthy partnerships and relationships within the community that can move the sector forward and encourage cooperation and exchange between and within the Visual Arts, Media and Craft Sector.

“Without accepted industry protocols and standards, Visual Artists and CraftPractitioners have often had to rely on individual experience, knowledge andrelationships within the sector to inform their professional practice.” National Association for the Visual Arts Ltd (NAVA), 2004,The Code of Practice for the Australian Visual Arts and Craft Sector, 2nd Edition, Sydney, p 7.

This project has been devised based on the “Saskatchewan Visual Arts Sector Best Practices Development Project”.