Uncovering the Financial Realities of Artists: The Artist Pay Project

The University of Michigan’s Arts Initiative, along with the Ross Impact Studio, is proud to announce “The Artist Pay Project”: an immersive exhibition led by journalist and 2022-2023 Knight-Wallace Fellow, Makeda Easter. This project aims to shed light on the financial challenges faced by artists across various disciplines, fostering a timely conversation about compensation and sustainability in the arts.

Easter, a Chicago-based journalist with extensive experience covering the performing arts and cultural identity, initially sought to promote Art Rebellion during her Knight-Wallace Fellowship. However, her focus shifted mid-way through as she began to explore the complex issues surrounding artist pay. Drawing inspiration from Refinery29's "money diaries" and the 2020 uprisings, Easter recognized the need for transparency and equity in the arts, where discussing compensation is often seen as taboo. 

Makeda Easter leading a discussion with other artists

“Sharing what you get paid in the arts is a sensitive subject,” Easter notes. “Many artists work for exposure or out of passion, which complicates their financial realities. I wanted to provide a platform for artists to share their stories.”  

With the support of the U-M Wallace House Center for Journalists and the Ford School’s Center for Racial Justice, Easter conducted in-depth surveys and interviews with over 30 artists from the Midwest, East Coast, and South. This research, which included compensating participants for their time, revealed clear insights into the financial struggles and survival strategies of modern artists.

“When I first applied for the Knight-Wallace Fellowship, I applied with the goal of promoting Art Rebellion and increasing my newsletter subscriber base,” said Easter, “However, in the middle of the fellowship, I began developing this idea around artist pay. When I worked at the LA Times as a journalist, I covered a lot of stories on the performing arts and arts identity, and I often wondered ‘how are they making it in LA?’”

From Easter’s discussions with visual artists, dancers, filmmakers, and drag performers five key themes emerged: Midwest artists, the struggles of artists, futures, calls to action, and financial statistics.

Easter emphasizes that racial justice and pay equity are deeply intertwined, particularly as artists of color have spoken out about pay disparities. “The issues surrounding labor and compensation in the arts reflect broader systemic inequalities,” she explains.

Through her research, Easter has identified significant barriers to financial security for artists, including a pervasive lack of recognition of the arts as “legitimate labor.” She advocates for systemic changes such as universal basic income, universal healthcare, and better support systems for artists.

Ultimately, Easter hopes The Artist Pay Project will empower artists and spark broader discussions about the importance of fair compensation in the arts. “I want to open people’s minds to the challenges artists face and foster a sense of community among creatives,” she says.

As part of her ongoing commitment to this issue, Easter has also recently received a grant from the City of Chicago to continue her research, with plans to create zines to share findings with a wider audience.

The exhibition at U-M Ross Impact Studio serves as a powerful advocacy tool and conversational piece for recognizing the societal value assigned to artist work. More information.