For those living their dream and working as full-time professional artists, or even those who are looking to embrace the career for themselves, knowing what to expect is crucial. There is more to the job than simply painting or creating each day – artists also have a number of risks they need to consider in order to protect themselves, their clients, and the properties and places that they visit. From the theft of equipment or artwork to property damage or public injury, we’ve decided to take a look at some of the most common risks that artists face on a day-to-day basis.
Property Damage
Depending on the services you provide as an artist, you could find yourself out and about as part of your work. If you travel to clients’ homes to paint murals or have them sit for a portrait, you will be taking your equipment and materials into their homes. From the moment you step out of your car or mode of transport, there are risks.
You could knock something over with your easel while going to set up, or drop your paints on the driveway or inside on the carpets. While working you could drop a paintbrush or scuff the floor with the foot of your easel or stool. There are things you can do to reduce these risks, of course, but Public Liability Insurance for Artists can also protect you financially against claims made against you for property damage.
Theft
Your materials and equipment are not only crucial to the job but are often expensive too and theft can be a heartbreaking and stressful experience. Not only are your things gone, but you may suffer financially from the loss of work or having to replace the items as quickly as possible. Similarly, stolen artwork can be devastating for you and for your client – hours worth of work lost, you could lose out on your client’s payment or day’s worth of income by having to re-do the artwork.
Chemicals and Fumes
Artists come into contact with all kinds of materials and chemicals each and every day and while most are safe to use, exposure to some of these for a long period of time could cause health issues. You should always take care to use the right protective equipment when working with paints and chemicals for your artwork and make sure that the room is well-ventilated to prevent falling ill from exposure.
Back and Neck Issues
Being hunched over a painting or craning your neck at an easel can give you aches and pains on the worst days and over time, this can get worse and worse. Between bending, reaching, lifting, and kneeling, you could give yourself lasting and often chronic injuries or strains if you don’t give yourself the right support. Ergonomic furniture is a great place to start to ensure you have proper support and working heights, but you should also pay attention to what your body is telling you and take proper breaks when needed.
Public Injury
Just like public property damage, working out and about or at a client’s home also introduces a risk of public injury. While a stray speck of paint might seem unlikely to injure someone, there are more risks to consider. Someone could trip over your easel or bags, or dropped paint could pose a slip hazard. Similarly, spilt chemicals could lead to illness in your clients. Public Liability Insurance also protects you against claims in these situations, so it’s an important policy to consider if you are an artist that does work outside of your own home.
Plagiarism Claims
You could spend hours on a painting, working day and night to produce a unique piece of art, and still face plagiarism claims if due care isn’t taken. Claims made against you for theft of ideas or plagiarism could have a serious impact on you and your business’s reputation, which is where professional indemnity insurance comes in. This particular insurance policy will provide financial support for legal fees and compensation, as well as income lost due to claims that affect your professional indemnity.
For more information about our insurance policies and how they can help you as an artist, simply get in touch with a member of our team for help, today.