New!

Welcome to wageforwork.com 4.0. Here is a guide to what's changed with the platform's relaunch:

W.A.G.E. Fees Have Increased With Inflation: Starting July 1, 2023, W.A.G.E. minimum fees in all 15 fee categories increased by 25% to account for the cumulative rate of inflation since pricing was introduced in 2014. Please note that where applicable, rates were rounded to the nearest $5. Here are the new rates for Floor Fees in 15 Categories:

  • 1.

    Solo Exhibition $1,250

  • 2.

    Solo Project $750

  • 3.

    2-Person Exhibition $625

  • 4.

    Group Exhibition, 3 - 5 Artists $315

  • 5.

    Group Exhibition, 6+ Artists $190

  • 6.

    Performance of Existing Work $500

  • 7.

    Performance, Commission of New Work $1,000

  • 8.

    Solo Screening with In-Person Appearance $125

  • 9.

    Event with Presentations or Performances by 2 or More Participants $125

  • 10.

    Talk, Discussion, or Workshop with 2 or More Participants $125

  • 11.

    Existing Talk, Presentation or Reading $125

  • 12.

    Commissioned Talk or Presentation $190

  • 13.

    Existing Text for Publication $0.030 per word, $65 minimum fee

  • 14.

    Commissioned Text for Publication $0.30 per word

  • 15.

    Rate for Performers $30/hour or $150/day, whichever is higher

Please see use the Fee Calculator  to view rates as they scale up. Click to here  read more about each category and additional terms.


Recommended rates for Artist Assistants and Studio Managers have also increased:

  • Artist Assisting Starting Rate: $30 per hour minimum

  • Managerial Positions Starting Rate: $35 per hour minimum

Read more here. 


Performance Fees Have Increased: Starting July 1, 2023, artist fees for the category Performance, Commission of New Work have increased from $600 to $1,000 for a featured presentation akin to a Solo Exhibition in scale. Artist fees for the category Performance of Existing Work have increased from $300 to $500 for each performance. Read the announcement 


Maximum W.A.G.E. Threshold Rises: The Maximum W.A.G.E. threshold has increased from $15 million to $30 million. As a result, the cap for a Solo Exhibition at Maximum W.A.G.E. has increased from $30,000 to $60,000, along with corresponding raises to caps on most other fee categories. Read more 


New Living W.A.G.E. Tier: The Fee Calculator now includes Living W.A.G.E. – a new fourth tier for institutions with operating expenses between $5 million and $30 million. For now, certified institutions with operating expenses within that range are still only required to pay Minimum W.A.G.E. fees but a continued scale-up until the cap is strongly encouraged. Read the announcement 


Certification Service Fee: W.A.G.E. now charges an annual service fee to certify institutions with operating expenses over $250,000. Service fees are applied annually and are calculated at 0.02% of an institution’s projected expenses, starting at $100 and capping off at $700. W.A.G.E. Certification is still free for institutions with operating expenses under $250,000. Read more 


Fee Calculator: New design and functionality including custom fee schedule calculation. Go to FEE CALCULATOR 


WAGENCY Reboot: Learning from how it was and wasn't being used over the past 5 years, WAGENCY has been reconceived and reconfigured. Read the announcement  or go to WAGENCY 


Resources: Internal and external working materials in the form of data analysis, policy development and collaboration. Go to RESOURCES 


Timeline: Almost every documentable thing W.A.G.E. has done since 2008 in sortable chronological order. Events, videos, milestones, summits, certifications and more. Go to TIMELINE 

Coming Soon with Phase 2

Contracts for Art Workers: In 2020, almost 50 years after Seth Siegelaub and Robert Projansky’s The Artist’s Reserved Rights Transfer and Sales Agreement was introduced in 1971, W.A.G.E. began drafting work agreements for art workers inspired in name and in function by this legendary legal document. W.A.G.E.’s agreements are intended to establish new industry standards for engaging the skilled labor of non-unionized freelance workers who facilitate the conception, fabrication, production, exhibition and circulation of art in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors.

A tax-deductible donation, large or small, will help us complete Phase 2 of our platform rebuild.

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