WAGE

Get Certified

If you are interested in becoming W.A.G.E. Certified please make sure to read the guidelines and use the Fee Calculator before you begin an application below. W.A.G.E. standards are minimum fees and do not reflect living wage standards. If your institution can afford to pay more, it should.

 

You can apply to be certified for previous, current or upcoming fiscal years but because W.A.G.E. Certification is intended as an ongoing commitment to equity, they must be consecutive. Certifications are associated with fiscal years and need to be completed and maintained year by year. Maintenance involves logging each of your fee payments using the Fee Tracking tool and submitting them for review at the close of each fiscal year.

 

Please note that most W.A.G.E. Certified institutions produce programs with artists that do not fit precisely within W.A.G.E. Certification's 15 fee categories. These programs can usually be accommodated, please contact us directly. All institutional information and payment documentation are kept confidential.

 

FAQ

Our institution is now W.A.G.E. Certified. Is there anything we have to do to maintain our status?

Yes! There are 2 things your institution must do:

 

1. Track all Fee Payments made to artists using the FEE TRACKER in Step 4. This can be done anytime as long as all payments are recorded by fiscal year-end. Once all fee payments have been entered, upload your institution's closed-out budget, and click the SUBMIT FOR REVIEW button.

2. Certifications are associated with fiscal years and need to be completed and maintained year by year. Your current certification will expire when your fiscal year does, so your institution must re-register for certification. 30 days before your certification is due to expire you'll receive an automated alert from W.A.G.E. If you don't re-register within 30 days of expiry, your institution will automatically be listed as PREVIOUSLY CERTIFIED here. As soon as you re-register it will move back into the CERTIFIED INSTITUTION list. If you wait more than 6 months to re-register, a late fee will apply, as detailed in the following answer.

 

Does W.A.G.E. charge a fee for certification?

No. W.A.G.E. Certification is a free service but we do charge a late fee for re-certifications that occur after 180 days (approximately 6 months) of your current certification's expiry. For example, if your certification ends on December 31 and you haven't uploaded your history of fee payment or registered the next certification by June 30 of the following year, you'll pay $100 to re-certify. If you wait 360 days, you'll pay $200 to re-certify. Because certification implies a long term commitment to equity on the part of an institution, certifications must be consecutive. Late fees are a mechanism for incentivizing compliance with this rule.

 

How does our institution re-register for Certification when our fiscal year ends? 

Once you have submitted your history of Fee Payment and closed-out budget, click ADD ANOTHER FISCAL YEAR. Enter your institution's projected total annual operating expenses for the next fiscal year along with the projected budget. Within a few days, W.A.G.E. will approve the new certification and it will become visible here.

 

How do I add another user to our institution's admin?

The initial administrator associated with your institution can add another user by logging in and clicking the ADD COLLABORATOR button.

 

Is there a W.A.G.E. certificate we can add to our website so that artists and funders know we're certified? 

Yes. In Step 5 you'll find a dynamic SVG logo that should be embedded on your website. It is time-stamped and indicates your current certification status. When your certification expires, the certificate will no longer display the current date and you will be listed as pending.

 

How do we know if our institution has fallen out of status?

There are 3 ways to determine if you're out of status:

1. Check the PREVIOUSLY CERTIFIED column here.
2. The dynamic SVG certificate embedded on your website will no longer display a checkmark.
3. You'll receive monthly automated notifications tracking the number of days since your certification expired.

 

Our gallery is part of a university. Should we use the total annual operating expenses of the university to determine our fees? 

No. You should use the total annual operating expenses of the gallery only, but in your projected budget you should include any in-kind support such as space, utilities, and salaries that are subsidized by the university.

 

Our institution contracts other kinds of freelance labor beyond the W.A.G.E. fee schedule. Are we responsible for paying them according to W.A.G.E. standards and reporting the payments we make?

No. W.A.G.E.'s 15 fee categories broadly define the work artists do in the nonprofit sector for which there were no existing payment standards and guidelines until the introduction of W.A.G.E. Certification in 2014. W.A.G.E.'s work is an effort to enforce their standardization across the sector. If your institution contracts freelance workers who provide content and services for which there are existing industry standards, such as teaching artists, graphic designers, lighting designers, or exhibition furniture fabricators, for example, your institution should compensate them accordingly.  

To register, enter your email address, a user password, and your institution information.

2 Register Institution

3Add Fiscal Details

Certified Institutions

1708 Gallery W

1708 Gallery W

1708 Gallery W

1708 Gallery W

1708 Gallery W

3Arts W

3Arts W

3Arts W

3Arts W

3Arts W

3Arts W

3Arts W

3Arts W

3Arts W

Amant W

Amant W

Amplify Arts W

Amplify Arts W

Amplify Arts W

Amplify Arts W

Amplify Arts W

Amplify Arts W

AnkhLave Arts Alliance, Inc. W

AnkhLave Arts Alliance, Inc. W

Art Gym (Closed) W

Art Gym (Closed) W

Art League Houston W

Art League Houston W

Art League Houston W

Art League Houston W

Art League Houston W

Art League Houston W

Art League Houston W

Art League Houston W

Art League Houston W

Art Omi: Sculpture Park W

Art Omi: Sculpture Park W

Art Students League of Denver W

Art Students League of Denver W

Art Students League of Denver W

Art Students League of Denver W

Art Students League of Denver W

Art Students League of Denver W

Art Students League of Denver W

Art Students League of Denver W

ArtBridge W

ArtBridge W

ArtBridge W

ArtBridge W

Arthur Ross Gallery W

Artist Communities Alliance W

Artist Communities Alliance W

Artist Communities Alliance W

Artist Communities Alliance W

Artist Communities Alliance W

Artist Communities Alliance W

Artists Space W

Artists Space W

Artists Space W

Artists Space W

Artists Space W

Artists Space W

Artists Space W

Artists Space W

Artists Space W

Asia Art Archive in America W

Asia Art Archive in America W

Asia Art Archive in America W

Asia Art Archive in America W

Asia Art Archive in America W

Asia Art Archive in America W

Bas Fisher Invitational W

Bas Fisher Invitational W

Bas Fisher Invitational W

Bas Fisher Invitational W

Bas Fisher Invitational W

Bas Fisher Invitational W

Bas Fisher Invitational W

Bas Fisher Invitational W

Bas Fisher Invitational W

Bas Fisher Invitational W

Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York W

Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York W

Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York W

Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York W

Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York W

Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York W

Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York W

Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York W

Black Cube W

Black Cube W

Black Cube W

Black Cube W

Black Cube W

Black Cube W

Black Cube W

Black Cube W

Blank Forms W

Blank Forms W

Blue Star Contemporary W

Blue Star Contemporary W

Blue Star Contemporary W

Blue Star Contemporary W

Blue Star Contemporary W

Blue Star Contemporary W

Blue Star Contemporary W

Burnaway W

Burnaway W

Burnaway W

Burnaway W

Burnaway W

CALA Alliance W

CALA Alliance W

CUE Art Foundation W

CUE Art Foundation W

CUE Art Foundation W

CUE Art Foundation W

CUE Art Foundation W

CUE Art Foundation W

Carnegie International 58th ed., 2022 W

Carnegie International 58th ed., 2022 W

Carnegie Int’l 57th ed., 2018 W

Carolee Schneemann Foundation W

Carolee Schneemann Foundation W

Carolee Schneemann Foundation W

Center for Art, Research and Alliances W

Center for Art, Research and Alliances W

Central Contemporary Arts W

Central Contemporary Arts W

Chicago Dancemakers Forum W

Chicago Dancemakers Forum W

Chicago Dancemakers Forum W

Clockshop W

Clockshop W

Clockshop W

Culture Mill W

Culture Mill W

Culture Push, Inc. W

Darger HQ (Closed) W

Darger HQ (Closed) W

DiverseWorks W

DiverseWorks W

DiverseWorks W

DiverseWorks W

DiverseWorks W

DiverseWorks W

DiverseWorks W

DiverseWorks W

DiverseWorks W

DiverseWorks W

EAI W

EAI W

EFA Project Space W

Eyebeam W

Eyebeam W

Eyebeam W

Eyebeam W

Eyebeam W

Eyebeam W

Eyebeam W

Eyebeam W

FD13 (Closed) W

FD13 (Closed) W

FD13 (Closed) W

FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art W

FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art W

FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art W

Handwerker Gallery W

Handwerker Gallery W

Handwerker Gallery W

Handwerker Gallery W

Handwerker Gallery W

Happy Family Night Market W

Happy Family Night Market W

Happy Family Night Market W

Houston Center for Photography W

Houston Center for Photography W

ISSUE Project Room W

ISSUE Project Room W

ISSUE Project Room W

ISSUE Project Room W

ISSUE Project Room W

ISSUE Project Room W

ISSUE Project Room W

ISSUE Project Room W

ISSUE Project Room W

ISSUE Project Room W

Indexical W

Indexical W

Indexical W

Indexical W

Indexical W

Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania W

Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania W

Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania W

Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania W

Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania W

Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania W

Jacob Lawrence Gallery W

Jacob Lawrence Gallery W

Jacob Lawrence Gallery W

Jacob Lawrence Gallery W

Jacob Lawrence Gallery W

Jacob Lawrence Gallery W

Kresge Arts in Detroit W

Kresge Arts in Detroit W

LAXART W

LAXART W

LAXART W

LAXART W

Lawndale Art and Performance Center W

Lawndale Art and Performance Center W

Light Industry Cinema Projects W

Light Industry Cinema Projects W

Light Industry Cinema Projects W

Light Industry Cinema Projects W

Locust Projects W

Locust Projects W

Locust Projects W

Locust Projects W

Locust Projects W

Locust Projects W

Locust Projects W

Locust Projects W

Locust Projects W

Loghaven Artist Residency W

Loghaven Artist Residency W

Loghaven Artist Residency W

Loghaven Artist Residency W

Loghaven Artist Residency W

Luminaria W

MINT W

MINT W

MINT W

Machine Project (Closed) W

Machine Project (Closed) W

MassArt Art Museum W

MassArt Art Museum W

MassArt Art Museum W

Mizna W

Mizna W

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland W

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland W

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland W

New York Studio School W

No Longer Empty (Closed) W

No Longer Empty (Closed) W

No Longer Empty (Closed) W

No Longer Empty (Closed) W

Now and There, Inc. W

Now and There, Inc. W

Now and There, Inc. W

Now and There, Inc. W

On the Boards W

Open Source Gallery W

Open Source Gallery W

Open Source Gallery W

Open Source Gallery W

Open Source Gallery W

Open Space (Closed) W

Open Space (Closed) W

Open Space (Closed) W

Open Space (Closed) W

Open Space (Closed) W

Oregon Center for Contemporary Art W

Oregon Center for Contemporary Art W

Oregon Center for Contemporary Art W

Oregon Center for Contemporary Art W

Oregon Center for Contemporary Art W

Oregon Center for Contemporary Art W

Participant Inc W

Participant Inc W

Participant Inc W

Participant Inc W

Participant Inc W

Participant Inc W

Participant Inc W

Participant Inc W

Participant Inc W

Participant Inc W

Performance Space New York W

Performance Space New York W

Performance Space New York W

Performance Space New York W

Performance Space New York W

Performance Space New York W

Pioneer Works W

Pioneer Works W

Pioneer Works W

Pioneer Works W

Pioneer Works W

Primary Information W

Primary Information W

Primary Information W

Primary Information W

Primary Information W

Primary Information W

Primary Information W

Primary Information W

Primary Information W

Primary Information W

Queens Museum of Art W

Radiant Hall Studios W

Radiant Hall Studios W

Recess W

Recess W

Recess W

Recess W

River Valley Arts Collective W

River Valley Arts Collective W

River Valley Arts Collective W

River Valley Arts Collective W

River Valley Arts Collective W

Roman Susan W

Roman Susan W

Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University W

Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University W

Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University W

Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University W

Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University W

SF Camerawork W

SF Camerawork W

Side Street Projects W

Side Street Projects W

Side Street Projects W

Small Press Traffic W

Small Press Traffic W

Small Press Traffic W

Southern Exposure W

Southern Exposure W

Squeaky Wheel W

Squeaky Wheel W

Squeaky Wheel W

Squeaky Wheel W

Squeaky Wheel W

Squeaky Wheel W

Squeaky Wheel W

Swiss Institute / Contemporary Art W

Swiss Institute / Contemporary Art W

Swiss Institute / Contemporary Art W

Swiss Institute / Contemporary Art W

Swiss Institute / Contemporary Art W

Swiss Institute / Contemporary Art W

Swiss Institute / Contemporary Art W

Swiss Institute / Contemporary Art W

Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art W

Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art W

Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art W

The Art Galleries at TCU W

The Artist's Institute (Closed) W

The Artist's Institute (Closed) W

The Artist's Institute (Closed) W

The Artist's Institute (Closed) W

The Artist's Institute (Closed) W

The Artist's Institute (Closed) W

The Cedars Union W

The Cedars Union W

The Cedars Union W

The Center for Photography at Woodstock W

The Center for Photography at Woodstock W

The Lab W

The Lab W

The Lab W

The Lab W

The Lab W

The Lab W

The Lab W

The Lab W

The Lab W

The Lighthouse Works W

The Soap Factory (Closed) W

The Soap Factory (Closed) W

Threewalls W

Threewalls W

Threewalls W

Threewalls W

Threewalls W

Threewalls W

Transformer W

Transformer W

Transformer W

Transformer W

Transformer W

Transformer W

Transformer W

Triple Canopy W

Triple Canopy W

Triple Canopy W

Triple Canopy W

Triple Canopy W

Triple Canopy W

Vera List Center for Art and Politics W

Vera List Center for Art and Politics W

Vera List Center for Art and Politics W

Vera List Center for Art and Politics W

Vera List Center for Art and Politics W

Visual AIDS W

Visual AIDS W

Visual AIDS W

Visual AIDS W

Washington Project for the Arts W

Washington Project for the Arts W

Washington Project for the Arts W

Washington Project for the Arts W

Washington Project for the Arts W

Wave Pool W

Wave Pool W

Wave Pool W

Wave Pool W

Wave Pool W

Wave Pool W

Weavers Guild of Minnesota W

Yale Union (Closed) W

Yale Union (Closed) W

Yale Union (Closed) W

c3:initiative (Closed) W

爻 yáo collaborative W

爻 yáo collaborative W

爻 yáo collaborative W

爻 yáo collaborative W

爻 yáo collaborative W

Previously Certified

African American Arts Alliance of Chicago W

AnkhLave Arts Alliance, Inc. W

Art Gym (Closed) W

Art Omi: Sculpture Park W

ArtBridge W

Artspace New Haven W

Blank Forms W

Carnegie Int’l 57th ed., 2018 W

Clockshop W

Compound (Closed) W

Culture Mill W

Culture Push, Inc. W

Darger HQ (Closed) W

EFA Project Space W

Equitable Vitrines W

FD13 (Closed) W

Franklin Furnace Archive W

Handwerker Gallery W

Happy Family Night Market W

Houston Center for Photography W

JOAN W

Jonah Bokaer Choreography W

LAXART W

Light Industry Cinema Projects W

Luminaria W

MINT W

Machine Project (Closed) W

Magnum Foundation W

MassArt Art Museum W

Mizna W

Neu Kirche (Closed) W

No Longer Empty (Closed) W

On the Boards W

Open Space (Closed) W

Recess W

SF Camerawork W

STABLE W

Side Street Projects W

Southern Exposure W

The Art Galleries at TCU W

The Artist's Institute (Closed) W

The Lighthouse Works W

The New Foundation Seattle (Closed) W

The Soap Factory (Closed) W

Threewalls W

Triple Canopy W

University of Maryland Art Gallery W

Verge Center for the Arts W

Washington Project for the Arts W

Weavers Guild of Minnesota W

Wendy's Subway W

Yale Union (Closed) W

c3:initiative (Closed) W

爻 yáo collaborative W