Commissioning a RAP Artwork: 5 things you need to know before you start

A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a powerful commitment to fostering relationships, respect, and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. One meaningful way to visually represent this commitment is through commissioning an Aboriginal artwork. However, before engaging an Aboriginal artist, it’s essential to approach the process with cultural respect, integrity and clear intentions. Here are some key considerations to ensure a positive and ethical collaboration with a First Nations artist.

1. Timeframes matter: start the process early!!

Don’t wait until you’ve received Conditional Endorsement from Reconciliation Australia to start looking for an artist. Expecting to commission an artwork with a very tight deadline disrespects the artists’ time and creative processes. Work backwards from when you intend to launch your RAP. For example, if you would like to launch your RAP in early November, you should allow about 6 weeks prior to that for the graphic design of the final document and printing copies for the launch, and then allow another 2 months prior to that for developing the RAP artwork, which means you should have already engaged with an artist by mid July (roughly 15 weeks before your proposed launch).

So, the earlier you start the better, because steps 2-5 (below) will take additional time if you do them properly and give them the consideration and resources that they deserve.

2. Educate yourself so that you can have a thorough understanding of the cultural identity and protocols of the Aboriginal Nation(s) that you operate on

Aboriginal art is a deeply spiritual and emotional expression of a person’s cultural identity, connection to Country and place within their community. Every Aboriginal Nation across Australia has their own unique art styles, cultural practices, histories, languages, dreaming, lore, ceremonies, systems and protocols they follow. We are not all the same, despite the fact that we have a lot of commonalities, and it is vital that you understand this. Aboriginal culture is not a ‘one size fits all’ culture.

I encourage you to take the time to research and thoroughly understand the Nation(s) that your organisation operates on by engaging with:

• Traditional Owners

• Elders and Knowledge Holders

• Local Aboriginal Land Councils

• Local Aboriginal Corporations

• Aboriginal Education Consultative Groups (NSW and VIC only)

3. Educate yourself about Copyright Licensing to ensure that you are prepared to engage an artist in a culturally and legally ethical way

I’m not talking about copyright law as a general topic, I’m talking about copyright law as it specifically relates to First Nations art, and, believe me, the latter is unique and requires a different level of understanding. The great news is, we’ve made this one easy for you!

• Read our article, ‘Commissioning Aboriginal Art: Understanding Copyright, Licensing and Cultural Custodianship’ so that you can establish fair and ethical expectations before you begin the process of engaging an artist.

• Read our article, ‘Artwork Copyright Licensing 101: What it all means and how it works’, so that you know exactly what your options are and what kind of licensing you need before you begin the process of engaging an artist.

4. Make an informed and carefully considered decision about the artist you choose to work with

Finding an Aboriginal artist who aligns with your organisation and the intended purpose of the artwork is crucial and there are a couple of key things to consider when making your choice:

• LOCATION:
  It is absolutely vital that your commissioned artwork is an authentic reflection of the culture, Country and communities of the land(s) that you operate on:

  • Country-based: If your organisation only operates on one or several (but not all) Aboriginal Nations within one state, then you need to look for artists who are connected to at least one of those Aboriginal Nations. For example - you might operate on Wiradjuri, Gundungurra, Dharug and Dharawal Country (NSW) only, therefore the artist you choose to work with should have Aboriginal heritage from one of those Nations.

  • State-based: If your organisation is state-based (e.g. operates all over NSW but not in any other state), then you need to look for artists who have Aboriginal heritage from one of the Nations in that state.

  • Nation-based: If your organisation operates Australia-wide (e.g. more than one state or all states), then you have the flexibility to look for artists who have Aboriginal heritage from any of the Nations in those states.

• ABORIGINAL CONFIRMATION:
  First and foremost, questioning an individual’s First Nations heritage is inappropriate, however, when a specific product or service is intended to express the cultures, voices and lived experiences of First Nations peoples, you have a duty of care to ensure the product or service is delivered by a First Nations person or persons. Why? Because First Nations culture is frequently appropriated, replicated and exploited by non-Indigenous businesses and individuals on a national and international scale.

  Here’s some reputable sources that can help you do your due diligence in the sourcing/quoting/proposal stage to find the right artist to engage with:

  • Confirmation of Aboriginality: Many First Nations peoples are members of a Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) and have been issued with a formal letter stating that the individual has satisfied the criteria for Membership with that LALC. The criteria for formally recognising Aboriginality are that the person must:

    • identify as a person of Aboriginal descent;

    • present documentation identifying their family’s Aboriginal descent; and

    • be accepted by their local Aboriginal community as a person of Aboriginal descent.

    You can ask for a copy of this letter (ensure that it has the signature of the CEO and the Common Seal on it) or you can ask which Local Aboriginal Land Council the artist is a member of and contact the LALC directly for verification.

  • Supply Nation Registration or Certification: Many First Nations businesses and individuals are either Registered or Certified with Supply Nation. Supply Nation provides Australia’s leading database of verified Indigenous businesses who have already done the leg work to confirm that a business or individual qualifies for membership. You can search their database by name, service, category or location to find relevant suppliers, or you can also identify Supply Nation members by the Registered or Certified logo that may be displayed on their website or other promotional collateral (like Capability Statements).

  • State-based Indigenous Chambers of Commerce: Many First Nations businesses and individuals are members of their state’s Indigenous Chamber of Commerce which, like Supply Nation, have done the leg work to confirm that a business or individual qualifies for membership. There are many across Australia that you can contact to source verified Indigenous suppliers, including:

    • NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce

    • Kinaway Chamber of Commerce (VIC)

    • South East Queensland Indigenous Chamber of Commerce

    • The Circle First Nations Entrepreneur Hub

    • Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce

    • Noongar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WA)

  • Indigenous Art Centres: Art Centres are community organisations, owned and governed by Indigenous people. As non-profit cooperatives, Art Centres operate on a social enterprise economic model, whereby the maximum financial return of art sales is paid to First Nations artists with the remainder reinvested into the Art Centre’s operation and growth. You can find a list of Art Centres across Australia here who can help connect you with their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.

5. Budget fairly by understanding the value of First Nations art

Aboriginal artists should be paid fairly for their work, including consultation, design, final production and Copyright Licensing. Unfortunately, there is not an industry standard dollar figure for how much you should be paying to commission a First Nations artwork and then licence it because valuing art is not a straightforward, textbook process. You will experience a huge spectrum of quote amounts for this very reason, which can sometimes simply be due to artists not understanding how to value their work. Consider the following common metrics used to establish an artworks’ value when (a) understanding the different price points that artists stipulate in their quotes, and (b) deciding whether what you are willing to pay is fair:

• Artists’ reputation: what stage is the artist up to in their career? You may receive lower quotes from emerging artists, slightly more for a mid-career artist and higher again for established artists. Well-known and highly sought-after artists can command higher prices for their work.

• Impact Return on Investment (IROI): RAPs are all about taking meaningful action to create lasting change, so a First Nations artwork’s value should take into consideration the emotional, psychological, social, relational, systemic, political and cultural outcomes that can be achieved as a direct result of commissioning the artwork and using it for the agreed purposes.

• Rarity: a commissioned First Nations artwork is rare, it’s a one-of-a-kind - created specifically for you by one of only a small percentage of artists Australia-wide who have the right to create it (First Nations peoples) - and thus commands a high price due to its scarcity.

• Cultural or historical significance: as mentioned in the point above, only First Nations people can create and be financially compensated for First Nations art. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples always have and always will be the sole custodians of their culture (traditional symbols, stories, songs, dances, rituals, laws and kinship systems) and have the sole rights to express, protect and share their cultural heritage on their own terms. When a First Nations artist agrees to create an artwork for you, you should consider it a privilege, not a commodity. You are being given the privilege of becoming an honorary caretaker of a piece of 65,000+ years worth of history, knowledge, stories and connections, from the oldest living culture on the planet.

• Scale: the size of an artwork can be a determinant for its value. If you are commissioning a painting that is exceptionally large, you should expect to pay more for it. So what about a digital artwork? If you are commissioning a digital artwork, it should be supplied to you in a vector format. A vector is an image that can be made infinitely large without losing image quality, but not only that, it can also be edited to the degree that every line, dot and symbol within the artwork can be isolated from the rest of the artwork and used on its own. So, considering these features, a digital vector artwork should have a higher value than the biggest canvas painting that money can buy.

• Artists’ investment: in order to create your unique piece of art, the artist will invest not just their time, but also their cultural knowledge, artistic skills, consumables, location costs (rent and electricity), tools, equipment and software.

The bottom line is, wherever possible, you should be upfront about your allocated budget, because the artist is deciding whether to work with you just as much as you are deciding if you want to work with them. If you don’t have a budget, you need to be prepared to navigate the pricing spectrum from artists’ quotes in a respectful and fair way. If you like the artistic style of the artist who gave you the cheapest quote, that doesn’t mean you need to pay them the price that they quoted you; if you received 3 quotes, take an average from those 3 prices and offer that amount to the artist who gave you the lowest quote (if they are the one you want to work with). On the other hand, if you like the artistic style of the artist who gave you the highest quote, they are under no obligation to discount their price because it’s likely that they may be at a later stage in their career and are in high demand.

Lastly, recognising and valuing the artist’s time, knowledge, and skill is a fundamental part of ethical engagement, so I urge you:

• DO NOT expect ‘free’ or underpaid work in exchange for ‘exposure’.

• DO NOT ask an artist to submit a design concept as part of their proposal if you aren’t willing to compensate them for it. You should be able to choose an artist based solely on their portfolio of previous works.
  

Final Thoughts

An Aboriginal artwork for your RAP is more than just a visual element—it’s a representation of cultural respect, partnership, and commitment to reconciliation. By approaching the process with integrity, respect, and careful planning, you ensure that the experience is positive and beneficial for both your organisation and the artist. Take the time to do it right, and the result will be a meaningful and lasting contribution to your reconciliation journey.