It's not easy being arty

By ANGELA McCARTHY

Painter Trenton Garratt, 24, has given himself 10 years to make a decent living.

When he completed his fine arts degree at Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design last year he worked two days a week at Urban Arthaus, a gallery for new artists.

Now the gallery has temporarily closed while looking for new premises. Itching to spend more time in the studio, Garratt "took a big gulp" and went painting full time.

Budgeting is all important - no movies, budget loo paper, no car and sharing a cheap studio in Henderson Valley with his partner, fine arts student Danijela Vitasovich.

Although emerging artists can now register as job seekers under Work and Income New Zealand's Pathways to Arts and Cultural Employment (PACE) scheme, Garratt wants to avoid Winz unless he has health problems or can't make enough money.

He had no sales during his first month solo but he sold a painting worth around $3000 just before Urban Arthaus closed. Two-thirds went on living expenses, one-third on materials, says Garratt, who has a $60,000 student loan.

Materials are costly. A canvas costs between $14 and $30 and a stretcher between $50 and $200. He estimates that after his time for research, drawing and painting, a piece of art that sells for $2000 probably works out to $3 an hour.

But he does sell and is meeting dealer galleries to find someone to represent him. It will work, he says, because he is disciplined.

That discipline is essential, says Giles Peterson, independent curator, art dealer and lecturer at Whitecliffe, who most recently curated Robyn Kahukiwa's Mauri Ora exhibition.

"Artists need ability but they also need to believe in themselves. If you can't deliver the goods, no matter how good, you can forget it."

Through Whitecliffe business courses, Peterson pushes students to be entrepreneurial, write business plans and applications, chase sponsorships and network. He encourages final-year students to pre-plan events for the following year.

"One of the best tracks is to initiate group projects in alternative spaces and get the right people coming along. It is about targeting and being vigilant about management."

While exhibitions provide exposure, they cost. There is documentation of work, conservation, freight, storage and insurance. Photography for promotional images can cost around $100 an hour.

A few galleries charge 33.3 per cent commission (most charge 40 per cent) for their space, hanging expertise, opening costs, mail-outs and promotion.

"But they have to make a living and can have high rentals and advertising costs. Often galleries run exhibitions that put food on the table and show experimental work around that."

Money often comes from other jobs - multitasking is fine if it is part of your plan, says Peterson. For some, teaching becomes a second career, although he warns a balance is needed between teaching and art practise.

Multitasking sums up Melanie Hamilton's life since graduating from the New Zealand School of Dance in 1991. She is producer, lighting operator, designer, performer and publicist for Barbarian Productions.

Hamilton and Jo Randerson are creators of biting, humorous shows that have won awards at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Fringe Festival. They're good, yet money is always tight.

Owning a house is beyond dreams for thirty-something Hamilton, but she's not complaining.

"We've made a commitment to a different lifestyle and it is a privilege to contribute to society like we do. We receive huge personal satisfaction."

Making the most of services like BizInfo and trade and enterprise courses is vital, says Hamilton, who wrote a Working Guide for New Zealand Dancers for Dance Aotearoa New Zealand.

DANZ executive director Philip Tremewan says the guide, which covers the gap between learning to dance and creating a business, looks at everything from marketing and funding to health and fitness.

"Staying healthy is critical for dancers, who pummel their bodies. The life of a dancer on stage is also comparatively short - they usually give up by the late 30s."

Mentoring and business workshops are also offered by DANZ. "Tax and GST can be complicated for people going from job to job so we discuss simple guidelines."

There are only four full-time dance companies in New Zealand - Black Grace, Footnote Dance Company, Tahurangi Maori Dance and the Royal New Zealand Ballet - plus dozens of companies working project by project, which can be difficult to sustain financially, says Tremewan.

However, other viable career paths exist for those who love to dance. Production managers and marketers are in big demand, and health and dance is another small but growing area, says Tremewan.

"Dance is seen as a way to keep a healthy body. People like music and getting their body moving."

* A Creative New Zealand poll that canvassed 1010 painters, writers, singers and actors this year found most earned less than the country's median income and had to subsidise their work with other jobs.

Nearly three-quarters were self employed or freelancing compared with 13 per cent of the general labour force. 46

Creative New Zealand

Dance Aotearoa New Zealand

Work and Income New Zealand