Look for and purchase from members of the Indigenous Art Code (IartC). Dealer members of the Indigenous Art Code must adhere to, and demonstrate a commitment to, upholding the ethical standards laid out in the Code.

We encourage consumers, irrespective of where and how they purchase artwork (in person or online), to do their research, inform themselves about the artists and their communities and to ask questions.

Three good questions to start with are: 

1. Who is the artist?
2. Where is the artist from?
3. How does the artist get paid?

~ If the artwork is a reproduction, which might include homewares and textiles, how are royalties or licensing fees paid to the artist?

~ Is there a licensing agreement in place with the artist? 

~ How long has the business been in operation? If the business suddenly appeared from nowhere, where were they, or what name were they trading under, before?

~ Is the business a member of the Indigenous Art Code? If yes, you know it has agreed to follow the guidelines of the Code.

~ How was the artwork or product supplied to the gallery or shop for purchase- is it on consignment, or does the seller own the artwork? Consignment means the dealer has not bought the artwork upfront, the artist still owns the artwork and the dealer has an agreement with the artist to pay a set percentage of the retail price once the artwork is sold. If the dealer owns the artwork the artist has less, or often no, control over what price it is sold to you for.

Some things to look out for which may be indicators of unethical dealing can include:

• A lack of artist attribution. An artwork should always be accompanied by clear acknowledgement of the artist/s who created it, whether it is an original work of art or a reproduction. For example, merchandise such as bags, scarves, jewellery, homewares and artefacts that are manufactured overseas and do not attribute an artist are cause for concern.
• If the dealer is trying to prove the provenance of artworks using photos of artists holding the work, rather than official certificates of authenticity.
  

• A dealer’s willingness to ‘do a deal for you’. Ethical galleries usually use a sales model that returns a consistent percentage to the art centre and artist. Offering a significant discount to close the sale can be a red flag- who wears the price reduction, the dealer or the artist?

If a dealer is not open with you about how they source artwork or their relationship with the artist, and they are unwilling to answer your questions, it may be a signal to walk away.