Do want to find out more about insurance for art and artists?

  • Do you need insurance for your art, artistic assets or artist's studio?
  • Are you exhibiting your art - and need insurance?
  • ​Are you planning an art class and need insurance for public liability?
  • Are you working from home - and need to ensure you don't invalidate you domestic cover?
  • Are you opening an art school and need full cover for all relevant risks and liabilities
  • Are you opening an art gallery and want full cover for all business risks?
  • Are you moving your art - and need cover for transportation?
  • Do you need insurance for an art installation?
  • Do you need insurance cover for an art collection - but haven't got a clue where to start looking?

In Summary - what this site covers

This site aims to
  • Provide insurance information for artists and art collectors - assemble links to all current and relevant resources about insurance for art and artists and art collectors on the Internet
  • Make insurance information for artists geographically relevant - organise information about insurance for art and artists by country. 
  • ​Highlight insurance specifically designed for artists and art collectors - Over time, I also aim to try and crowd-source recommendations about different insurers - and which to avoid.
​
Contents are listed below....
Together with a note about what this site NOT cover!
What aspects of your art and art business do you insure?
The results of very first Insurance for Artists Poll on my blog - 43% of bloggers have no insurance for anything related to art or their activities as an artist (From "What aspects of your art and art business do you insure?" 30 Mar 2012)

Contents of this page

WHAT SORT OF INSURANCE DOES AN ARTIST NEED?
​
Overview of different types of insurance relevant to art and artists
  • insurance for an artist's assets and art business liabilities
  • public liability insurance relating to third parties
  • specialist insurance for artists - e.g. in relation to an art installation
  • specialist insurance for art businesses
Plus notes on common uninsured risks e.g.
  • under-insurance and
  • failure to properly protect assets from known risks
PRACTICAL REALITIES - and WHY YOU NEED INSURANCE - if you need reminding
​
Stories from scenes of fire, flooding and tornadoes affecting artists, art schools and art galleries.

Plus case studies, images and videos.

INSURANCE: INFORMATION AND ONLINE ADVICE

More about insurance for art, artists and the art business
COMPENDIUM: INSURANCE POLICIES 

Check out what insurance policies for artists and art collections are available...
In the UK
  • Art Insurance Policies - UK
In Ireland 
  • Art Insurance in Ireland
In North America
  • Art and Artist Insurance Policies - USA
  • Art and Artist Insurance Policies - Canada
  • Health Insurance for Artists - USA
  • BOOKS: Learn about Insurance
  • Insurance for Art Collections
  • Insurance for Art Galleries and Art Fairs

What this site does NOT cover

PLEASE NOTE:
  • I do NOT provide insurance 
  • I do NOT sell policies
  • I do NOT provide quotes
  • I do NOT offer advice as to the most appropriate insurance strategy or policies for YOU. Guidelines are generic i.e. general.
  • I am NOT liable for any problems you have as a result of reading this page or any site it links to. YOU make the decisions not me.
I'm in the same boat as you - just looking to see what's out there.

The only difference between you and me is that I created a website which tries to pull relevant information together in one place!  

This site might help you but it can't provide definitive answers to all situations. I also cannot advise you on your personal situations

Only you can satisfy yourself as to what insurance cover you need and whether the policy you buy does all it needs to.
PLEASE NOTE
I don't know which adverts you see (Google tailors them to you and YOU control what you see)
I do not specifically endorse any services offered by advertisements.
I'm also not responsible in any way for the services provided at the other end of a link.

INSURANCE FOR ARTWORK, ARTISTS & YOUR ART BUSINESS

Types of insurance relevant to artwork and artists
​

What sort of insurance does an artist need? 
​
These are some of the different types of insurance which artists might need - depending on:
  • what they do
  • how they work
  • the assets they own or use
  • the liabilities they have to third parties - in terms of public and professional
  • the extent to which they allow access by third parties to their studios and other spaces they own or rent and
  • the country they live in!
Below you will find explanations of the different types of insurance, what risks they cover and why you may need them.

What do you insure as an artist?
​

Artists take a variety of approaches to the insurance of their work.

​However I now know four artists who have lost their studios and everything in it to catastrophic events - and it makes you think and reassess just what should be covered.
(see below for their stories)
Try the Poll (in the yellow box) and see how you compare to other artists. 
  • You can choose multiple responses
  • Check the responses to date (see right of Vote button)​
  • View charts from past polls (further down this page)
ADVERT

ARTIST - Assets
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ART BUSINESS - Liabilities
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ARTWORK - Despatch
Insurance depends on
  • how you transport your artwork
  • what you terms you state in your invoice / note of consignment
  • despatch of artwork to/from client or exhibition (domestic or international)

ARTWORK - Exhibition
You need insurance for artwork that is consigned to:
  • a gallery - whether or not it is on display (ie gallery owner or exhibition organiser who does not own artwork and accepts no responsibility for insurance)
  • an exhibition - in a gallery and/or run by an art competition or art society. 

THE ARTISTS STUDIO
Insurance for the structure and facilities
  • at home (ie separate workspace at home and not residential - and hence not covered by a domestic policy)
  • in a leased unit (with/without insurance in the rent)
Note that some artists report that it's very difficult to get insurance for studios which are NOT built using noncombustible materials

ART MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
As we all know art materials and equipment are sometimes far from cheap - and accidents do happen
  • accidental damage to art materials and/or equipment
  • dispatch of art materials to another country
ART SPACE WITH VISITS FROM THE PUBLIC (eg Art Gallery; Artist's Studio)
The following require public liability insurance (see below for more details)
  • a dedicated art gallery
  • artists own studio - used for open studios / clients visiting studio

See What happens if you break an artwork? - the professional response from most museums is they call in the insurers and they pay to fix the artwork

ARTIST RUN WORKSHOPS AND ART CLASSES
  • 3rd party public liability insurance cover for host premises (included in the rental or not)
  • 3rd party public liability for students in art workshops you're running
  • students' insurance (make sure they bring their own!)

COMMISSIONS - PUBLIC INSTALLATIONS
cover for the risks associated with:
  • completing commissions to deadline
  • liability for health and safety of the public

PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY
  • professional indemnity insurance for those providing professional advice

PRODUCT LIABILITY
  • indemnity insurance for those providing an artistic product and/or installation (e.g. re. health and safety)

ARTISTS AS EMPLOYERS
  • employer liability if employing e.g. studio assistants
REFERENCE
  • Buying insurance? Be certain you understand it | Be Smart about Art - explains why the insurance you have may not cover everything you think it does - and why you need to think carefully about what you need and read the small print

Public Liability Insurance (UK)

Legal aspects of your 'duty of care' - covering your liability as an artist towards third parties - will vary from country to country.
Below is an overview of the situation in the UK.

What is Public Liability Insurance?

This covers you for your legal liabilities if you cause any injury to people (including death) and/or damage to the property of third parties. These liabilities usually arise when people are working in and/or present in a property (including the associated land) where you have a legal duty of care to provide a safe and healthy environment.

Your artwork might also cause injury or death or damage and public liability insurance also covers this - including the installed artwork for those who commissioned it.
Why does an artist need public liability insurance?

To be able to work or hold any activities in any public space - or a space which members of the public can access (eg open studios, workshops in the artists studio) you must have public liability cover. If renting the space this is often a condition of the rental.

Unless you can provide adequate cover, you will will be unable to work or deliver activities in any public space (eg live events) or any space which members of the public can access

If you own the space you can risk being sued for injury or death or damage if anything untoward were to happen. Public Liability Insurance cover often runs to millions of pounds.
Information about Public Liability Insurance
This was the result of an earlier version of this poll. Note the score for Public Liability Insurance!
Picture
Results of POLL: Being an Artist - what do you insure? (Version #1)

Specialist Insurance for Artists
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Specialist Insurance for Art Businesses
HEALTH INSURANCE FOR ARTISTS 
(e.g. for those who don't have access to the NHS in the UK)
  • Working with hazardous materials
  • Payment of bills for healthcare




Issues:
• Cover for breakage/damage depends on
• how well you packed (take a photo)
• how it is handled – insurance provided by
mover
• Proof of Valuation
• Documentary evidence 
BUSINESS INTERRUPTION / REVENUE PROTECTION FOR ARTISTS
  • Indemnity if you are the main breadwinner and you are unable to work and/or you are suffering a business interruption due to a major loss/damage to your art materials and artwork eg due to fire

VEHICLE INSURANCE
  • Use of a vehicle for business purposes. Note if you are using the domestic family car for business purposes and have not declared this you could find you don't have any insurance cover in the event of an accident or incident

GOODS IN TRANSIT
  • Usually supplied by firm hired to transport your artwork. However if hiring your own van and/or transporting your own artwork this is the cover needed for anything that happens in transit
  • ​Theft of artwork or equipment or materials from unattended vehicles 
Covers business items being moved from one place to another from theft, loss or damage

REALLY IMPORTANT!!  Risks not covered by Insurance
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UNDERINSURANCE
  • Failing to value the whole risk covered by the insurance for an adequate sum. You are underinsured when (1) the sum insured (i.e. the maximum payout in the event of total loss) is less than (2) the value of the items/business insured (i.e. you can't cut costs by failing to obtain a proper valuation for insurance purposes)
  • Artwork completed and not yet sold only has a hypothetical value. You need evidence of past sales to justify stock loss
FAILURE TO PROTECT PROPERTY
If a property is in an area known to be at risk from a flood then the assumption is made that assets (e.g. artwork and art materials) are stored off the floor

The practical realities - if you should need reminding...
​

If you're not one for putting your head in the sand....

Here are some stories of the practical realities faced by artists, art schools and art galleries when disaster stared them in the face.
I highlighted most of the stories below on my blog when it happened because it seemed to me everybody needs to remember that one day it could be YOU!

FIRE

Picture
Firefighting, Glasgow School of Art. Source: Wikimedia Commons

FIRE: CASE STUDY - Art School UK

FIRE: CASE STUDY - Art School USA
In 2014, fire raged through the iconic Grade A Listed Mackintosh building of the Glasgow School of Art designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. After the fire they had a very major project to work out how to reinstate this iconic building - and how to raise the funds to do this.
On 13th February 2013, The Pratt Institute in New York was seriously damaged by fire which took nearly 170 firefighters to extinguish. It destroyed the studios of the Fine Art Seniors and their artwork for their senior projects. The Institute focused on resilience and reputational issues as well as the need to rebuild.

FIRE: CASE STUDY - Art School UK

On the night of 15/16 June 2018, fire AGAIN raged through the Mackintosh Building at the Glasgow School of Art (see ANOTHER Major Fire at Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art). It lost its roof and top floors - and all the refurbishment done after the last fire in 2014.

Questions will be asked as to what additional fire protection and precautions had been added after the last fire....
Picture
Aerial view of what remains of the Mackintosh Building after the fire in June 2018 - released by Police Scotland

FIRE: CASE STUDY - Artist USA

What on earth do you grab when you think ... maybe ... your house will burn down??? I grabbed:
1. my computer
2. my purse (with new iphone)
3. some clean underwear
4. all my small paintings
.....The good news is, we have fire insurance.
Carol Marine
Carol Marine (Painting a Day) and her family used to live in Texas - until a fire storm burned down their house and her newly built studio and all her materials and equipment on 4th September 2011. They got out with minutes to spare.  This is their story.
  • Before the Fire and Update cover the fire.
  • Building My Studio is so sad. It covers the process of building the studio and includes photographs of how much is left after a fire burns everything to the ground.
  • Her husband then wrote about Our Plans and their move to Oregon.
  • The aftermath goes on for a long time - and a lot of it is good! Her family lived in a camper for a whole month after the fire and then Carol recorded her family's subsequent move to Oregon, finding a new home, getting her studio back in action and her new life in A New Beginning.
If they didn't have fire insurance it could have been very different.

Artist Proof Studio burned to the ground on March 9, 2003, ten years after its founding, Artist Proof Studio burned to the ground.
Picture
All that remains of Carol's brand new studio after the fire. Her home was also levelled. They had insurance to start again...

WIND & WATER DAMAGE - HURRICANES, TORNADOES, FLOODING

TORNADO: CASE STUDY

it took only seconds to blow our house apart, snap off every one of our beautiful  oaks, flatten the surrounding forest, sweep away the barn, trash both vehicles, and bury everything we own under a mountain of debris.
Debby Kaspari
Debby Kaspari is an artist who draws birds (see Drawing the Motmot). She lost her home and studio in Oklahoma on 10th May 2010 due to an EF4 tornado which was half a mile wide and travelling at 60mph. She and partner were prepared and survived in their underground steel box in their garage floor. She wrote about the experience  in a short series of posts which graphically illustrate why "total destruction" needs to be considered to be a practical reality
Picture
Debbi Kaspari's home in shambles under fallen tree trunks, branches and crowns.

HURRICANES, FLOODING & WATER DAMAGE: CASE STUDIES
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Below you can see articles and images relating to destruction associated with:
  • Superstorm Sandy (2012) - which hit art galleries in New York very badly
  • Hurricane Harvey (2017) which hit artists homes / stock / studios in the southern states of the USA
  • Hurricane Irma (2017) which hit artists homes / stock / studios in Florida

Many dealers are not openly discussing their losses pending talks with restorers, insurance agents and lawyers, not to mention artists.
Insurance companies now routinely send engineers to individual galleries, and have specific requirements about conditions. ​
...premiums will likely vary on a number of factors.  These include the type of art (some types being more fragile than others), the geographic location (risk of flood, hurricane, or wildfire), the specific location (public display or private collection), whether the art is stored in a vacant facility or not, and how frequently the art will be moved.  Lexology
“Climate change is a great concern to the art insurance industry, particularly because of the hurricanes we are seeing,”
Colin Quinn, director of claims management at AXA Art Insurance.
New York Art Galleries were hit hard by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 when it flooded the city - reaching five feet in depth in some of the Chelsea streets where many art galleries were located.  Afterwards the priorities were renovation of the buildings and restoration of the art
TIPS FOR ARTISTS, ART GALLERIES AND ART COLLECTORS
  1. Don't Cut Corners
  2. Artists Studios need insurance too
  3. Mediate Risk with Design and a Disaster Plan
  4. Risk Allocation: Know Who’s Responsible, and When
  5. Cooperate With Your Insurance Company
  6. Appraise Your “Assets” Regularly
  7. Help Each Other Out
Read the stories behind these tips in The Art of Art Insurance: A Practical Guide for Artists, Galleries, and Collectors ​ 

Did you know that if the artist is still living that only they can determine whether and how the artwork is repaired?

FLOODING CASE STUDY - HOUSTON
Houston Art Galleries were prepared for the devastating rain and flooding associated with Hurricane Harvey.
Houston Artists were less prepared. Many have suffered significant losses of artwork, materials and studios.  Many don't have insurance to help support their recovery. However the local arts groups have rallied around and are supporting artists getting back on their feet

FLOODING CASE STUDY - HURRICANE IRMA

Insurers are getting more savvy about how to protect their clients from submitting huge insurance claims!
Believing that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, some insurers will send in specialists to prepare a home for disaster, for instance, while others will pay to move valuables out of harm’s way.
New York Times
Museums and cultural institutions across Miami are preparing as well, announcing widespread closures and watching the weather in advance of potential landfall. .... museums in Miami have well-developed plans for securing and transporting artworks in the event of extreme weather.
Artsy
In general, artists had better warnings about what they needed to think about both before and after the flooding associated with recent hurricanes.
​Below is a very useful video about what to do if a flood damages your studio - including WARNINGS about the risks associated with floods (e.g. toxic mould which can damage your lungs)
A flood is not water. A flood is a toxic substance usually. 
Protect yourself video

GOODS IN TRANSIT
​

This insurance is typically only available from specialist insurers whose customers are the couriers and haulage forms which typically transport goods and need insurance against theft, loss or damage.
To establish a claim re damage you need:
  • a valuation - by a reputable source
  • evidence of proper packing. Photograph how you pack artwork before it moves
  • evidence that the exhibition or gallery packed your artwork according to you instructions/specification. If you didn't provide these you might be held responsible if anything gets damaged.

Insurance: Information & Advice 

Posts providing information and advice for artists about insurance are few and far between - hence why this resource was developed in the first place. As I find new and useful links to advice online I'll be adding them into this section.

Making A Mark: insurance for art, artists and the art business
More about insurance for art at peril from the weather / natural environment
  • Shielding Art From Wicked Weather | | Risk and Insurance (By: Steve Yahn October 15, 2015)  - In response to a need to protect fine art and other collectibles from natural catastrophes, the art warehouse industry is on the rise. 
More about insurance for artists and art businesses
More about insurance for art being transported
  • Art on the Move | Risk and Insurance (By: Steve Yahn April 8, 2015) - Underwriting the transportation of fine art is tricky, but some large insurers are keeping the market covered. 
federal law permits interstate freight carriers to limit their responsibility to a nominal sum even when the damage is caused by their negligence

COMPENDIUM: INSURANCE POLICIES for artists and art collections

Over time, I aim to try and crowd-source recommendations about different insurers - and which to avoid.  If you have any specific recommendations please email me (see form at end)

Below you can find links to information about:
  • Insurance for artists based in the UK
  • Insurance for art collections based in the UK
  • Insurance for artists based in the USA
DISCLAIMER:
The inclusion of a link to a website does NOT endorse or otherwise indicate the organisation provides either a reputable and effective service.

However one has to start somewhere when inviting quotes!

Insurance: Artists based in the UK
​

These are links to sites which state they provide insurance for artists in the UK

There are two main routes to insurance tailored for artists
  • use an artists organisation that has negotiated good rates via a broker for specialised insurance for art and artists
  • use a specialist arts insurance broker - and get a quote direct​​

Insurance for art in exhibitions

One insurance policy below will provide insurance for the art of overseas artists while it is in an exhibition in the UK - see Society for All Artists
INSURANCE ORGANISED BY ARTIST ORGANISATIONS

A-n The Artists Information Company

In the UK, a-n are a very helpful resource on all matters related to insurance for professional artists - IF you are a member. They've partnered with brokers Hencilla Canworth to develop a range of options and try and secure a better deal for professional artists.
  • Insurance Section - a-n - they have developed a range of insurances for Artist and Arts organiser members. Covers Artists' Public and Products Liability insurance (PPL) - £5m PPL insurance cover is included with Artist + AIR membership; ​Artists' insurance policy (AIP) | Insurance | AIR | a-n - For Artist + AIR members wishing to buy additional insurance such as for artwork and materials, studio and contents, and employers’ liability; ​One-off Exhibition Policy - available to members of a-n only; brokers Hencilla Canworth Ltd and a-n have developed this One-off exhibition insurance policy for practising visual and applied artists wishing to insure their work whilst in transit to and from and whilst on display at an exhibition.
  • Creative Freelance Insurance Policy for members of a-n's Arts Organisers scheme | Hencilla Canworth - Low Cost Public Liability & Professional Indemnity Insurance For Self-Employed Arts Professionals. Also available to those with an insured occupation for the purposes of this insurance i.e. Directing, curating, commissioning, managing, coordinating, producing, acting as agent for, consulting on, or assisting with the creating of arts and cultural activities including but not limited to public and community art, arts education and interpretation, galleries and exhibitions, festivals and events, studios and workshops, digital developments, professional development and training, public relations, marketing and audience development, fundraising and sponsorship.
  • Get covered: why artists need to have insurance and how a-n can help | News | a-n - a-n's Director outlines why making sure you're properly covered is essential for every practising artist.
Working with specialist brokers Hencilla Canworth,  a-n has developed a range of insurances including professional indemnity and public liability for Artist and Arts organiser members based in UK.
Artists Union
Axisweb

Axis is a UK registered charity. It works to enable the public to have a better understanding and appreciation of artists. It works with members and partners to promote artists, champion their talents and create new opportunities. They have different classes of members. Being a member means being able to access a wide range of benefits to support artists throughout their career cycle.
Axisweb Membership ...includes FREE Public & Product Liability Insurance. And you get FREE Professional Indemnity Insurance. Plus it's underwritten by Hiscox.
Guild Society for Artists
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  • GSA Insurance Scheme - the Guild Society for Artists have partnered with Hiscox to provide insurance for artists IF you are a member of the Guild. It provides automatic £5,000,000 Public & Products liability and £5,000,000 Professional Indemnity insurance cover. Other requirements of professional artists are covered through their comprehensive scheme - but this attracts a fee albeit with a 10% discount.
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The Society for All Artists
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  • Society For All Artists (SAA) Exhibition Insurance - Insurance offered related to paintings in exhibitions and third party liability. Different levels of insurance offered to members for different premiums. Those exhibiting regularly have recommended the Gold Level to me which provides cover for paintings valued at up to £10,000 in an exhibition. A Platinum level is also available offering insurance up to £30k. Overseas members can also get insurance for their art in exhibitions - but only while that art is in the UK
  • SAA | Insurance | Art Clubs
    Offers Third Party Public Liability Insurance, directors and officers insurance and cover against libel and slander.
The SAA have negotiated £10 million of third party public liability insurance package, which is included as a membership benefit for all UK art club members. If you hold meetings, events, exhibitions, outings, demonstrations or workshops in your homes, the village hall, church hall, school room or any other place indoors or outside, art committee members could be liable if your group does not have third party public liability insurance.
Scottish Artists Union
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ART INSURANCE ORGANISED BY INSURANCE BROKERS

Specialist Arts Insurance Brokers
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  • Hencilla Canworth are an insurance intermediary with a specialism in the arts (artists, actors, musicians etc). They provide Comprehensive insurance for practising visual and applied artists. Available cover includes Artwork & Materials Insurance, Studio Contents / Buildings, Business Interruption and Employers' & Public Liability. They also provide Creative Freelance Insurance and Insurance for Gallery / Exhibition Insurance; Art dealers and Directors & Officers Liability / Trustees Indemnity
  • Hencilla Canworth - The Artists Insurance Policy - covers artwork (in progress, completed, in storage, transit and at exhibition), studio, business interruption, employers liability and public liability. Some options available to a-n members only
  • Brownhill - Love Art Insurance - Covers Art Collector Insurance; Art Gallery Insurance; Art Exhibition Insurance; Art Fair Insurance; Art Professionals Insurance; Art Restorer and Conservator Insurance. Includes cover for Stock (works of art, collectables, gallery stock and reference library) against loss or damage whilst at your premises, at exhibitions, trade fairs and auction houses (50% of art sum insured free of charge), at other locations, in transit worldwide (including war and terrorism as per relevant International Underwriting Association clauses)
Insurance Brokers and Companies​
​See also more brokers under the Working from Home section below

Insurance - Working from Home

Working from home may
  • involve activities not covered by your domestic insurance.
  • invalidate your domestic buildings and contents insurance

For example: third party public liability arises if people have an accident in your home (eg during tuition provided at home; visitors to your home studio). They are NOT there as domestic visitors and covered by you home insurance. They are there because of your business and hence you're NOT covered by your house insurance - and indeed you may be invalidating your house insurance by running a business from home

Then there's
  • employers’ liability insurance - if you employ anybody to help you
  • cover for all business oriented equipment and stock kept at home (i.e. non-domestic contents)
  • cover for goods in transit or products liability

Don't forget - dealing with the insurance aspects does not mean you have addressed all the other relevant matters such as planning permission; mortgagor or leaseholder consent and tax implications on sale of your house (see Selling Art from Home)
DO NOT FORGET TO READ THE SMALL PRINT!
Even if you secure insurance for working from home, you have not finished.

Check whether the domestic insurer for your house and contents is happy with this. I recommend you start by reading all the small print and the statements you make in agreeing to insurance cover to ensure that one does not invalidate the other!

Why? If you don't tell your insurer re buildings and contents that you work from home and you make a claim in the future, the insurance company may decide not to pay out.

Check whether any agreement or discounted price ties you to an insurer for a specific time period longer than a year.

Why? You pay far more than you need to for longer than you need to.

REFERENCE

A number of the well-used comparison sites can highlight those who provide insurance for working from home
I'm trying to develop a listing of insurers who deal with artists working from home

In addition, these came from a discussion in the Facebook Art Fair Buddies Group

Insurance - Commissions / Public Art

A very specialist area of art insurance relates to:
  • the delivery of artwork for corporate commissions and/or
  • public art installations

You cannot assume that an insurer covering art will automatically provide this cover.

As an artist you also need to be very clear as to who is liable (the artist or the commissioner) for what aspects of damage covered by insurance
e.g. failure to deliver to 'time is of the essene' deadline and damage to the art after installation.

If you are liable as an artist then the cost of the insurance premiums rolling forward need to be prived into the quotation given for the piece.
REFERENCE:
ADVERT

Insurance: Art Collections based in the UK
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THis section provides information about insurance for artwork and Art Collections

You need to read your home insurance policy and determine whether or not it covers fine art. It's entirely possible that it wholly excluded or subject to some sort of other restriction

If you envisage you will ever make a claim you must have good records  and ideally these MUST be available away from your home (eg in the cloud). On your computer is not much good if it's currently under water!
​
TIPS:
  • Be aware that an art collection grows to the point where its value exceeds the cover provided by general domestic insurance 
  • Avoid underinsurance due to many small changes over time - inform your insurer of new acquisitions within 60 days of your purchase
  • review valuations periodically - to take account of changes in the value of artwork by different artists
  • insure for retail replacement value (if appropriate)
REFERENCE
  • Should your artwork be insured? | Forbes - it's estimated that the premium value of insured art globally was somewhere between $500 million and $1 billion. If those estimates are right, there's a lot of uninsured art out there
  • Top tips for insuring artwork | Financial Times - Ensure you have the right cover for collectables
INSURERS
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  • Bespoke Insurance | Cambridge Art Insurance - Insure fine art across the UK
  • Insurance for Art Collections | Hiscox - This type of insurance covers your ‘visual arts’ collection;  basically, flat works that hang on the wall. (oils, watercolours, gouache, pastel and mixed mediums, sketches, drawings and artists’ prints, like etchings, silk screen prints, woodcuts, engravings, lithographs and printed posters).  
  • Art Insurance | Hiscox UK - Home Insurance which doesn't require separate cover for each individual piece and allows you to display your art.

Insurance: Art Galleries and Art Fairs in the UK
​

This section is about commercial insurance specifically designed for art galleries.

Many artists run art galleries alongside their own practice and, if you do, you must think about the implications for insurance cover - specifically in relation to
  • third parties and
  • negligence.

REFERENCE
  • Commercial Galleries Insurance | Axa Art Insurance - two types of policy: one which deals specifically with dealer's stock and a second which deals with stock and employers and Public Liability and Loss of Income. Wording in Policy cover documents available to download
  • Art Gallery Insurance | Alan-Thomas - bespoke art gallery insurance product can be tailored to suit the individual needs of galleries in the UK; covers a wide range of relevant options e.g. goods in transit; fairs and exhibitions; business interruption
  • Art Gallery Insurance | Brownhill Loveartinsurance - comprehensive support for businesses in the art trade, helping customers look at their security and contents needs and risks. Also provides Art Fair Insurance Provides insurance cover for the higher risks associated with art fairs
  • Art Gallery Insurance | Clegg Gifford - - covers legal liability to clients, visitors and damage to artwork resulting from negligent acts. Gets a high rating from reviews (see bottom of page)

Insurance for moving art
  • One-off Exhibition Policy - available to members of a-n only; brokers Hencilla Canworth Ltd and a-n have developed this One-off exhibition insurance policy for practising visual and applied artists wishing to insure their work whilst in transit to and from and whilst on display at an exhibition.

Insurance for artists based in Ireland
​

Insurance for Artists by Visual Artists Ireland provides information and recommendations about insurance brokers in Ireland who deal with artists

Insurance for artists based in the USA
​

These are links to sites which state they provide insurance for artists in the USA

American Crafts Council
  • American Craft Council Member Insurance Program - American Craft Council members have unique insurance needs. The ACC Insurance Program understands these needs and can provide members with access to innovative, industry specific insurance products and coverage at an affordable cost.
U.S. Companies which specialise in artists

Healthcare Insurance for artists in the USA
​

These are links to:
  • sites discussing affordable care and health insurance for artists in the USA
  • sites which state they provide help to artists who have health insurance needs

Affordable Care - Information

This section looks at the issues associated with the The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or "ObamaCare". This requires every American to carry health insurance or face a tax penalty. Health insurance is also supposed to become more affordable - and Insurance companies should no longer be able to deny coverage for any reason. 
Affordable Care - Insurance

Would you care to share?
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QUERIES:  
Do you have any queries about insurance for art and artists?
(I can't promise to be able to provide answers but your questions will help inform the development of this page.)


RECOMMENDATIONS:  
Do you know of any companies or sites which you would be happy to recommend?
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Header Image: Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash
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