About the Artists’ Collecting Society

Artists’ Collecting Society was set up in 2006 as a not-for-profit company dedicated to the administration of Artist’s Resale Right.

ACS was formed as a Community Interest Company because we operate solely for the benefit of our member artists. We deduct a 15% commission from royalty payments to cover our administrative costs. Any surplus income is locked into the company for the benefit of our members and the wider artistic community. To read more about the projects ACS sponsors please visit our news page.

ACS represents over 500 artists and artists’ estates. Our members range from well known artists such as Frank Auerbach, Howard Hodgkin, Paula Rego and Christopher Le Brun, to artists whose work has only recently started to sell on the UK secondary market including Phoebe Unwin, Stuart Pearson Wright and Martino Gamper.

How does ACS operate?

  • We use a variety of methods to trace sales of our members’ artworks including searching online databases and sales catalogues and scanning the art press. The professional working relationship we have established with dealers, agents and auction houses helps our skilled rights experts to monitor the resale of ACS members throughout Europe.
  • Our members list is published on our website and is sent quarterly to all Art Market Professionals (AMPs), asking them to report all sales of works by our member artists and thus ensuring no relevant sales are missed.
  • We invoice promptly on receipt of notifications of sales and distribute royalties (less 15% commission) at the end of the month in which we receive payment.
  • We always welcome feedback and aim to provide the best service available.

Why choose ACS?

  • ACS holds a mandate from every artist we represent – they have chosen to join or to move to ACS because we offer a personal and professional service designed to serve artists’ best interests and minimise the administration involved in ARR.
  • Unlike other collecting societies which represent artists ‘by default,’ we know our members and are therefore better positioned to track eligible sales and collect their royalties quickly and reliably.
  • In major art markets like France, using our contacts with European salerooms, we can collect directly. ACS is unique in that in many cases we do not have to go through European sister collecting societies to invoice for royalties on foreign sales. This means that our artists do not have a second commission deducted from their royalty payments. It also means we have been able to identify sales which might otherwise have fallen through the net.
  • ACS is affiliated to the Bridgeman Art Library which offers our artists the benefits of a ‘one-stop-shop’ for rights services and licensing.
  • As a small company we maintain close relations with art market professionals as well as with our members. We always welcome comments on our services.

 

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