ABOUT YOUR AGREEMENT WITH ART SCENE WEST
A Plain-Language Summary for Artists
This summary is provided for your convenience. The full Remote Representation Agreement governs the relationship between the Parties.
We're excited to represent your work online through Art Scene West Gallery. Before you sign the full agreement, here's a straightforward overview of how everything works and what we expect from each other.
1. Your Artwork Stays Yours
You keep full ownership and copyright of every piece. We are simply your agent for online sales. Nothing changes about who owns the work until a buyer purchases it.
2. How We Split the Sale
When a painting sells, here's how the money is divided:
The buyer's payment is received by the Gallery through our online payment processor.
The processor's transaction fee (typically around 3%) is deducted first.
The remaining amount is split 50/50 — half to the Gallery, half to you.
Shipping fees collected from the buyer are passed to you separately and are not subject to commission.
Example: A painting sells for $1,000. After a $30 processor fee, the net is $970. You receive $485, and the Gallery retains $485.
3. Keeping Us Informed — This Is Important
Because your work may also be available through your studio or other outlets, it is your responsibility to tell us immediately — within 24 hours — if a listed work sells elsewhere, is no longer available, or is damaged for any reason.
If a customer purchases a work through our website that was already sold or unavailable, and we were not notified in time, you will be responsible for covering any non-refundable transaction fees plus a $100 administrative fee. This fee will be deducted from any payment we owe you — or will be invoiced separately.
4. Shipping — Your Responsibility, Our Support
You are responsible for safely packaging and shipping each sold work to the buyer. Here is how the process works:
Once a sale is made, we notify you and pass along the flat-rate shipping fee collected from the buyer.
You ship the work within 7 business days using a standard carrier (USPS, UPS, or FedEx). Specialty or premium shipping requires our written approval in advance.
You email us the tracking number and a copy of the shipping receipt promptly after sending the package.
If your actual shipping cost comes in under that amount, you keep the difference and we deduct it from your sales commission. If it comes in over that amount but less than 20% of the flat-rate, we’ll cover the difference. If it comes in more than 20%, the excess will be deducted from your commission- so please ship wisely and use standard services.
Because Art Scene West guarantees customers a full refund in the event of loss or damage in transit, the Artist acknowledges that payment will only be remitted upon confirmed delivery in acceptable condition. The Artist assumes all financial risk for shipments that are lost, damaged due to improper packaging, or otherwise fail to reach the buyer. Art Scene West strongly recommends that Artists purchase declared-value shipping insurance to protect their own interests, however this is at the Artist's sole discretion and is not a contractual requirement.
5. Late Shipping Penalty
We ask that you ship within 7 business days of being notified of a sale. If you ship late, a deduction of $15.00 per day will be applied to your payment for each day beyond the deadline. If 14 days pass without shipment, we reserve the right to cancel the order and refund the buyer, with resulting fees deducted from your account. We understand there may be a lapse in shipping due to emergences, travel, or similar events. In these circumstances, the $15.00 per day deduction is not applied, but we must be notified promptly so we can inform the buyer of a potential delay.
6. No Receipt, No Payment
Your payment cannot be processed until you provide us with a copy of the shipping receipt. This is a firm requirement. Once we receive the receipt, confirm delivery, and the buyer's 10-day inspection window closes without issue, we will send your payment within 30 days.
7. Certificate of Authenticity
Before shipping each sold work, please affix a sealed envelope to the back of the canvas containing a certificate of authenticity signed by you. It should include the title, medium, dimensions, and year of creation. This adds professionalism and value for the buyer.
8. Returns
Buyers have 10 business days after delivery to report significant damage or a material misrepresentation of the work. If a return is required due to poor packaging or an inaccurate listing on your part, the refund costs are your responsibility. If it's simply a case of buyer's remorse, we'll work through it together fairly.
9. The Agreement Term
The agreement runs for one year and can be renewed. Either party can end it with 45 days written notice. We can also terminate immediately if there are repeated violations of the key terms above.
10. Disputes
In the unlikely event of a disagreement, both parties agree to resolve it through binding arbitration via California Lawyers for the Arts — a fair, art-industry-specific process — rather than going straight to court.
Questions?
We want this to be a great working relationship. If anything in the full agreement is unclear, please reach out before signing and we'll walk you through it. We're here to help sell your work and make the process as smooth as possible for everyone.
If you’re interested in proceeding with this opportunity, please fill out the form below with the requested information. We will use this information to personalize the agreement for you, and then send you a link with the complete Remote Representation agreement and acceptance option. Upon acceptance, we will post your piece for sale on our website.