Labor

Nothing about this process is automated; the hand of the sculptor is in the work the whole way through. This requires dozens or hundreds of hours of labor, but the result is quality, custom sculpture. Even new technology like computer-aided milling, which can be used to carve marble sculptures, requires a lot of design time and still necessitates a stone-carver to finish off the work by hand, not to mention that CNC milling itself is extremely expensive. Most likely, we beat out the cost of any robot, and we will far surpass the quality of anything mass-produced.

Expenses

Materials and studio operation expenses are relatively cheap in small quantities. Clay, plaster, and even marble are fairly affordable. But costs increase rapidly when a project is scaled up. Marble weighs about 165 pounds per cubic foot, so doing a tabletop-sized sculpture is manageable. But even a sculpture that is 2 x 2 x 4 feet in dimension means you’re starting with a block of 16 cubic feet. That’s about 2640 lbs and will require additional transportation and installation expenses, which adds up.

The Business of Art-Making

We are self-employed small business owners. That means our labor isn’t limited to our time in the studio. We also must photograph our work, maintain websites, research and apply for artist opportunities, attend openings, network, do accounting and marketing. Traditionally, galleries do the marketing part: showing the work, mailing announcements and selling the work so the artist can stay in the studio. But galleries usually take a 50% commission. So, let’s break this down. Say a sculpture is priced at $10,000. The cost after sales tax (if purchased in MA) is $10,625. After the 50% commission, the artist gets $5,000. Let’s say tax-deductible materials costs are $1000, leaving a net profit of $4,000. Then take out 15.3% self-employment tax. The artist actually pockets about $3,388 (before income tax). So, while a price tag like $10,625 may seem very high, the artist might walk away with less than a third of that. 

Since we are doing the work of the gallery as well as the artist, we have to factor in our time and expenses spent on marketing into the price of a sculpture. The good news? That’s not half our overall time and expenses, which means it will be a lower price than selling through a gallery.

Variables 

There are many variables that can affect the cost of a sculpture dramatically, including material, scale, detail and intricacy. This makes it hard to give ballpark prices for something generic. For example, a portrait bust could cost anywhere from $1000 to $200,000 (or more really). The $1000 version might be a clay sketch of a head that took a few days to do and would then be fired. The $200,000 version could be a larger-than-life sized bust from the chest up, carved in Carrara statuary marble, with intricate detailing of the hair and clothing. This might take a year to complete and would entail special transportation and installation expenses. Of course, there are many options in between. A life-size, less ornate marble bust could be completed for under $10,000. 

The Bright Side

If you have an idea of what you’re looking for and what your budget is, we can almost always give you options based on the variables described above. We offer a free consultation by phone. Additionally, we may offer a site visit if it is convenient. The purpose of the consultation is to talk pricing and clarify your options so you can make an informed decision about whether you want to move forward with a project. We will follow up the consultation with quotes and/or project outlines. 

Design Fee

If you are interested in commissioning a piece, and it requires a new design, we will ask you to pay us a design fee. This fee will be 5% of the total cost of the sculpture and will max out at $500. This pays for us to draw sketches, do any necessary research and present you with a proposal for the finished work. If you decide you do not want to move forward with the work, we keep the design fee, but if you do wish to move forward, the fee goes toward paying the overall cost, meaning it is not an additional expense.

The Takeaway

Costs can vary a lot, but prices will most likely be in the thousands, not hundreds. We want to be up front about costs with you, so let’s start a conversation. Don’t hesitate to ask!