Ottawa artist cancels Boston exhibit after U.S. tariff hits Canadian art

Michael Harrington, an Ottawa-based visual artist working full-time for nearly 30 years, cancelled an upcoming exhibition in Boston after the U.S. imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian art effective Aug. 22. The tariff applies to almost $30 billion worth of Canadian products — about five per cent of Canada's annual exports to the U.S. — and covers original paintings, drawings, pastels, collages, prints, lithographs, sculptures, and jewelry.

Historically, artwork moved across the U.S.-Canada border without taxation. Harrington's work sells through art dealers, international art fairs, and exhibitions, with Americans among his customer base. "It's disastrous to lose that market the way it's being lost. It's not good," he said Sept. 1. "The art market is very vulnerable. This year has been one of my worst already, which was why I was hoping to expand in the United States just to have more customer opportunities."

Harrington said the tariffs have effectively eliminated the ability for Canadian artists to exhibit or sell to American clients. Beyond trade tensions, he cited the U.S.-Iran conflict, which sparked fears of inflation and caused many people to cut discretionary spending — art among the first things to go. "It's hard to quantify exactly how tariffs will impact my livelihood," he said.

CARFAC (Canadian Artists' Representation/Le Front des artistes canadiens), the national voice of Canada's professional visual artists, said it is "deeply concerned" about the impact on Canadian art and artists. "Canadian artists are independent workers and entrepreneurs. Unlike large businesses and corporations, individual artists don't have the financial resources to absorb new costs associated with these tariffs," said Jenna Faye Powell, Interim National Executive Director of CARFAC National. The organization is requesting immediate exemption for original Canadian artworks from tariffs, targeted financial relief to artists and galleries, and an emergency support program for affected visual arts organizations.

The federal government has introduced financial-relief packages and counter-tariff strategies for certain sectors facing tariff impact, but has not yet introduced such packages for artists. Harrington suggested the government eliminate HST on sales of original art, not only during this trade dispute but permanently.