• Artist Money Matters is a new London-based financial consultancy created specifically for artists.
• Founded by artist and former finance executive Victoria Helena, it offers guidance on pricing, contracts, taxes, and cash flow.
• The business responds to growing market volatility and frequent money disputes in the art world.

A new independent London-based financial consultancy aimed specifically at artists has launched, seeking to empower them with the required tailored tools and solutions as they navigate the increasingly complex and volatile art economy.

Founded by Victoria Helena, an artist with a background in finance, Artist Money Matters offers services ranging from basic financial literacy and business advisory for artists operating at any level, from emerging to established blue-chip studios. Artists can obtain knowledge and practical support on cash-flow planning, pricing and contract advice, tax preparation guidance, and support around grants, residencies, and studio sustainability. The consultancy will also advise on budgeting, setting up financial framework and good accounting practices, and pricing of artworks.

The opacity of the art market and art industry made it “not very sexy to talk about money,” Helena observed; artists, on the other hand, also found money an uncomfortable topic of discussion as it made the intimate process of art making sound “materialistic” and “shallow.” Psychology played a key role in approaching and negotiations related to money, she said.

Money disputes are not uncommon in the art world but the industry has been hit by a “tsunami of lawsuits” in recent years as the market has been getting more volatile, with many of them concerning artists and dealers. Most notable recent cases include Jeffrey Gibson v. Kavi Gupta Gallery, as well as artists accusing the now-shuttered Simon Lee Gallery and Arusha Gallery of non-payment.

Victoria Helena, Founder of Artist Money Matters. 2025. Photo by Diana Ghetau.

Over the years, Helena witnessed relationships breakdown because of money and the lack of transparent communication about their expectations. She also saw artists committing to contracts that would not pass muster in any law office just because they wanted to get their art out there.

“When in reality, business is business. A lot of artists don’t understand how the business works, and the trial and error that happens usually ends up costing a lot more professionally as well as financially,” Helena said over the phone.

“The aim for Artist Money Matters is to give them the tools to prevent that and to prevent costly mistakes, and have them go forth into the world empowered, having agency in their business, and being able to cultivate really strong relationships that last throughout their career.”

Originally from California, Helena was a financial executive across various industries ranging from NGOs to commercial enterprises before pursuing a master’s degree in fine art at the Royal College of Art in London, specializing in sculpture. She noted that her artist mindset and past working experiences helped her to translate accounting information and numbers into accessible format for artists, compared to general accountants.

There were professional practices seminars with galleries when she was studying at the RCA but the information given was not enough to equip artists for the real world. A lot of her colleagues and cohort at RCA asked her for help, with questions covering concerns from licensing agreements to IPs and other money issues.

“We all love to talk about how the relationship between a gallery and an artist or dealer and an artist is like a marriage. But nobody really talks about the prenup,” she said. “What about the commission structures? What about the production advances?”

“I’ve really noticed the gap,” she said. “Institutions are there to help us create art, think critically about art, but for them to keep up with the changing business and with how everything is shifting within this kind of economic landscape, I think it’s a bit too much to ask for a university.”

Helena said the new advisory adopts a transparent, fee-for-service, non-commission model, with all the rates listed on its website. Fees are structured according to an artist’s experience and the scale of operation, from emerging artists and mid-career artists to established studios and large-scale projects and organizations.

What about artists who are starting out and unable to afford the one-on-one consultation fees? Helena said her company offers workshops for artists in a group of five that are financially accessible. She is also working on a book titled Artist Money Matters, which will lay out the basics and make them available to a wider audience.