Below a sign that says “LOCAL ART GALLERY” and “ART IS RESISTANCE™”, a cubist character is placing a sign that has the following text on it: “SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS $500”.
Meanwhile, another cubist character, an annoying looking man in a suit, is telling “PLEASE GO AWAY, YOU ARE RUINING THE AESTHETIC” to another character.
Down in the corner, the character being talked to is drawn using curves and regular lines, they look homeless and depressed, and are holding a sign that reads “WILL DRAW FOR FOOD”
500 per piece of art is barely out of the struggling to eat level of artist. Be mad that the ones making 50000 each.
A large blank canvas alone is like a 100 bucks. If they are charging minimum wage for their time (they shouldn’t) and spend no money on brushes or paints that gives them 25hours per piece, which isn’t really that much time to be honest. Then hopefully you make enough in prints to pay the exhibitions cut and for time and money you spent marketing, networking, negotiating etc
Obviously there’s all kinds of art which different time and material commitments but 500 bucks really isn’t all that unreasonable.